Granma 299
CIMEX Releases Used Car Prices
Cimex discloses prices of used cars to be sold at MLC
On Tuesday, February 25, the sale of used cars in freely convertible currency (MLC) will begin, maintaining the same payment mechanisms and currencies approved for purchases in MLC, published the Cimex Corporation on its website
Author: Yisell Rodríguez Milán | yisell@granma.cu
February 21, 2020 12:02:32
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
On Tuesday, February 25, the sale of used cars in freely convertible currency (MLC) will begin, maintaining the same payment mechanisms and currencies approved for the purchase modality in MLC, published the Cimex Corporation on its website.
It is possible to acquire vehicles through this payment method, in a personal way, through the Car Agency located on 20th Street between 1st and 3rd, in the municipality of Playa, in the city of Havana. This establishment constitutes the only shop enabled Cuba for this service.
FROM THE SALE OF CARS IN CUBA?
PRICE, WITH A 10% DISCOUNT
Humor, Parody and Other Tricks vs. Patriarchy
Humor, Parody and Other Tricks vs. Patriarchy
Analyses of how women writers and artists describe to the public the continued danger posed in the 21st century by machismo, violence against women, sexual harassment, rape, and even femicide . These have been the focus of a Colloquium at Casa de las Americas (February 17-21) convened by its Women’s Studies Program, created in 1994 and now directed by Dr. Luisa Campuzano.
By Mireya Castañeda
February 23, 2020
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
Photo: Taken from the Internet
From literature, theater and cinema, women have decided to expose with weapons as powerful as humor and satire that terrible anachronism that responds to the generic name of patriarchy.
The analysis of how women writers and artists describe to the public the continued danger represented in the 21st century by machismo, violence against women, sexual harassment, rape, and even femicide has been the central theme of a Colloquium at Casa de las Americas (February 17-21) convened by its Women’s Studies Program, created in 1994 and today directed by Dr. Luisa Campuzano.
Under the suggestive and even sarcastic title Humor, irony, parody and other women’s tricks to re/des/construct Latin American and Caribbean history and culture, the Colloquium attracted nearly forty specialists from universities in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Chile, Italy, Poland, Portugal and twenty from Cuba.
For our publication, Dr. Campuzano said that the Colloquium was very rich in participation and reiterated that “there is nothing like humor, like parody, irony, to remove anachronistic, ridiculous, and laughable patriarchal prejudices and that battle takes place within literature, the arts, and the theater.
The panels dealt with specific contents such as De cuerpo entero: las décimas y las canciones de Violeta Parra; Las muchachas se diverten. History and political discourse in the Latin American fiction film directed by women, or Women’s humour in political and social cabaret.
Two Cuban examples to appreciate how this serious subject is ironically treated from the stage: the monologue Yaisú by the also narrator Laidi Fernández de Juan performed by Verónica Feria, and a fragment of the piece La cita signed and performed by Andrea Doimeadiós and Verónica Feria.
But in addition to the “tricks” with which Latin American and Caribbean writers and artists put sexism and machismo in check, the Colloquium heard their impact even on many penal codes, including that of Cuba according to one of the presentations, in need of a reform that is planned for 2021 on the island.
The participants are aware of the urgent need to transcend public spaces, a debate of society in general about gender violence, sexual harassment and even cyber-bullying, beyond literature, the performing arts, and academia.
We Don’t Give Up Touching the Stars
Though the Path May be Challenging,
We Don’t Give Up Touching the Stars
Eight million Cubans gave their support to what is, since last February 24, the Supreme Law of our society, protected by Martí’s dream of a Republic of exceptional humanism.
February 23, 2020
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
A year has already passed, and if it were necessary to define it in one word, there is no other more explicit word for it than “transcendental”. Twelve months of incessant work since, having once again the dream that Martí left us of a Republic of exceptional humanism as a shelter, more than eight million Cubans gave their support to what is, since last February 24, the Supreme Law of Cuban society.
The approval of a more advanced constitutional text was not only reliable proof of the continuity that has marked the evolution of our revolutionary process, but also the starting point for an intense and challenging work stage.
The Guidelines, the Development Plan until 2030 and the Conceptualization of the Cuban economic and social model showed us that the Cuba of these times was demanding transformations to make our social system more sustainable, developed, proactive and, therefore, more just and richer in opportunities. For that, a new Constitution was undoubtedly necessary.
However, the collective consensus for the structuring of the Magna Carta, its approval in a referendum and its proclamation on another historic date, April 10, laid out a path, directed in two essential directions. First, the approval of a whole legal and regulatory framework that would allow for the implementation of its content. Second, on the one hand, the reordering of the structures of the State and the Government, so that they are more functional, efficient and objective in pursuit of a supreme goal: the growth of our country on all fronts.
These have been, during this year, unrenounceable goals, sustained with discipline and order, on a par with the permanent confrontation with the sickly policy of the United States Government against Cuba, and the countless tensions arising from it.
The essential task of legislating
During 2019, the Cuban Parliament has had an intense legislative year. Several laws have already been approved by our deputies, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution itself, and in view of the need to regulate certain processes that are indispensable from the social and economic point of view.
During the first ordinary session following the proclamation of the new Magna Carta, three of these invaluable legislative texts came into being: Act 127 or the Electoral Act, Act 128 or the Act on the National Symbols of the Republic of Cuba, and Act 129 or the Fisheries Act, the latter of which was passed for the first time in Cuba.
Logically, our current Magna Carta includes important changes in the constitutional order. Its first transitory provision determines that within six months after its entry into force, a new Electoral Law had to be approved by the National Assembly, of course, in order to first guarantee the structuring of the Electoral Councils at all levels and the subsequent election of the new figures described in the constitutional text, and which therefore did not correspond to what was regulated in the previous law of October 29, 1992. Likewise, it includes, as is logical, the procedures for the election of already known figures such as deputies, delegates to the Municipal Assemblies of People’s Power and the direction of these.
For its part, the Law on National Symbols will make it possible, as it explains, to resolve the problems manifested in the regulations in force until then. At the same time, it makes the use of these symbols more flexible to a certain extent, in accordance with the interests of Cuban citizens.
In the case of the Fishing Law, its second Por Cuanto makes clear “the objective of establishing the management of fishing resources under the principles of conservation, sustainable use, the precautionary approach, the implementation of scientific-technological criteria and the protection of ecosystems, in correspondence with national and international norms and the principles of food security and sovereignty so that in a progressive, flexible and effective manner, the implementation of the Cuban fishing policy is guaranteed.
By the end of 2019, in its last ordinary session, the National Assembly approved two new laws, which are essential in the process of improving the bodies of the People’s Power: The Law on the Organization and Functioning of the Municipal Assemblies and the People’s Councils, and the Law on the Organization and Functioning of that body and the Council of State, as the structure that represents it between one session and the next.
Ahead lies an arduous task of legislation, the complexity of which is reflected in the timetable approved for that purpose, with a total of 70 regulations between laws and decree-laws up to 2023, and another 24 from that year until 2028. All of them, without a doubt, are aimed at the optimum organic functioning of the Cuban nation.
Structures more functional and tempered at the present time
The first month of the year brought with it two closely related processes that contribute not only to strengthening the structures of the State, but also to achieving a greater level of protagonism of the territories in decision-making, the search for local solutions to problems, the transit towards more horizontal processes that involve reasoning and assuming strategies in accordance with the closest reality, as well as in the advance towards municipal autonomy.
First, the delegates to the municipal assemblies of People’s Power throughout the country elected the Governors and Vice-Governors in their respective provinces. Later, they also approved, at the proposal of their presidents, those who already hold the posts of Quartermasters. Each one of these figures, with attributions gathered within the Magna Carta.
However, this step was preceded by others, which involved changes at the highest levels of leadership in the country and in the National Assembly of People’s Power (ANPP) itself, the highest governing body of the State, which elected from among its members its President, Vice President and Secretary, who are in turn members of the Council of State.
The essential reason for this decision is that the Council of State is the body that represents the anpp in the inter-sessional periods and is accountable to the anpp for its activities. Although it has the power to adopt decree-laws, which may be essential for the conduct of certain processes in the country, these must be ratified by the National Assembly at its next session. Its powers are clearly defined in the Constitution.
This body is also responsible for the election of the President and Vice-President of the Republic. The former is elected from among its members, with an absolute majority vote, for a period of five years, and is also accountable to it. The second, elected in the same way, fulfils the powers delegated or designated by the President.
The Cuban Magna Carta clearly defines the structure of the Government of the Republic, constituted by the Council of Ministers as the highest executive and administrative body. It is headed by another of the new figures identified in the constitutional text: the Prime Minister. This, in turn, is the Head of the Government of the Republic. The latter was appointed on the proposal of the President of the Republic, with the support of the absolute majority of our deputies.
Beyond the constitutional terms
Although this text offers a brief summary of the different steps that have been completed as part of the materialization of constitutional budgets, the true essence of each of them and their impact within society goes much further than the legal language or the terms that make up a document of the rank of a Constitution.
The reality is that everything achieved so far, and what is still on the table, which is not at all negligible, has an unquestionable protagonist: the people, and with that profound popular essence it has been executed. Let us never forget that the deputies represent even the most humble of Cubans, those who live in the most intricate area, those who are still very young or those who are already combing their hair.
Nor should we forget that the fact that we approved the Magna Carta in a constitutional referendum, and that we enriched it with our criteria, in a broad popular consultation, also means that the majority supports the processes arising from its chapters and sections.
This has been, above all, a year of learning, of understanding that transformation is a top principle in order to develop, grow and broaden the horizons to which we aspire. Everything we do together, with that conviction of “thinking as a country”, is reverted to the benefit of you, me, our family, the people we love and who are privileged to live on this Island.
Our Apostle showed us from the infinite greatness of his person and the undeniable depth of his word, that one does not climb the stars on flat roads, and from that wisdom we interpret, therefore, that if the engine that moves us is will, no matter how rough the road, it is not impossible to reach them, with the accurate guidance of our leaders.
Bernie Sanders, the Most likely Democrat Bet in America Against Trump
Bernie Sanders, the Most likely Democrat in America Against Trump
Senator Bernie Sanders is shaping up today to be the Democrats’ most likely bet to face President Donald Trump in the November 2020 election
February 23, 2020
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
From left to right, Democrat Bernie Sanders and Republican Donal Trump. Photo: EFE
If weeks ago the media highlighted the figure of the former mayor of New York and multimillionaire Michael Bloomberg as an alternative to the “establishment” and moderate Democrats to confront President Donald Trump, today the figure of the senator is making its way as a representative of diversity in the country.
His successes in the early states gave him a clear path to a plurality of committed convention delegates, while his rivals are divided and attempts to reach a contested convention appear to be going in the wrong direction, according to various U.S. media.
As with Donald Trump in 2016, so it is Sanders so far in 2020. The characters are different, but the same dynamic is at play.
The reality facing those in the so-called blue party who do not want the senator from Vermont to run is the division in their ranks. This makes it extremely difficult to stop a candidate if no alternative can be agreed upon, whether it is former vice president Joseph Biden, Bloomberg or another of those still competing.
According to analyses in such influential media as The New York Times and The Hill, the race is young and there is still time for “conservatives who opposed Trump to offer some advice to Democrats who want to nominate someone other than the Vermont socialist,” says the Times.
After the pointer’s passage through the blue ranks, the idea is now underway that figures like fellow challenger Amy Klobuchar, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg and even former Vice President Biden, if he loses in South Carolina, will drop from the race to give possibilities to alternative figures like Bloomberg or Senator Elizabeth Warren.
According to Ross Douthat, author of several books such as “The Decadent Society,” those who are against Sanders are not united, but that could happen if moderate alternatives such as Bloomberg or Biden are considered, since it is difficult to stop a candidate from the Sanders plurality at a contested convention.
The Democrats’ delegate distribution rules make a contested convention more likely, but Sanders is on track to get a clear plurality of delegates by the end of March, and one thing that would be critical is whether he arrives in May with a majority of delegates.
The chances of the new frontrunner gaining more support are real. Some analysts, such as the site www.fivethirtyeight.com, even consider his pace to be overwhelming and he will arrive at the party convention with a large margin in his favor to be the nominee who will face Donald Trump on November 3 for the presidency.
The diversity of the vote in the race will determine what happens on Super Tuesday. That could consolidate Sanders, because on March 3 there are two delegate awards, in California (495) and Texas (261), and there Latinos can have the last word.
In the race to win the nomination in July, contestants are trying to make it to the party convention with the support of 1,991 delegates needed out of the total of 4,750 to be their party’s nominee for the November presidential election.
As things are going, Sanders could get there with that number. The race, however, is still in its infancy and a showdown between Sanders and Biden, or even Bloomberg, for the nomination is not ruled out, although Sanders probably has the advantage.
In Bloomberg’s case, Super Tuesday is still ahead when he will start appearing on the ballot, but after his disastrous performance in last Wednesday’s debate in Nevada, his chances are in doubt.
According to the polls, Sanders leads in both California and Texas. The progressive senator could also take advantage of those advantages in the next few days, after his momentum in the first states where they voted so far.
The reality is that the existence of eight candidates now makes it difficult for any rival to reach the top and challenge Sanders, which is likely to increase the pressure on some under-performing candidates to withdraw.
The truth is that there is panic among opponents and pressure for an alternative to Sanders is on, so eyes are on the Super Tuesday results, when the Democratic competition to challenge Trump will definitely be closed or opened.
(Source: Prensa Latina)
Manufactured Gas Service Interruptions
Manufactured Gas Service Interruptions Announced
The Manufactured Gas Company informs its clients that due to work that will be carried out by Energas S.A. at its installation in Puerto Escondido, there will be effects on the service, from 9:00 p.m. on Saturday February 22nd until 3:00 a.m. on Monday February 24th
February 20, 2020
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews. NOTE: This article refers to gas for home cooking as received through pipes from the street.
They announce interruptions in the service of manufactured gas in the capital from Saturday 22 to Monday 24 February. Photo: Taken from the Internet
The note issued by the entity’s General Management also announces that during this period the gas service to the capital will be partially or totally affected.
State consumers in the territories are advised not to consume gas until this service is normalized, in order to allocate all production to customers in the population sector of the municipalities of Plaza, Cerro, La Habana Vieja, Centro Habana, Diez de Octubre, Playa and Marianao, adds the information note issued.
The execution of these works will allow greater reliability in the distribution of natural gas to the company’s production plants.
The General Direction of Gas Manufacturado Company offered apologies for the inconvenience that this interruption may cause.
(With information from Juventud Rebelde)
Pretexts and Lies Against Syria
Pretexts and Lies Against Syria
March marks the ninth anniversary of the aggression unleashed against this Middle Eastern country, which has been torn apart by many foreign interests
By Elson Concepción Pérez
February 17, 2020
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
People’s forces and the Syrian army celebrate their victory in Hama province. Photo: Hispan TV
Let us put things in place: Syria is an independent and sovereign country, with a democratically elected government, whose program has been directed towards development and social benefits for its people.
It is also part of its status as a sovereign nation that it has the right to sign military agreements with anyone it deems fit. In this case, it is entirely legitimate that it has requested military collaboration from Russia and Iran to defend the country against the terrorism of internal groups and against foreign actions aimed at destabilising the Arab nation.
It has had difficulties and, as in all countries with diverse religious currents, many have been and still are the setbacks in harmonizing its walk in the midst of a region besieged by a foreign power interested in its energy resources.
In this context, it is worth noting that the government of President Bashar al-Assad has made significant economic and social progress in favor of the most dispossessed sectors.
But Syria has become a stumbling block for US policy in the Middle East region and the imperial drive to seize its resources, just as it has done with Iraq and Libya.
A terrorist group called the Islamic State (IS), which many specialists consider to have emerged from the subversion laboratories conceived by the U.S. CIA. IS [ISIS] appeared in the region a little over a decade ago and soon expanded like a bad weed, with a matrix of the most ruthless terrorism.
Together with the EI, a group openly supported by the United States, the Al Nusra Front, a descendant of the shadowy Al Qaeda, established itself on Syrian soil, putting in check its defense system. Moreover, it has suffered and continues to suffer for years from the direct aggression of Israel which has occupied part of the Syrian Golan Heights.
This March marks the ninth anniversary of the war of aggression unleashed against the country. Alarming figures, such as the more than 250,000 dead and more than that number of wounded, as well as the forced displacement and migration of millions of its children fleeing the war and the total or partial destruction of cities, industries, world heritage temples and many other facilities, constitute open wounds that are very difficult to heal.
THE DANGER IS SPREADING
Since last year, the Syrian People’s Army, with the active participation of the Russian aerospace force and Iranian advisers, had defeated terrorist groups in almost 90% of the territory, while the government was demanding the withdrawal of the American military that illegally occupied a part of the country under the assumption of fighting terrorism.
The bombing of areas where the Syrian army was operating, the death of many of its combatants and, in addition, the massacre of hundreds of civilians, including children, with the usual “collateral damage” caused by its bombs, have been part of this reality.
Already almost defeated by the action of the terrorists, those of the Al Nusra Front, supported by Washington, were concentrated in areas near the Turkish border, in the region of Idlib, where there is also the presence of Kurdish groups.
In recent days, on February 12, U.S. military forces opened fire on local residents who gathered near a Syrian Army checkpoint east of the town of Qamishli (Hasaka, Syria) to block the passage of several U.S. military vehicles.
As for the presence of uniformed Turkish soldiers on Syrian soil, the Government of Damascus has characterized it as “a violation of the sovereignty of its territory”.
In recent days, more than a thousand military transports and 5000 Turkish soldiers have crossed the border. Syrian sources accuse the Turkish artillery of having supported the armed terrorist groups’ fighting in Idlib.
As we can see, the current war imposed on Syria may reach a new dimension where, in addition to the internal actors, other external ones are involved, including Turkey in the Idlib border area.
It is quite possible that Trump, in this case, is playing at involving others in a war he has lost, so that he can enjoy his longed-for oil without having to subject his forces to the danger of confrontation.
Not for nothing did the U.S. president, in an interview with Fox News, emphasize once again his administration’s policy of “taking” Syria’s oil.
Struggle Against Price-Gouging in Cienfuegos
Abuse and Cheating May not
Always be Carried in the Carts
Systematic control actions for the correct performance of different activities of daily life are developed in Cienfuegos, with special emphasis on the sale of food.
By Julio Martínez Molina
February 21, 2020
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
Photo: Julio Martínez Molina
Cienfuegos: Although there is still work to be done, in this province since August of last year to date, systematic control actions have been developed for the correct performance of social dynamics. These include key bodies such as the Provincial Government’s Confrontation Group, the National Revolutionary Police (PNR), the Integrated Supervision Directorate (DIS), the State Traffic Unit (UET), the Agriculture Delegation, the State Inspection (the so-called blue transport inspectors) and the National Fisheries Inspection Office, among others.
One of the most sensitive activities is the sale of food. The population demands protection from those who want to take advantage of this basic need. Despite the existence of some illegals, 635 cart drivers are officially registered in Cienfuegos, which is part of the non-State sector. Raúl González Quintana, secretary of the Provincial Administration Council (CAP), said that “its essence is to bring agricultural products to the neighborhoods, to the families, for people’s convenience. That is why we insist on its ambulatory character, similar to that of the bread vendor. According to the rules, they must acquire their merchandise in the retail network (points of sale, small squares, organoponicos), which is not always the case.
“We know of trucks that move goods in large quantities and supply the vendors, instead of fulfilling the actual destination of such production. We have identified some of these clandestine warehouses, but we have not yet achieved all the effectiveness required. These places are a problem: they feed resale and bring with them hoarding, with the diversion of products contracted in advance by Acopio and included in its distribution balance,” he said.
“Acting against the warehouses requires an operational work, of which we participate as long as we are called. A group is already working in the government to evaluate in detail the actions against criminal acts of greater complexity,” explained Paulino Pablo Diaz Santillan, director of the DIS.
Lieutenant Colonel Edgardo Hernández Lorenzo, second in command of the PNR {National Revolutionary Police] in Cienfuegos, said that “a group of house warehouses was dismantled, which – as is known – are dedicated to receiving agricultural products that come from Cienfuegos or other provinces, mostly illegally, without papers, without going through the relevant channels such as Agriculture or Stockpiling, to then distribute them to the illegal vendors.
To avoid these practices, which make the consumption of food more expensive and harm the supply network, “at the end of 2019 we noticed three trucks coming from Jagüey Grande, Matanzas, with large quantities of pineapple, cabbage, yucca, peppers and tomatoes, among others, specifically to supply house-stores. There was no documentation to support the cargo, so they were driven, fined by the Agriculture Department and the merchandise was totally confiscated. In case they were repeat offenders they could be subject to criminal proceedings and receive sanctions by the Court.
“About twenty points of sale were also eradicated, that is, places that can be the same in a house or anywhere else and that are also dedicated to the sale of agricultural products in an illegal manner and with their logical overpricing,” he added.
He said that in 2020 “we will continue to confront these distribution and commercialization networks of house-stores. We will also go after the trucks that are detected in order to supply them with products in clear violation of what has been established. [Our goal is] so that the food reaches the people without the overcharge prices they usually seek,” he said.
In order to improve the work with the truckers who do not disrupt their work, with the participation of the State Commerce Department, the Agriculture Delegation and the Self Employment Attention Group. The owners were identified and identification tags were made. These are being placed on the trucks right now in the different people’s councils of La Perla del Sur, with specific numbers for each one.
Diana Serpa Diaz, secretary of the Municipal Administration Council (CAM), explained that although the provincial capital registers some 150 cart vendors, more tags were designed to include legal vendors who are registered in other municipalities, but operate in this city. “These will even have a different numbering, so that people can recognize them,” she said.
The official warned that, “as of March 1, those who do not have the corresponding signage will not be able to do so, and the people will know that they may be vendors who violate the law and will have the possibility of notifying the government, the Integral Direction of Supervision, and the police of their existence.
Against crime
The Provincial Confrontation Group in Cienfuegos continues its actions based on the prevalence of order, control and compliance with what is established in all areas, both by the Central State Administration (oace) and by the Provincial Government.
For this reason, in January of this year, the entities that make up this body carried out actions that not only demonstrate the systemic nature of the monitoring, but also that the violations continue: the same in the state sphere as in the private sphere, said Florentino Pérez Valladares, an official of this body.
Agriculture maintained this effort, led by the provincial government and in conjunction with the PNR, which allowed the identification of violations. This resulted in the seizure of 41 kilograms of lime and two cattle for causing damage to plantations, while a couple of trucks loaded with bananas and donkey banana [platano fruto and platano burro], without papers, were arrested.
In both cases, the cargo was seized and the drivers were fined 2,000 pesos, pursuant to Decree-Law 191. Agriculture applied 18 fines in the period, amounting to 56,900 pesos.
It also maintained its work during the month of January in all municipalities, with greater incidence in Cienfuegos (779 fines were imposed in the amount of 64,785 pesos in national currency). Florentino Pérez Valladares added that, in terms of self-employment, other breaches were detected, including having illegal personnel carrying out different activities, which demanded the imposition of fines according to Decree Law 357, which prevents these people from not having labor guarantees when they are hired.
But still missing…
Despite the continued work of these confrontational structures, dissatisfaction persists. Alina Guevara López, a sexagenarian who has bought from the cart merchants, in the face of the shortage of state agricultural markets, says they are setting abusive prices.
In the opinion of Yankiel Saldívar Vázquez, “despite the fact that their salaries have been considerably increased, there are still some inspectors who do not fulfill their role”.
There are also other truck drivers who, legal or not, hide when inspectors arrive who they know cannot bribe, shared Angel Hernández López from Cienfuegos.
“There are trucks that continue to arrive from agricultural poles, with food from the town that they divert with impunity,” said another citizen who did not want to give his name.
These four people agree with that of other Cienfuegos interviewed for this report. The people support the fact that a few rascals do not continue to abuse the sweat of others, who are hindered in their existence by outrageous offers that were destined for the market at reasonable prices. However, what is being done shows that it is possible to stop the cheating and the crime from being transported by the cart, and to stop the illegal supply chains from being encouraged.
Sanders vs. Bloomberg in Las Vegas
Sanders vs. Bloomberg:
The Debate to Choose Who Will Run Against Trump
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg came under fire Wednesday in his first televised debate of the Democratic race, the most virulent of the campaign to choose who will run against Donald Trump for the White House in November
———————————————————————————–
By Web Editor | internet@granma.cu
February 20, 2020 10:02:45
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
The Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas was the debut of Mike Bloomberg and the first in which Bernie Sanders appeared as a leading figure. Photo: AP
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg came under fire Wednesday in his first televised debate of the Democratic race. It was the most virulent of the campaign to choose who will run against Donald Trump for the White House in November.
Before Saturday’s caucus in Nevada, the third state to hold its party caucus, the Las Vegas showdown was the most controversial of the nine so far, as leftist Bernie Sanders is the clear favorite among the eight contenders still in the race.
Bloomberg, who invested astronomical amounts in advertising that catapulted him to third place in the Democrats’ voting intention in just three months of the contest, was labeled an “arrogant millionaire” and questioned for “sexist remarks” and “racist policies.
Sanders, who won in New Hampshire and came a close second in Iowa, was also targeted, particularly for his universal health plan, but also for his leadership style and economic proposals.
“I don’t think there’s any chance the senator will beat President Trump,” Bloomberg said.
But Sanders was not far behind.
“Mike Bloomberg has more wealth than 125 million Americans underneath him,” the senator said in one of the many bumps and bruises of the evening. “That’s wrong. That’s immoral.”
With an estimated fortune of $64.2 billion, the financial information mogul is considered the eighth richest person in the world according to Forbes’ updated figures.
Another strong exchange between the two was when Bloomberg questioned the economic claims of Sanders, who defines himself as a “democratic socialist”.
“We’re not going to throw away capitalism,” the businessman said. “Other countries tried. It was called communism and it just didn’t work,” he added, a mention that Sanders called a “low blow”.
Sanders leads the race with 32% support, ahead of Barack Obama’s former vice president, moderate Joe Biden, at 16%, and Bloomberg at 14%, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released Wednesday.
In fourth place is progressive Senator Elizabeth Warren (12%), followed by two other centrists: former Mayor Pete Buttigieg (8%) and Senator Amy Klobuchar (7%).
“We shouldn’t have to choose between a candidate who wants to burn this party and one who wants to buy this party,” said Buttigieg, who won in Iowa and came in a close second in New Hampshire.
“Let’s choose someone who is actually a Democrat,” he added, in a setback for the independent Sanders and for Bloomberg, who was a Democrat before running for mayor as a Republican and as an independent, to finally return to the Democratic Party in 2018.
In an unusual strategy, Bloomberg decided to skip the first four dates of the competition — Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada on Saturday and South Carolina on February 29 — to focus on the “Super Tuesday” of March 3, when 14 states vote and a one-third majority of delegates (1991) must choose the party’s nominee at the Democratic convention in July.
Bloomberg, who is shaping up to be a strong contender against Trump, another 70-something white New York mogul like himself, also was whipped by Warren, who like Klobuchar is struggling to stay afloat.
“Understand this: Democrats are taking a big risk if we just replace one arrogant billionaire with another,” he warned, equating Bloomberg with Trump by recalling that the former mayor once referred to women as “fat broads” and “horse-faced lesbians.
“Democrats are not going to win if we have a nominee who has a history of hiding his tax returns, harassing women and supporting racist policies,” he said.
During his tenure in New York, Bloomberg implemented a policy of arbitrary arrests and searches (“stop-and-frisk”), which his critics say affected Blacks and Latinos much more and for which the candidate has apologized.
“It got out of control,” he said Wednesday in Las Vegas, acknowledging that the issue “really” embarrassed him.
Despite being on the defensive several times, Bloomberg maintained his composure and his firmness, presenting himself as someone capable of defeating Trump and of governing the United States.
From a rally in Arizona, Trump took the opportunity to mock Bloomberg, whom he nicknamed “Mini” in reference to his height. “I hear you’re getting beat up tonight,” he said.
And after dismissing “Crazy Bernie” as a potential contender, he said, “We don’t care who the hell he is because we’re going to win,” as the crowd chanted “Four more years!
(AFP)
Racism and Xenophobia Do Not Go with Sports
Racism and Xenophobia Do Not Go with Sports
Much has been done by the international sports movement to remove discriminatory barriers based on skin color, creed, gender or political affiliation.
by Alfonso Nacianceno
February 18, 2020
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
Moussa Marega was a victim of the hatred of those who do not respect the human condition. Photo: Complex
Sport knows no boundaries. Cheer up, sister, ennoble. It shapes personality, brings values, and is based on a commitment to the purpose of being better every day.
The international sports movement has worked hard to eliminate discriminatory barriers based on skin color, creed, gender or political affiliation. Thus today the wide spectrum of more than 200 countries that gather in each edition of the Olympic Games, are the highest expression of the power of sport to unite wills.
Even wars and conflicts between nations have taken truces to give way to the quadrennial appointments. This ideal of brotherhood is opposed by the xenophobia and racism that are often unleashed in football stadiums, as was the case with Mali striker Moussa Marega during the match between the Vitoria de Guimaraes and Porto in the Portuguese league last Sunday.
Having scored the goal that gave Porto a 2-1 lead, offensives, shouts and even objects thrown at the player started to come from the stands. In the midst of the hullabaloo, the player left the pitch, not without first enduring a caution from a white referee, who far from helping to calm the mood, gave Marega a yellow card.
The unbridled fanaticism of anger, guided on many occasions by the excesses of gamblers who see their money in danger from the stands, puts the lives of tens of thousands who gather in a facility to enjoy a show at risk. The hatred of those who do not respect the human condition overshadows the event.
Many are the sports in which black athletes shine and bring out the jousting. And they are not always the best paid, and the unstoppable commercialization deprives their native nations of this or that figure, who then become players in a club where they do not have to suffer the expressions of contempt like those suffered by Marega.
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, multi-Olympic and world champion; Kenyan marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge, who recently dropped out of the two-hour race; American basketball player LeBron James; French judoka Teddy Riner, ten times world champion and two-time Olympic champion, to name but three stars from different specialties, attract millions of young people around the world who look to them as role models and deserve the respect they deserve. There is no reason for any human being to be subjected to vexatious treatment.
Disqualification of MAS Candidates?
Disqualification of MAS Candidates Would Aggravate Bolivia’s Political Crisis
The President of the Bolivian Electoral Tribunal (TSE), Salvador Romero, denied on Wednesday that the TSE disqualified the candidacies of former President Evo Morales and former Foreign Minister Diego Pary in the general elections of May 3.
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Author: Granma | internet@granma.cu
February 19, 2020 22:02:43
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
According to the electoral calendar, the disqualified candidates must be disclosed on February 23, not before, but a possible disqualification of the mas’s proposals could aggravate the political crisis of the South American country. Photo: TELESUR
The President of the Bolivian Electoral Tribunal (TSE), Salvador Romero, denied on Wednesday that the TSE had disqualified the candidacies of former President Evo Morales and former Foreign Minister Diego Pary in the general elections of May 3.
The local newspaper El Deber published yesterday that the TSE had disqualified both candidates and cited sources from the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) as the source of the information, reported Prensa Latina.
Romero explained at a press conference that the electoral body has not made any decision on the contested candidacies, and that the information will be made public in accordance with the electoral calendar.
The candidacies of Morales and Pary, aspiring senators from the departments of Cochabamba and Potosi, respectively, are under observation for failing to comply with the requirement of residence in the country for a minimum uninterrupted period of two years.
The TSE’s decision regarding the MAS representatives is expected amidst constant complaints of non-compliance with laws to keep them out of the electoral race.
In previous days, this political organization issued a statement, in which it questioned the decision of the electoral body to submit to a resolution the approval or not of the presence of the candidates observed on the ballots, which it assured was due to political reasons and not due to technical or legal reasons.
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