James Cason, the chief diplomat at the US Interests Section in Havana, has recently made the headlines by placing an illuminated sign of the number ‘75’ in the Christmas decorations outside the Interest Section building in Havana.This is a reference to the 75 so-called dissidents who were jailed last year after being found guilty of accepting money from the US – namely James Cason himself - in order to mount a pro-US opposition to the Cuban government.
Cason’s refusal to take the down the sign after being asked to do so by the Cuban authorities resulted in the Cuban government erecting a billboard outside the Interests Section depicting the atrocities committed by US soldiers in Abu Ghraib prison.
But this is not the only provocation that Cason has carried out recently. Below is a list of the ways in which James Cason has been acting over the last few months.
The question that must be asked is why the Cuban government should tolerate any of this activity by a diplomat.
September 5
Cason attended an event at another diplomat’s residence wearing a shirt with the following statement in the front: “We want to help them, but they won’t let us,” and, on the back, “What an insolent man,” with Fidel’s name underneath.
September 8
Several leaders of so-called dissident groups attended a reception at Cason’s residence, where they put up signs and placards referring to the so-called dissidents sentenced last year for collaborating with the US. They also set up a supposed replica of a dreadful prison cell, which, according to them, was supposed to illustrate the way in which counterrevolutionaries’ were being held.
The so-called dissidents attending the reception left the residence with bags filled with US propaganda brochures, magazines, short wave radios and T-shirts. On the same day, Cason granted the illegal US-financed propaganda station TV Martí an interview, where he delivered a scathing anti-Cuba attack.
September 10 and 11
Kelly Keinderling, first press and culture secretary at the US Interests Section, handed out about 100 radios smuggled into the country at the entrance to her residence and in the neighbourhood surrounding it. Together with the radios, she also gave away copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and texts with selected Jose Martí quotes. More than 8,000 radios were smuggled throughout November.
September 17
Cason visited Prague in the Czech Republic to participate in a conference organised by the US-financed International Committee for Democracy in Cuba, where he shared his furious attacks on the revolutionary leadership with disgraced former Spanish premiere José María Aznar and Vaclav Havel, the former Czech president. Cason also traveled to Madrid and Brussels to participate in other anti-Castro meetings.
September 15 to 17
Alexander Lee, Cason’s assistant, and US vice-consul to Cuba Erick Limberg, travelled to Holguín and Camagüey on a consular visit. During their trip, they handed out radios and propaganda publications.
At the same time, in Havana, other Interest Section officials visited well-known counterrevolutionary leaders’ homes on several occasions to deliver similarly anti-Castro brochures. They also delivered the same literature to the so-called “independent libraries”.
From September, the Interest Section’s ‘public diplomacy’ department began to show videos recorded from the TV Martí propaganda station in its waiting room, as well as the anti-Castro video La primavera de Cuba (Cuba’s Spring). At the same time it carried out survey of it visitors to ascertain how many of them watched the station when it broadcast.
October 1
James Cason attended the Chinese Independence Day reception at the Chinese ambassador’s residence wearing a guayabera shirt decked with the grades of a U.S. corporal in a clear send up of a statement made by a revolutionary leader. The reception included comrades from the Cuban revolutionary leadership.
October 11
Colette Cristian, second press and culture secretary, told The Chicago Tribune that the distribution of radios, books, magazines, and information was in line with the policy of George Bush; that they are attempting to hand out radios to the largest number of people possible, and that they would use any means to disseminate information in Cuba.
October 11 to 21
Interest Section officials visited several anti-Castro group leaders to supply them with literature, videos, radios and other materials.
October 22
Cason attended a reception to celebrate UN Day at the Palace of the Captains General, wearing his military outfit with the corporal grade. The US Special Interests Section published a bulletin containing offensive caricatures of Fidel, Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos.
November 2
Cason organised an event at his residency to celebrate the US elections where several so-called dissidents received electoral literature, a symbolic ballot, and expressed their opinions on the future of Cuba in a poll. At this farcical event, the so-called dissidents overwhelmingly voted for “their” President George Bush.
November 8 to 10
Cason attended a conference organised at Miami University by the so-called Committee for a Free Cuba from the University of Florida Study center. Cason offered a futuristic vision of Cuba’s destiny, Bush style. Later, once again on TV Martí he delivered a scathing attack on Cuba and met with Cuban-American anti-Castro ringleaders.
November 23
The Interests Section opened a new computer room for their paid so-called “independent journalists” to send manipulated information over the Internet and via e-mail. They also set up new printers to expand the propaganda literature to be distributed in the country.
December 6
Along with the Christmas decorations, Mr. Cason unveiled in the Interests Section garden facing the Malecón seafront an illuminated circle with the number 75, in clear reference to his paid Cuban ‘dissidents’ serving prison terms for treachery