Internet Freedom

Update: Uncommon Sense has great coverage of today's Miami Herald's Editorial

This week I have two stories about Internet Freedom. The first one is the case of Google's belated mea culpa in its China entry.

The second story, is a painful one - and one that could've ended a long time ago if the world woke up from its opium induced romantic relationship with Cuba and The Bearded Stooge. Yes I'm talking about Guillermo Fariñas again. It doesn't get old, because no matter how much I scream about this story it just doesn't get any coverage.

As some of you may know he recently underwent surgery to drain his lungs. Liquid in his lungs - the guy can barely breathe. Even still, he pushes on with a hunger strike that he started in January 31st 2006 - that's 129 days ago - in order to gain access to the Internet so he can continue his job as a journalist/reporter and as head of the independent press bureau Cubanacan. The guy is DYING and all he wants is access to the Internet for him and his felllow independent journalists. The latest report on his health:

I’m Juan Carlos González Leiva, president of the Cuban Foundation of Human Rights. This Saturday, June 3rd, I visited the city of Santa Clara and, after learning of the critical state of health of Guillermo Fariñas directly from his mother, the Cuban Foundation of Human Rights, very concerned, decided to call for a nationwide vigil to fast and pray for the life of this independent journalist and psychologist as of Monday, June 5th, 2006.

We are demanding before the Cuban government, whom we hold responsible, to take note of the critical case of Guillermo Fariñas. As events concerning the critical state of Fariñas continue to develop, we make the Cuban government responsible for any incident or happening that might occur on the area surrounding the Hospital of Santa Clara.

Yes people, in Cuba there is such a thing as independent journalists - which means they are reporting what the government censures; because there is government censorship of the press in Cuba. I'd like to see how Democrats or liberals would react if Bush took CNN, MSNBC and the others away and only left FOX as the only official news agency. How's that for a slanted view of things.

And in case you are asking: if there is such censorship how do stories get out? Well let me tell you, they call people outside of Cuba and dicate their stories or sometimes they manage to type them and take them to the US Interests Section in Havana who gives them access to the Internet in order to email them out. It takes some serious cojones to be an independent reporter in Cuba.So please, spread the word on Fariñas and let your voice be heard!

Tags: Guilermo Farinas, Cuba, Freedom of the Press, Free Speech, Human Rights, Internet, Fidel Castro

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