A Sea Of Cuban Flags Highlights Havana Ceremony
Fidel Castro attended a ceremony involving what the Cubans refer to as a “sea of flags” outside the U.S. diplomatic misson in Havana yesterday. The ceremony, attended mostly by people who had no other choice than to attend, was ostensibly held to commemorate the 1895 beginning of Cuba’s war for independence.
The good news is that it looks like Castro’s health is fading, an observation based on the fact that he declined to speak. The bad news is that the Cubans appear to be completely awash in revisionist history.
To begin with, Cuba’s bid for independence was from Spain, not the United States. And it was the United States that helped them to finally achieve it.
When the battleship the U.S.S. Maine was blown to smithereens in Havana Harbor in 1898, we blamed Spain. It is now believed that the explosion was the result of an accident involving the munitions stored aboard the Maine. But at the time, there was no thought of an investigation. With the help of some New York newspapers, the notion of a war with Spain became very popular with the American people and off went our army, including Teddy Roosevelt, to Cuba to fight the Spaniards.
In well under a year, Spain called for a truce and for the first time ever, Cuba was an independent nation. If America had been interested in subjugating the Cuban people, those would be American flags, not Cuban flags flying in Havana yesterday.