cuba burst

From the HBO website: In spring 2003, following a wave of hijackings, three hijackers were arrested, tried and executed in Cuba. At almost the same time, the government also arrested, convicted and imprisoned more than 75 political dissidents (including several independent journalists) for as long as 25 years.

For the first time since his government cracked down last year, Fidel Castro speaks out on why Cuba has dealt so harshly with those it considers a threat. Directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone.

Looking for Fidel: Harry Caskey

 I just finished watching Looking for Fidel; I thought it was really informative. After all of the research we have done, and all the documentaries we have watched, this was the most up-to-date. This film gives us an idea of what things look like currently in Cuba, and what we can expect for the future of Cuba. In a way it gives us a starting point with how we view the country.

The US currently does not allow Cubans to visit the US, nor does the US allow Americans to visit Cuba. Only a certain amount of Cuban Visas are permitted each year, and they are very hard to get. I feel that this policy is unfair to both Americans and Cubans, especially people with families that are Cuban-American.

 What is the "wet foot, dry foot” policy? It is a policy that the United States created stating that if any Cuban can make it to US soil, they can apply for citizenship. But if Cuban citizens are caught by Cuban authorities, or intercepted by the US coast guard, the Cuban citizens must be escorted back to Cuba and will be prosecuted against Cuban laws.

This film informed us about current things that happen in Cuba today. This was really was beneficial to our research. One thing that intrigued me about the film was about the hijacked plane that made it to US soil. The Cubans that hijacked the plane were set free with no punishment under US laws. In response to the world seeing this event, within 24 hours another hijacking went on during which 3 Cubans seized a boat to try to make it to US soil. Unfortunately, they never made it to US soil. The Cuban authorities intercepted them and they were prosecuted. Immediately, Fidel was upset about the hijacking incidents. He made sure that the hijackers would pay the ultimate price. Nine days after the trial, they were executed.

I don't know why Fidel ordered these hijackers to be executed, but I think that he wanted to show an example to Cubans as well as to people all over the world, that terrorist will be dealt with harshly. But that also leads me to ask other questions: Why not life in prison, these people did not harm anyone?

Later on, another hijacking took place, but this time the hijackers did not even get to leave the ground, only a few of them got life in jail, while the other just got a 10–30 year sentence. Why should these guys be treated any differently? Were the hijackers from the boat incident just a model for how Cuba was supposed to deal with people leaving? Or were these people just an example that Fidel was trying to impose on people that want to sneak out of Cuba.

The "wet foot, dry foot" policy gives Cubans an incentive to leave. No one else in the world has this kind of opportunity. Cubans want better lives, want more. If things don't get better, do you blame people for wanting to leave?

 I recommend to anyone who is interested in how Cuba works, and how Fidel feels about his country, to watch this documentary, because this is very informative. It is real life, happening in Cuba right now.

Looking for Fidel: Mya Green

Looking for Fidel, an HBO documentary, was about politics in Cuba. After watching the video, I developed an appreciation for Cuba and also for Fidel Castro as Cuba's ruler. There have been many things that I have learned, from books, interviews, the Internet, and television. My first impression of Cuba was of a poor, run-down country with an arrogant ruler who cared more about technology in schools than healthy learning and teaching environments. My mind was made up about Cuba after reading one book. However, after watching the video, my viewpoint has changed.

Some people portray Fidel as a haughty ruler who uses his power in unrighteous ways, doesn't care about the residents of Cuba and who is more worried about putting computers in schools then making sure that classrooms and bathrooms have running water. The video, in my opinion, portrays him as a sincere person who had done a lot to help the people in his country, especially kids. The video brought out that the illiteracy rate decreased from 40% to .02%. Cuba also has more doctors then any other country in the world.

Some people actually expressed their feelings about liking Cuba because of color issues. One of the Afro-Cubans explained that in Cuba, unlike many other countries, they don't have to be worried about the color of their skin. They are treated as equals and are never looked at as different.

While watching the video, many feelings emerged. I began to look at Cuba as one united country under one loving father and rulership. However, I don't think that I would personally enjoy living in Cuba. From what I've heard about it and from what I've seen on television, I don't think that I would be able to deal with Fidel. I also don't like the idea of having to buy things that are legal here, off of the black market, just because our ruler doesn't feel that it doesn't belong to people of such a class. I also enjoy the freedom of speech that we have here in the United States. I also do not agree with the communism. I could not have the same wages as everyone else, and not be able to run my own little business. Everything is owned by the government.

I did get a sense of how much Fidel loves his people though, and how much they love him in return. Unlike the US, Cuba seems as if they are united as a family.