Latest news with #CommunistPartyofCuba
eNCA
25-04-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Catholics in secular Cuba hail Francis as 'bridge'
Catholics and others in secular Cuba have been paying tribute to Pope Francis, praising in particular his efforts to reconcile the communist island with its powerful neighbor, the United States. The country, which was officially atheist for three decades, declared three days of mourning for the pontiff, and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel attended a special mass at Havana's cathedral Thursday. Ex-president Raul Castro -- brother of revolutionary leader Fidel, who had initially cracked down on religion -- sent a message of condolences calling Francis a "man of integrity." The Catholic Church's first Latin American pope played a special role in Cuban history, negotiating a resumption of diplomatic relations with Washington under president Barack Obama in 2015, after decades of Cold War estrangement. He became the third pope to visit the island, once in both 2015 and 2016. The Communist Party of Cuba declared the state secular, no longer atheist, in 1992, allowing for greater religious freedom. Havana's cathedral, which normally draws only a trickle of worshippers, was packed Thursday to bid a final farewell to Francis. The pontiff, who died Monday aged 88, "fostered dialogue, especially between Cuba and the United States, which was very difficult," said 75-year-old Osvaldo Ferreira, a cathedral custodian. The pope, added 24-year-old doctor Rayneris Lopez, was "like a bridge" between Cuba and the United States. - Pope 'loved this country' - The detente that Francis helped foster has suffered setbacks since Obama left office in 2017. Obama's successor Donald Trump severed ties with Havana during his first term, and toughened sanctions now in place for over 60 years. In 2022, the administration of Joe Biden added Cuba to a religious freedom blacklist, pointing to arrests of religious figures over their purported role in rare public protests, as well as restrictions on certain churches. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez at the time rejected the accusation saying: "It is known that in Cuba there is religious freedom." In one of his final official acts, Biden on January 14 removed Cuba from a US list of state terror sponsors in return for the communist island agreeing to free 553 prisoners in a deal also mediated by the Vatican. But six days later marked the swearing-in of Trump for a second term. He swiftly overturned the deal. Havana claims it has released all 553 people subject to the deal with Biden, including 231 considered "political prisoners" by rights groups. Most of the 231 had been rounded up in a crackdown on mass protests against the Cuban government in July 2021. During his homily on Thursday, the Holy See's envoy to Cuba Antoine Camilleri recalled the late pontiff had "loved this country, the Cuban church, and the Cuban people very much."
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Catholics in secular Cuba hail Francis as 'bridge'
Catholics and others in secular Cuba have been paying tribute to Pope Francis, praising in particular his efforts to reconcile the communist island with its powerful neighbor, the United States. The country, which was officially atheist for three decades, declared three days of mourning for the pontiff, and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel attended a special mass at Havana's cathedral Thursday. Ex-president Raul Castro -- brother of revolutionary leader Fidel, who had initially cracked down on religion -- sent a message of condolences calling Francis a "man of integrity." The Catholic Church's first Latin American pope played a special role in Cuban history, negotiating a resumption of diplomatic relations with Washington under president Barack Obama in 2015, after decades of Cold War estrangement. He became the third pope to visit the island, once in both 2015 and 2016. The Communist Party of Cuba declared the state secular, no longer atheist, in 1992, allowing for greater religious freedom. Havana's cathedral, which normally draws only a trickle of worshippers, was packed Thursday to bid a final farewell to Francis. The pontiff, who died Monday aged 88, "fostered dialogue, especially between Cuba and the United States, which was very difficult," said 75-year-old Osvaldo Ferreira, a cathedral custodian. The pope, added 24-year-old doctor Rayneris Lopez, was "like a bridge" between Cuba and the United States. - Pope 'loved this country' - The detente that Francis helped foster has suffered setbacks since Obama left office in 2017. Obama's successor Donald Trump severed ties with Havana during his first term, and toughened sanctions now in place for over 60 years. In 2022, the administration of Joe Biden added Cuba to a religious freedom blacklist, pointing to arrests of religious figures over their purported role in rare public protests, as well as restrictions on certain churches. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez at the time rejected the accusation saying: "It is known that in Cuba there is religious freedom." In one of his final official acts, Biden on January 14 removed Cuba from a US list of state terror sponsors in return for the communist island agreeing to free 553 prisoners in a deal also mediated by the Vatican. But six days later marked the swearing-in of Trump for a second term. He swiftly overturned the deal. Havana claims it has released all 553 people subject to the deal with Biden, including 231 considered "political prisoners" by rights groups. Most of the 231 had been rounded up in a crackdown on mass protests against the Cuban government in July 2021. During his homily on Thursday, the Holy See's envoy to Cuba Antoine Camilleri recalled the late pontiff had "loved this country, the Cuban church, and the Cuban people very much." "They are a people with wounds, like all people, but who know how to hold their arms open, to walk with hope, because their vocation is greatness," Camilleri said Francis told him in a meeting in February. lp-tjx/mlr/des
France 24
25-04-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Catholics in secular Cuba hail Francis as 'bridge'
The country, which was officially atheist for three decades, declared three days of mourning for the pontiff, and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel attended a special mass at Havana's cathedral Thursday. Ex-president Raul Castro -- brother of revolutionary leader Fidel, who had initially cracked down on religion -- sent a message of condolences calling Francis a "man of integrity." The Catholic Church's first Latin American pope played a special role in Cuban history, negotiating a resumption of diplomatic relations with Washington under president Barack Obama in 2015, after decades of Cold War estrangement. He became the third pope to visit the island, once in both 2015 and 2016. The Communist Party of Cuba declared the state secular, no longer atheist, in 1992, allowing for greater religious freedom. Havana's cathedral, which normally draws only a trickle of worshippers, was packed Thursday to bid a final farewell to Francis. The pontiff, who died Monday aged 88, "fostered dialogue, especially between Cuba and the United States, which was very difficult," said 75-year-old Osvaldo Ferreira, a cathedral custodian. The pope, added 24-year-old doctor Rayneris Lopez, was "like a bridge" between Cuba and the United States. Pope 'loved this country' The detente that Francis helped foster has suffered setbacks since Obama left office in 2017. Obama's successor Donald Trump severed ties with Havana during his first term, and toughened sanctions now in place for over 60 years. In 2022, the administration of Joe Biden added Cuba to a religious freedom blacklist, pointing to arrests of religious figures over their purported role in rare public protests, as well as restrictions on certain churches. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez at the time rejected the accusation saying: "It is known that in Cuba there is religious freedom." In one of his final official acts, Biden on January 14 removed Cuba from a US list of state terror sponsors in return for the communist island agreeing to free 553 prisoners in a deal also mediated by the Vatican. But six days later marked the swearing-in of Trump for a second term. He swiftly overturned the deal. Havana claims it has released all 553 people subject to the deal with Biden, including 231 considered "political prisoners" by rights groups. Most of the 231 had been rounded up in a crackdown on mass protests against the Cuban government in July 2021. During his homily on Thursday, the Holy See's envoy to Cuba Antoine Camilleri recalled the late pontiff had "loved this country, the Cuban church, and the Cuban people very much." "They are a people with wounds, like all people, but who know how to hold their arms open, to walk with hope, because their vocation is greatness," Camilleri said Francis told him in a meeting in February.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bipartisan contingent of Texas senators advance bill to teach 'horrors of communism'
A bipartisan contingent of Texas senators advanced a measure championed by the father of Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz that would require public school teachers to highlight the "horrors of communism" as part of the state's social studies curriculum. Senate Bill 24 by Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, passed the upper chamber 28-3 on Wednesday, but critics of the legislation said it doesn't go far enough in educating students about other harmful ideologies. The bill would direct the State Board of Education — the 15-member elected body responsible for writing Texas public school curriculum — to mandate teaching on "historical events and atrocities" committed by communist regimes as part of the 12th grade social studies curriculum. It lists the Soviet-era Great Terror, the Chinese Cultural Revolution, the Cambodian genocide under Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge and the Holodomor, also known as the Ukrainian famine. It also requires students learn about the policies of the Communist Party of Cuba and other movements in Latin America. The bill seeks to help students understand "the oppression and suffering experienced by people living under communist regimes, including mass murder, violent land seizures, show trials, concentration camps, forced labor, poverty, and general economic deterioration." "The best way to protect freedom, members, is to have a good understanding of what threatens it," Campbell said while laying out the bill on the Senate floor. "This is about teaching and preserving the principles of democracy for all Texans." More: Texas state senators seeking to put 'horrors of communism' in public school curriculum Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, ultimately voted against the bill, "not because I'm a communist," but because it wouldn't go far enough in educating against authoritarian regimes, she argued. Eckhardt offered an amendment that would have altered the bill to include teaching about fascism, "which is commonly described as dictatorial power, extreme nationalism, militarism, racism and suppression of political opposition through official means," she said. "I completely agree with how important it is to teach about the historic horrors of communism, but I also believe that it is important to arm our children with an understanding of the modern equivalence and the threats that democracy faces today," Eckhardt said. "Another ideology that threatens our current modern-day democracies is fascism," she said. "Understanding fascism is imperative for understanding communism and how we defend against such extremism that threatens a civil society." Campbell did not approve of Eckhardt's proposal, arguing she'd rather keep the bill narrow for now and potentially add other ideologies later after evaluating the measure's effectiveness. Eckhardt's amendment failed. "I prefer to see what comes out in SBOE and make sure we get the communism down, and then next session, let's work together, and we can put in some fascism," Campbell said. The bill was identified as a top priority by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate, and received support from conservative evangelical pastor Rafael Cruz, the father of Texas' junior U.S. senator. The elder Cruz fled Cuba to the U.S. during the Fidel Castro regime and recounted his story to the Senate Education Committee earlier this month in support of the bill. He told the committee that Texas kids are being "brainwashed" by teachers and professors with communist ideologies. "Young kids have been brainwashed on the virtues of socialism where 'everybody's equal,'" he said. "That is a lie." Under communism, he said, government elites have power over "the people." "There is equality among the people: they all equally starve," he said. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Senate advances bill to teach 'horrors of communism'
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cuban-born rep alerts DHS to alleged Castro-connected ‘refugees' living in US under federal program
EXCLUSIVE: A congressman who fled Cuba in the 1960s will send DHS a list of people allegedly tied to the communist regime who are circumventing U.S. Cuban refugee laws. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., will transmit to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a letter including a list of Cubans residing in the U.S. under various humanitarian laws or programs that he and/or pro-Cuban-democracy groups attest are actually tied directly to the communist regime in Havana, Fox News Digital has learned. Gimenez, who also represents the congressional district closest to Cuba – in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties – will tell Noem of the "presence of agents of the murderous Castro regime and the Communist Party of Cuba currently residing in the United States." In the letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, Gimenez continues that "it is imperative that the Department of Homeland Security enforce existing U.S. laws to identify, deport, and repatriate these individuals who pose a direct threat to our national security, the integrity of our immigration system, and the safety of Cuban exiles and American citizens alike." Cuba-born Rep Recounts First Emotional Return To Homeland In 64 Years On Congressional Gitmo Trip Gimenez said the Cuban Adjustment Act – a 1966 law written by Rep. Jacob H. Gilbert, D-N.Y., that laid out how to handle the unique situation of Cuban refugees from the then-new Castro regime – and other laws were designed to help those fleeing communism, not assisting in it. Read On The Fox News App The Miamian – who is also the only Cuban-born member of Congress – wrote of people "with direct ties to the Communist Party of Cuba and the repressive state security apparatus" who have "gamed" the U.S. immigration system and are a direct insult to true Cuban exiles seeking personal freedom. Gimenez then included a list of about 100 people personally denounced by nonprofit organizations and human rights watchdog groups, asking Noem's office to "thoroughly vet" the list and start deportation proceedings if their malign credentials check out. Of the names, several are labeled as tied to or members of Brigadas de Accion Rapida – or Rapid Response Brigade. That group is made up of designated citizens who essentially patrol for dissidents of dictator Miguel Diaz-Canel and his regime. Exclusive: Venezuelan Oppo Leader Joins Cuba-born Rep To Laud Trump After Biden's Maduro Oil Deal Canceled Others were listed as affiliated with the Cuban Union of Young Communists, high-ranking officers in the country's military tribunal, Cuban State Department, Cuban Communist Party leadership, police forces, and the equivalent of district attorneys offices. While Miami and surrounding areas continue to see their collective Cuban-American community grow and flourish – particularly along SE 8th Street, the famed Calle Ocho of Little Havana – Gimenez said he wants to work with DHS to identify, vet, detain and deport anyone living as such "despicable fraudsters in our country." "Like so many in our community, I was forced from my native homeland of Cuba shortly after the communist revolution and it is absolutely reprehensible how agents of the murderous Castro regime have gamed our immigration laws to infiltrate our country," Gimenez said. Gimenez said the Trump administration recently caught a Cuban spy in Florida and expects more action against those flagged by Cuban rights groups. DHS declined to publicly share the former intelligence officer's name, but the Miami Herald reported ICE and the FBI arrested him in West Park, Florida – near the Miami Dolphins stadium – for fraudulently obtaining a green card. "I applaud President Trump and his administration for that swift action," Gimenez said. Fox News Digital reached out to DHS for comment on its overall stance toward the Castro/Diaz-Canel regime and calls to democratize article source: Cuban-born rep alerts DHS to alleged Castro-connected 'refugees' living in US under federal program
