Apparently, The New York Times is unaware of the fact that Cuba is ruled by a communist dictatorship.
In a story yesterday on President Obama’s decision to make it easier for Cuban-Americans to travel to the island and send money to their relatives — most of which will end up in the pockets of the regime — The Times explained that these steps were in preparation for Obama’s meetings with Latin American leaders “who want him to normalize relations with Cuba and its leader, Raul Castro” (emphasis added).
How did Raul Castro become Cuba’s “leader”? Was he the winner of a multi-party election? Who were the other candidates? What’s his term of office?
Raul Castro was anointed Cuba’s communist dictator by his brother, Fidel Castro, who established the regime in 1959.
The Times further informs us that sanctions went into effect in the 1960s “in an unsuccessful attempt to force a change in government after Fidel Castro came to power” (emphasis added, again).
“Came to power” is an ambiguous phrase. Castro “came to power” following a 1959 coup. In over 50 years, he’s never held a free election. Millions of Cubans have voted against the regime in the only way they could, by floating to freedom aboard boats and rafts.
The New York Times has had a long-running love affair with the Castro boys and the monstrosity they’ve created on the island.
Times reporter Herbert L. Matthews helped to sell Castro to both the American and Cuban people. Matthews interviewed the future “leader” when his was in charge of a guerrilla band in the Sierra Madre.
In a series of four articles that ran during February 1957, Matthews presented Castro as a democratic socialist with wide popular support. Even after Fidel established his dictatorship and the firing squads began their work, Matthews refuse to admit his mistakes.
Half a century latter, The New York Times is still misrepresenting the reality of political power in Cuba, with phrases like “its leader” and “came to power.” Raul and his brother Fidel are “leaders” who “came to power” the way The New York Times is a newspaper, instead of a partisan opinion journal.
@nytimes.com
