My Second Story: At the Encuentros we almost never
discussed politics with the Exception of 2005.
That spring, Luis Posada Cariles, a Cuban born anti-Castro militant and former CIA operative applied for political asylum in the United States. The Cubans believe Posada to be responsible for the 1976 bombing of Cubana Flight #455 to Barbados that killed 73 people. The black flags in the picture below are across from the US Interests Section in Havana and symbolize the dead.
All Cuba erupted into massive protests---on the premise of a fundamental contradiction that the country defined by the “War on Terrorism” should provide safe haven to someone so involved in terrorist activities, whereas there has NEVER been an act of military aggression by Cuba towards the United States. Every evening, the Cuban artists, instead of going out to music clubs & cultural events as usual, were glued to the TV in the Hotel watching tens of thousands of people in red T-Shirts marching in protest along the Malecon.
