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Second Reply to Carlos Alberto Montaner (Litany)
Published in “Especiales,” Opinión, Silvio Rodríguez, on April 9,
2010
Havana, April 9, 2010
Montaner:
I know that, when Marx died, Martí paid tribute to him. If I remember
correctly, he said that Marx had placed himself on the side of the
poor. Please enlighten me and show me the “harsh criticism” that you
say the Apostle made of the author of Capital.
Montaner:
Before the triumph of the Revolution, most Cubans couldn’t even dream of
having a home of their own—my family included. The only building I now
own is my home. You should do a better job of checking your facts; I
have never held any other property or companies, either in Cuba or
abroad.
Montaner:
In some interviews and songs during the past 40 years and more, I have
pointed out what I considered deserving of criticism in the
revolutionary process. In others, I have supported this process, never
falling into subservience or pamphleteering. There is no duality in
this. I am the same Cuban in both facets, trying to help my people.
Montaner:
I’m not upset by having a government of old people. In many ancient
cultures, being old was a requirement for ruling, because of the good
judgment implied by that condition. (WALTER—I translated
“inmanente”—“inherent”—as “implied by that condition”) Remember that
you, too, acquired your “moral judgment, your perception of reality and
of social conflicts,” (WALTER—Please check this quote against what CM
said) half a century ago. Don’t try to sell yourself as a
representative (WALTER—It said “prospecto de la generación
del dos mil”)
of the third millenium; it doesn’t suit you.
Montaner:
The executions took place (WALTER—He said “se originaron” but there
haven’t been any more except once, several years ago, when three
traffickers in drugs were executed and MAYBE one more time, in the case
of one of the terrorists paid by Posada Carriles; “began” gives the idea
that they are commonplace, which isn’t true. How about “Nearly all of
the executions took place”? Also, how about all the executions carried
out by Batista?) in the first few months after the triumph of the
Revolution, and the people who were shot were war criminals who had
worked for Batista: convicted torturers and murderers who were found
guilty in the trials that the Cuban people ___. (WALTER—It said “miró
sobrecogido”; I think that “convicted” and “found guilty” cover this, so
how about ending this sentence at “in trials” or at “in the trials that
were held”?) The merciless war that the CIA has waged against us has
compelled the Government to maintain the possibility of execution
(WALTER—It said “la”—no antecedent; I invented “the possibility of
execution”) as a persuasive measure. With the passing of time, I
have realized that the death penalty is uncivilized and should be
abolished all over the world. I am convinced that the cessation of
hostilities against Cuba would be the beginning of the end of the death
penalty in our homeland.
Montaner:
The members of the opposition face the same problem (WALTER—It said
“drama,” which usually means “tragedy,” but this is NO tragedy) in
the prisons as in the streets: they have no support, because their
positions alienate them from the masses. In 2008, more than 30 of us
artists and intellectuals visited 16 prisons and sang to audiences of
more than 40,000 prisoners. The bad treatment that you talk about has
nothing to do with the great care (WALTER—It said “preocupación”;
the dictionary says “concern” but I think “care” is better here;
“concern” implies worry that there will be a riot and a break-out)
we saw exhibited by the prison authorities in all of the institutions we
visited. The very fact that there is such a powerful movement of fans
in Cuban prisons seriously contradicts the version you propagate.
Montaner:
I don’t like condemnation meetings, but other Cubans get so indignant
that they hold them. The Cubans in Miami do the same. It must be the
sad part of our karma. I find it logical that the mothers and wives of
prisoners are concerned about their relatives and that they express
this. It doesn’t seem very honest to me that they should receive
economic assistance from another government—much less from notorious
terrorists, as seems to be the case with certain women. As in other
countries, there is censorship in Cuba—and where you are right now, too,
especially for those who don’t think the same way you do.
Montaner:
It seems to me that it isn’t up to you to say what the Angolans
remember. It is clear to me that they well remember the unselfish
assistance the Cubans gave them. In Cuba, we have never used even a
drop of oil from Cabinda, where I’ve been and where I saw extraordinary
(WALTER—That’s what it said, but how about “admirable”?) men give
their lives in the defense of that oil, so that a sovereign Angola could
decide what to do with it. (WALTER—It said “decidiera su suerte”; I
don’t know what the “su” refers to—oil, or Angola? Do you prefer
“Angola could make its own decisions”?)
Montaner:
If you are so anxious
for Cuba to be better, change your way of thinking and begin to oppose
the blockade. The blockade is genocidal, immoral and indefensible.
As long as
it exists, it will be a reason for not relaxing our defensive position.
If you love the Somalis so much, I imagine that you should love Cuban
children at least as much. Well, this year, thanks to the blockade, not
as many Cuban children as in the past will be able to enter the music
conservatories. And don’t tell me that the Cuban Government has gone
crazy and now wants to destroy what it has built. Help promote the
happiness of hundreds of thousands of children in your native land.
Therefore, Montaner:
Oppose the blockade so that the talent that has been flowering for the
past 50 years isn’t thwarted.
With a tested patriotic and internationalist calling,
Silvio Rodríguez Domínguez
P.S.:
The all-powerful “mainstream press” that supports you has already begun
to publish slanted versions of this confrontation. Be a real (and
patriotic) democrat and ask them to print my comments in full.
Silvio’s First Reply
to Carlos Alberto
Montaner: “I Dare You, Carlos
Alberto” (WALTER—This wasn’t the title that was given to me to
translate)
URL del artículo :
http://www.cubadebate.cu/opinion/2010/04/09/segunda-replica-a-carlos-alberto-montaner-letania/
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Segunda réplica a Carlos Alberto Montaner (Letanía)
Publicado el 9 Abril 2010 en Especiales, Opinión, Silvio
Rodríguez
La Habana, 9 de abril de 2010
Montaner:
Sé que, cuando Marx murió, Martí le dedicó algunas frases de homenaje,
si mal no recuerdo “por haberse puesto de parte de los pobres”. Por
favor, ilústrame y muéstrame las “críticas severas” del Apóstol al autor
de El
Capital.
Montaner:
Antes de la Revolución, la mayoría de los cubanos no podía ni soñar con
tener casa propia. Mi familia entre ellos. El único inmueble que ahora
mismo poseo es mi casa. Infórmate mejor, porque hasta el día de hoy no
tengo propiedades o empresas en Cuba o en el extranjero.
Montaner:
En algunas entrevistas y canciones, a través de una trayectoria de más
de 40 años, he señalado lo que he considerado criticable del proceso
revolucionario. En otras he apoyado este proceso, sin caer jamás en el
servilismo o el panfleto. No hay dualidad en esto. En ambas facetas soy
el mismo cubano pretendiendo asistir a los suyos.
Montaner:
No me molesta un gobierno de ancianos. En muchas culturas antiguas tener
edad, por la sensatez inmanente, era un requisito para gobernar.
Acuérdate de que tú también adquiriste tus “juicios morales, tu
precepción de la realidad y de los conflictos sociales” hace medio
siglo. No pretendas venderte como prospecto de la generación del dos
mil, que no te queda bien.
Montaner:
Los fusilamientos se originaron en los primeros meses de la Revolución,
contra criminales de guerra del batistato: torturadores y asesinos
probados en los juicios que el pueblo de Cuba miró sobrecogido. La
guerra despiadada que nos impuso la CIA obligó al gobierno a mantenerla
como medida persuasiva. Con los años me he dado cuenta de que la pena de
muerte es algo que debiera abolirse en todo el mundo, por incivilizada.
Estoy convencido de que el cese de las hostilidades contra Cuba sería el
principio del fin de la pena de muerte en nuestra Patria.
Montaner:
La oposición, en las prisiones, enfrenta el mismo drama que en las
calles: no tienen pueblo, sus posiciones los alejan de las masas. En el
2008 más de treinta artistas e intelectuales visitamos 16 prisiones y
cantamos ante más de 40 mil reclusos. Los malos tratos que ustedes
manifiestan no tienen nada que ver con la mucha preocupación que vimos
en las autoridades carcelarias de todos los penales que visitamos. El
mismo hecho de que exista un movimiento de aficionados tan poderoso en
las prisiones cubanas contradice profundamente la versión que ustedes
propagan.
Montaner:
No estoy de acuerdo con los actos de repudio, pero otros cubanos se
indignan hasta el punto de cometerlos. Los cubanos de Miami hacen lo
mismo. Debe ser la parte triste de nuestro karma. Encuentro lógico que
las madres y esposas de los presos se preocupen por sus familiares y que
lo manifiesten. No me parece muy honesto que reciban ayuda económica de
otro gobierno y mucho menos de connotados terroristas, como parece ser
el caso de ciertas señoras. La censura, como en otros países, existe en
Cuba. Y ahí donde estás ahora mismo, existe también, sobre todo para los
que no piensan como tú.
Montaner:
Me parece que no te corresponde decir lo que recuerdan los angoleños. A
mí me consta que recuerdan mucho y bien la desinteresada ayuda de los
cubanos. En Cuba nunca se ha usado una gota de combustible de Cabinda,
donde estuve personalmente y vi caer a hombres extraordinarios,
defendiendo ese petróleo para que una Angola soberana decidiera su
suerte.
Montaner:
Si tanto deseas que Cuba sea mejor, cambia tu lógica y empieza a luchar
contra el bloqueo. El bloqueo es genocida, inmoral, impresentable.
Mientras exista será la justificación para no bajar ni un ápice la
tensión defensiva. Si quieres tanto a los somalíes, supongo que debes
querer al menos igual a los niños cubanos. Pues bien: los niños cubanos,
gracias al bloqueo, este año no podrán entrar masivamente a los
conservatorios musicales. Y no me vayas a decir que el gobierno cubano
se volvió loco y ahora quiere destruir lo que construyó. En tus manos
queda hacer felices a cientos de miles de niños del país en que naciste.
Por eso, Montaner:
Lucha contra el bloqueo para que el talento que lleva 50 años
floreciendo no se frustre.
Con probada vocación patriótica e internacionalista,
Silvio Rodríguez Domínguez.
PD:
La todopoderosa “Gran Prensa” que te apoya ya empezó a publicar
versiones convenientes de este careo. Sé demócrata cabal (y cívico)
y pídeles que muestren íntegras mis palabras.
Primera réplica
de Silvio a Carlos Alberto Montaner: Atrévete,
Carlos Alberto
URL del artículo : http://www.cubadebate.cu/opinion/2010/04/09/segunda-replica-a-carlos-alberto-montaner-letania/
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