Yahoo! May 21, 2001
Baseball is National Sport in Cuba
By John Rice, Associated Press Writer
SANTIAGO, Cuba 19 (AP) - It's a tense moment in Cuba's version of the World
Series: a scoreless tie in the seventh inning, a brilliant but tiring starter, a
runner on first, a .330 hitter at the plate. And you can't hear yourself think.
A stereophonic cacophony of Afro-Cuban drumbeats pounds down from both sides
of the stands at Guillermon Moncada Stadium as Faustino Corrales, neck muscles
popping out, hurls a pitch. Rolando Merino belts it down the left-field line and
into the stands.
Things get even noisier.
Americans may love baseball, may have even beaten Cuba at the Sydney
Olympics (news - web sites), but they don't know how to dance to a curveball.
On vacant lots around Santiago, and all across the island, kids in ragged
shoes use sticks to whack balls, rocks, whatever, at fielders with maybe three
gloves among nine players.
Some of them grow up to be pretty good players.
Cuba's national championship is taking place, with power-heavy Santiago -
known as the "Steamroller'' to its fans - trying to win a third straight
national championship over Pinar del Rio, a team that leans on excellent
pitching.
With a 3-1 lead, Santiago has a chance to finish things off Sunday at home.
As the drums and dancing among the 11,000 spectators indicate, this is not
George W. Bush's World Series.
Players wander around outside the stadium chatting with wives and friends,
almost unbothered by the streaming fans, barely an hour before the game.
There is Orestes Kindelan, a stocky, Ruthian figure who has amassed 475 home
runs in a career of 90-game seasons.
There is Corrales, who reached 2,000 career strikeouts in Thursday night's
game, third best in the past 40 years of Cuban baseball. The game was halted as
players from both teams ran to the mound to congratulate him.
And then there are the fans, who paid about 5 to 10 cents for admission.
Pinar del Rio, Cuba's westernmost team, brought a small contingent of
supporters the length of the island to Santiago. They danced and beat drums -
and continued to beep a pump horn even in the ninth inning with two strikes, two
outs and their team suddenly down 9-0.
Pinar's drumbeat is unquestionably danceable, save for that grating horn.
But Santiago's drums are a work of art, as might be expected in the heart of
Cuban music. A special touch is the eerie wail of a Chinese horn.
"There are times when they (the players) lose concentration, especially
the youngest, who are not adapted to so much noise,'' said Pinar del Rio manager
Jorge Fuentes, a former manager of Cuba's national team.
But he said it helps "prepare the athletes mentally'' for other tough
situations - say quieter Olympic crowds four times larger.
Baseball championships are broadcast nationally on radio and television, but
Cuba's thin newspapers have little room for statistics and there's no sports
radio.
Instead, ardent fans gather in parks where they yell at each other face to
face about whether Fuentes left Corrales in too long on Thursday or whether
Santiago's manager should have pinch hit with the bases loaded in Monday's
shutout loss to Pinar del Rio ace Jose Contreras.
In Santiago's Plaza del Marte, an ever-changing group of about 50 fans held
forth on Friday, occasionally referring to boards of statistics dangling on
ropes from the trees.
Orlando "El Duque'' Hernandez, now a Yankee, was still listed: No. 1 in
career win-loss percentage at .728 but tied for 49th in career ERA at 3.05.
"Santiago is like the Yankees of Cuba,'' insisted Jose Antonio Fonseca.
In Cuba, most promising players are plucked at about age 12 into special
schools to develop their baseball talents. Others who develop later are pulled
into Cuba's youth leagues before making their way at last into the Cuban
national league.
The elite Cuban athletes receive special privileges, although their basic
monthly salaries wouldn't buy a single meal for a U.S. major leaguer.
The Cuban players don't seem to run from fans, perhaps because there aren't
hordes seeking marketable autographs. And there's a lot of fraternizing with
opponents. The best rival players are also teammates on Cuba's national team.
Many also share the experience of having shunned multimillion-dollar offers
from U.S. scouts. Contreras said he had heard "innumerable'' offers, some
from people who found him at home, one from a scout who followed him to the
movies. Most Cubans play for their hometown teams all their careers.
"The people follow that team and follow that athlete because they know
that athlete is going to play many years for the same team,'' Fuentes said. "To
me, that gives a shine, adds beauty to the show, especially for the fans.''
Ex-Cuban Consul Pleads Guilty
By Vivian Sequera, Associated Press Writer
HAVANA, 18 (AP) - A man who claims he spied for Cuba in Mexico, then was
rejected by Mexican officials when he tried to defect, pleaded guilty in Havana
on Friday to bribery, falsifying documents and illegally leaving Cuba.
The plea in a Cuban military court marks the latest chapter in the strange
case of Pedro Riera Escalante, the Cuban consul in Mexico City from 1986 to
1992.
Riera mysteriously re-entered Mexico late last year, apparently without
proper documents. He was detained and deported to Cuba in October.
"I was kidnapped by force and taken illegally to Cuba ... I am going to
lodge a legal complaint,'' Riera Escalante in court said after pleading guilty
to the charges.
Military Judge Col. Neira Gonzalez said any such complaint would have to be
taken up in separate proceedings.
Riera Escalante's reputed activities as a spy for Cuba were not mentioned in
the proceedings. He has claimed he worked for two decades as a top anti-CIA
(news - web sites) operative for Cuba.
Riera Escalante was arrested in Mexico City by immigration police as he left
a restaurant where he had been meeting with officials of Mexico's National
Intelligence and Security Center. He was placed aboard a commercial flight for
Cuba the next day.
Prosecutors have asked that he be sentenced to a total of 12 years in prison
if convicted on all the charges.
Riera Escalante, 49, is one five defendants in the case. The other four -
two Cuban women, an officer of Cuba's Interior Ministry security force and an
immigration official - are accused of helping him leave the island illegally.
After Riera Escalante's statement, the court heard testimony from witnesses
and the other defendants. Reporters were allowed inside the courtroom, but were
not allowed to use tape recorders.
Remarks By The President In Recognition Of Cuba Independence Day
WASHINGTON, May 18 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following is a transcript of
remarks by the president in recognition of Cuba Independence Day:
The East Room
3:30 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Siente se. (Laughter.) Bienvenidos a la casa de todos que --
quien viven en nuestra grande pais. Welcome to the White House.
Mr. Secretary, you were an easy pick. (Laughter.) There's no question you'd
do a fabulous job on behalf of America. Thank you for taking the assignment.
(Applause.)
Another member of my team who is here who helps us have a strong and certain
foreign policy is Senorita Condoleezza Arroz. (Applause and laughter.) That
means rice. (Laughter.)
Senator Graham, thank you for being here. We're honored by your presence. I
know you're a strong friend of Cuba's. (Applause.) And, of course, too -- and
it's great that Ileana and Lincoln are with us, as well. Thank you. (Applause.)
I noticed when Gloria sang the Cuban Anthen, that the first two people on
their feet were the two Congresspeople from South Florida. And, Lincoln, I did
notice that you were braced at attention, too, I might add. Proud. So it's great
to have you all here.
Gloria, thank you very much. Sorry you brought your husband -- no.
(Laughter.) We love Emilio. He's a good man. (Applause.) And, Gloria, thank you
for coming and bringing tu nanita. Thank you all for being here. We love your
music. Your husband has been such a good friend of me and my family, and so have
you.
The great poet -- man, you must be a strong person, with a beautiful heart,
and a wonderful, artistic touch. Angel, welcome to the White House. (Applause.)
And Lizebet, thank you for coming. I don't think many in America know your
story, that you were picked up on a raft, and you played The National Anthem on
your violin when you were picked up. That's beautiful. (Applause.)
And finally -- por fin -- "la voz" -- (laughter) -- John Secada.
Thank you, John for being here. I appreciate you very much. Glad you're here.
(Applause.)
It's a great honor for me to welcome you all to the White House to celebrate
May 20th, Cuban Independence Day. It's a day when we honor the warm family ties,
the faith, the history and heritage that unite our two peoples.
As Angel and Lizebet and so many others remind us, it is a day when we pay
thanks to the magnificent contributions of Cubans to our national life. They
enrich every field, from science to industry, to the arts, including my favorite
performing art --baseball. (Laughter and applause.) But mostly, today is a day
when we reflect on the greatnesses of Cuba's far-too-distant past and the
brightness of its future; of how, together, we can hasten that future's arrival.
Just last month I returned from the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City.
Thirty-four democratic nations committed ourselves to building a hemisphere of
freedom. But one nation was not there, because that nation has a leader who has
no place at the democratic table. Indeed, his nation is not free, but enslaved.
He is the last holdout of the hemisphere, and time is not on his side.
(Applause.)
The Cuban independence we celebrate today was the product of the enormous
courage of the Cuban people and the statesmanship of leaders such as Jose Marti.
The tyranny that rules Cuba today stands as an insult to their sacrifices. But
we're confident in one fact, Cuban courage is more powerful and enduring than
Castro's legacy and tyranny.
Our nation has an economic embargo against Castro's regime. But today, of
all days, it is important for us to remember that our goal is not to have an
embargo against Cuba; it is freedom in Cuba. (Applause.)
The United States welcomes the opportunity to trade with Cuba when there are
entrepreneurs who are free to trade with us. We welcome the opportunity to build
diplomatic relations with Cuba when the Cuban government is a democracy, when
the Cuban people can be free from fear to say what they think and choose who
shall govern them.
The sanctions our government enforces against the Castro regime are not just
a policy tool; they're a moral statement. My administration will oppose any
attempt to weaken sanctions against Cuba's government until the regime --
(applause) -- and I will fight such attempts until this regime frees its
political prisoners, holds democratic, free elections, and allows for free
speech.
The policy of our government is not merely to isolate Castro, but to
actively support those working to bring about democratic change in Cuba.
(Applause.) And that is why we will support legislation like the Cuban
Solidarity Act, and the Cuban Internal Opposition Assistance Act. (Applause.)
History tells us that forcing change upon repressive regimes requires patience.
But history also proves, from Poland to South Africa, that patience and courage
and resolve can eventually cause oppressive governments to fear and then to
fall.
One of the surest ways to foster freedom is to give people unlimited access
to unbiased information. The strongest walls of oppression can't stand when the
floodgates of modern telecommunications are opened. We must explore ways to
expand access to the Internet for the average Cuban citizen. And we must
strengthen the voices of Radio and TV Marti, with strong leadership. (Applause.)
And we will strengthen those voices with strong leadership and new direction.
Today -- today I say this to Mr. Castro: If you are confident your ideas are
right, then stop jamming the broadcasts of those whose ideas are different.
(Applause.) And until you do, we will look for ways to use new technology, from
new locations, to counter your silencing of the voices of liberty. (Applause.)
Last month, the U.N. Human Rights Commission called on Castro's regime to
respect the basic human rights of all its people. The United States leadership
was responsible for passage of that resolution. (Applause.) Some say we paid a
heavy price for it. But let me be clear: I'm very proud of what we did.
(Applause.) And repressed people around the world must know this about the
United States: We might not sit on some commission, but we will always be the
world's leader in support of human rights. (Applause.)
Today, all our citizens are proud to stand with all Cubans, and all Cuban
Americans who love freedom. We will continue to stand with you until that day,
hopefully not in the too-distant future, when all Cubans breathe the heady air
of liberty. (Applause.)
We are proud to stand with those Cubans who, today, enrich our nation with
their energies and industry. We're proud to stand with the farmers and workers
of Cuba who dream of liberty's blessings. We are proud to stand, too, with those
who are suffering and dying in jails because they had the courage to speak the
truth.
Y aqui en este Casa Blanca, estamos feliz de cultivar "una rosa blanca
en Julio como en Enero." (Applause.) Y por fin, viva Cuba libre.
(Applause.) Thank you all.
END 3:45 P.M. EDT
Group to Restore Miami Tower
By Brendan Farrington, Associated Press Writer
MIAMI, 19 (AP) - A historic downtown tower that will be restored after years
of decay was rededicated by a Cuban-American group during ceremonies Saturday.
The Freedom Tower was home to Miami's first newspaper, guided ships into
port and was the place where more than 500,000 sought freedom.
A crowd of about 30,000 watched as lights in the building flashed on and an
image of the American flag was projected onto the tower. The Star-Spangled
Banner was played and fireworks went off.
"I went through those doors myself with my mother and my brother,''
said Dr. Enrique Canton, 53, of Miami, who came from Cuba in 1961. "When
this county opened its arms to liberty and freedom, I will never forget it.''
"It's like Ellis Island, the same way Ellis is for immigrants from
Europe,'' Canton said.
The building's one-time use as an immigrant processing center earned it the
name Freedom Tower.
Newspaper publisher James Cox built the 17-story tower to house The Miami
Daily News & Metropolis. It was one of the tallest buildings in the
Southeast when it opened in 1925.
The newspaper sold the Mediterranean-style building, based on the Giralda
tower in Seville, Spain, to the U.S. General Services Administration in 1957.
Hundreds of thousands of people fleeing Cuba after Fidel Castro (news - web
sites) took power passed through its doors seeking a new life in the United
States.
Now the Cuban American National Foundation plans to turn the old newsroom
and press room that sat below the narrow tower into a museum and art gallery.
The tower will house offices for the foundation and other groups.
Foundation chairman Jorge Mas Canosa bought the tower in 1997 for $4.2
million and vowed to preserve it as Miami's version of the Statue of Liberty. He
died three months later.
Now his family and the foundation are making sure his dream is realized. The
restoration is expected to cost between $30 million and $40 million.
Bush Backs Anti-Castro Effort
By Brooke Donald, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON, 18 (AP) - President Bush (news - web sites) endorsed on Friday
legislation to provide fax machines and other equipment to Cuban dissidents and
said he will seek other ways to "counter the silencing of the voices of
liberty'' on the island.
"The policy of our government is not merely to isolate (Fidel) Castro,
but to actively support those working to bring about democratic change in
Cuba,'' Bush told a gathering of Cuban-Americans at the White House.
Wagging his finger and speaking sternly, Bush said he would support
legislation like the Cuban Solidarity Act - introduced in the Senate Wednesday -
that would provide dissidents cash, fax machines, telephones and other items to
aid them in promoting democracy in Cuba.
"Our nation has an economic embargo against Castro's regime,'' Bush
said during the East Room event commemorating Cuban Independence Day. "But
today of all days it is important for us to remember that our goal is not to
have an embargo against Cuba, it is freedom in Cuba.''
Independence Day is celebrated on May 20 by Cubans living outside of their
homeland. It recognizes Cuba's independence from Spain.
Aluding to the absence of democracy in Cuba, Bush called the 74-year-old
Castro "the last holdout of the hemisphere'' and said "time is not on
his side.''
He warned Castro that until the Cuban government allowed U.S. television
broadcasts to air on the island, "we will look for ways to use new
technology from new locations to counter your silencing of the voices of
liberty.''
Bush has proposed more spending on Radio and TV Marti, which Castro has
jammed since the U.S. television broadcast went on the air in 1990.
Also, for the first time, Bush publicly ventured a guess that the United
States lost its seat on the U.N. Human Rights Commission earlier this month as
retaliation for pushing the commission to condemn Castro's human rights abuses.
"Some say we paid a heavy price for it,'' Bush said. "But let me
be clear, I'm very proud of what we did. And repressed people around the world
must know this about the United States: We might not sit on some commission, but
we will always be the world's leader in support of human rights.''
Cuban-born singers Jon Secada and Gloria Estefan sang the U.S. and Cuban
national anthems at the ceremony. Other guests included Emilio Estefan, the
singer's husband, Cuban poet Angel Cuadra and Lizbet Martinez, a violinist who
arrived in the United States from Cuba in 1994 on a raft.
Bush, introduced by Cuba native and Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development Mel Martinez, joked with the crowd and flirted with his Spanish
language skills. He introduced his national security adviser as "Senorita
Condoleezza Arroz,'' then added with a chuckle, "that means rice.''
Bush complimented the 1.6 million Cubans living in the United States - who
overwhelming supported him in last year's election
"They enrich every field, from science to industry to the arts,
including my favorite performing art: baseball,'' he said.
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