BBC podcast on the Cuban protests

[Ryan]

This just went live today. It should be free and available in every country. "Cuba at a Crossroads"

A panel of Cubans, diplomats, and people familiar with recent Cuban history, and Cuban/US history, discussing the protests.

50 minutes of interesting stuff to listen to with a cigar.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct1hsn

 

[KCCubano]

Sounds like a perfect time to break out a PC. I will listen and learn later today. 

[Puros Y Vino]

Thanks for the link. Listening now

[El Presidente]

Great listen. 

[Ryan]

I'm on my fourth listen and I'm still unpacking more information out of it.

I've never heard a presenter of a panel, Ritula Shah, with a more informed yet unbiased opinion of Cuba's recent history and she guides the conversation very well.

A small example, most reporters, on discussing the "doctors for oil" programme that started between Cuban and Venezuela 20 years ago, gush about how that programme expanded and now Cuban doctors are helping in poor countries all over the world. This presenter made sure she got the point across that many of those doctors regard their situation as a form of slavery, yet how effective that programme has been for Cuba's soft policy. Every European saw Cuban doctors being welcomed off planes in Italy and other parts of the world in May, 2020 to "help with the Covid crisis" then.

The economist on the show talks about how being on a list of "State Sponsors of Terror" is much worse now than it was in the past due to more widespread and intelligent software systems used by banks worldwide, which don't want to come under any scrutiny for any possibility of "sponsoring terrorism". I wrote anti-money laundering software for banks 15 years ago, and it's brutal. If a country goes on the list, it's (at least very close to) an "on/off" switch.

[Nino]

Excellent podcast - highly recommended !!

Liked at min 30 John Lee Anderson explaining how Cuba froze dealing with Obama in 2016 after his speech at the HAV Theather and saw him as Troyan horse ...

Thank you for the link.