North of Havana...A must read!

By César Omar Sánchez

This past holiday season, I met and spoke with author, lawyer Martin Garbus on his new recent book “North of Havana: The Untold Story of Dirty Politics, Secrets Diplomacy, and The Trial of The Cuba Five”. The book exposes the lies, deceptions, and ongoing Anti-Castro propaganda that still exists today in Miami and throughout the US. It tells the story of how since the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, Cuban exiles and the US have not forgiven Fidel Castro and the people of Cuba to retake what was rightfully theirs…their own country.

Fidel Castro passed away in 2016 and his brother Raul Castro who stepped down as president, and yet many Anti-Castro extreme right-wing Cuba exiles are continuing to destabilize the country using all types of methods for so long now. 

Martin mentions how the mainstream media, along with the US Government continues to fund journalists to undermine Cuba's government by distorting the facts about US secret involvement in Cuba. He also exposes the US support of terrorist individuals like Luis Posada Carriles and Orlando Bosch who were responsible for many deaths, especially a bombing of an airliner. All this information was taken from CIA’s own heavily documentation which broke the story to the public. Other methods of undermining the Cuba Revolution are the funding of organization like CANF (Cuban American National Foundation) that continues to use their financial power to influence the US government to impose an illegal economic blockade. At the time CANF pressured both political parties, Republicans and Democrats on tightening up the economic Illegal blockade like the Helms-Burton act with hopes the people of Cuba will rise-up and overthrow their socialist government out of desperation, but their plan failed. 

Other terrorist organizations like the Alpha 66 who were constantly attacking Cuba from the coast of South Florida also failed as well. It is important to point out, as Martin Garbus’s book brilliant does, it is that over the years militant exiles have been linked to everything from downing other airliners to hit-and-run commando raids on the Cuban coast to hotel bombings in Havana. They've killed Cuban diplomats and made numerous attempts on Castro's life in the past.

Martin Garbus speaking at the People's Forum at the anniversary and celebration of
the freedom of the Cuban Five

Flyer designed by César Omar Sánchez

Other organization provocateurs like “Brothers to the Rescue” led by Cuban exiled José Basulto was used to provoking the Cuban Government after illegally flying into Cuban Airspace. This provocation was against International Law that ultimately led to the shootdown of two of his aircraft by the Cuban Government who were just defending their nation. 

The Cuban Five, who were sent by the Cuban government to spy on these organizations based in Miami were arrested in September 1998 from US officials. The story of the Cuban Five by Martin Garbus is, in my opinion, is close and accurate of what occurred during the trial of these five brave souls who were defending their country from US Imperialism. 

There is so much information on this book I just don’t want to give it away. This new year take a trip to your local bookstore or simply just download the digital book. No doubt, this is a book worth reading!

by César Omar Sánchez. Community organizer, New York/New Jersey Cuba Si Coalition, Advisory Board Member of ProLibertad: Free All Political Prisoners Campaign.