Delia Fiallo's -Fair well to Cuba-

It filled me with pain and sadness to read Delia Fiallo's article "Farewell to Cuba". Cuban Americans, and Cubans on the Island, been betrayed, in my view, by the lifting of the embargo by Obama without the demand for respect for human rights and ending the imprisonment of dissidents.  Delia, a script and writer of love novels, escaped Cuba and, like many Cubans, first stopped in Venezuela where she lived for a short while until moving to the United States.  Like Delia we are all in awe by the visits of many political leaders to Fidel Castro, one of the Latin American most despicable dictators, as though he has done a Super Human task for Cuba, when we all know that he has terrorized its people and destroyed the nation.  The Castro brother's destruction has not been contained to Cuba. Their poison tentacles have spread all over Latin America under the cover up known as " Socialism".  Venezuela is the most recent example of Castro's damage.  We Venezuelan's realized too late that Fidel's hateful agenda against Venezuela became materialized with the "election" of megalomaniac Hugo Chavez. Chavez gave away Oil to Cuba in exchange for ego lifting by Fidel. This evil man convinced Chavez that  he was the Simon Bolivar of the 21st Century. My recent documentary work, Celebrating Life in Union, included interviewing former Cuban political prisoners. I heard nightmarish stories, horrible, inhumane stories of torture and killing, where people lost their families and everything that was important to them. Cubans like Dalia are angry and heart broken because there is now no accountability for the atrocities committed by the Castro regime against the Cuban people. There aren't words to console Delia and the thousands of Cubans that lost their families and everything they owned.  I feel that the last Cuban chapter has not been written yet. That story will remember the Castro brothers as murderers. There remain those who are riding the wave of Hypocrisy and ignoring the pain and suffering that the Cuban people have and continue to endure - they must understand that there is a price to pay for covering up for Dictators and human right Violators. History tends to repeats itself.

Farewell to my good friend Manuel Kohn

After a long battle with several illnesses, our good friend Manuel Kohn died in Manhattan this past Saturday.  For those of us who knew him, we remember a man who loved Venezuela, his Country of origin and who, for the past 15 years, fought for its freedom and justice.

I met Manuel five years ago at the exhibit of one of my documentaries about the late Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. Since then we became very good friends. He inspired me to do a documentary about Cuban Political Prisoners. He believed that the Cuban tragedy has become the new Venezuelan tragedy. He called it the Cuban Holocaust.

Manuel was a brilliant man who took New York by storm. He lived in the Big Apple with the love of his life, his wife Beatriz whom he met in high school back in Venezuela.
Manuel was a thinker but above he was funny. He made light of everything and whenever you were with him; you had to laugh. His big line was “don’t worry, be happy.”

Manuel Kohn not only inspired me but also kicked me in the butt when he felt I doubted myself.
I will miss You, my friend because you made me laugh when I just wanted to cry. Thank you for being there for me and your honest friendship.  You didn’t have the chance to see a free Venezuela, but I have no doubt that your wishes will always follow us.

Farewell to my good friend Manuel Kohn

After a long battle with several illnesses, our good friend Manuel Kohn died in Manhattan this past Saturday.  For those of us who knew him, we remember a man who loved Venezuela, his Country of origin and who, for the past 15 years, fought for its freedom and justice.

I met Manuel five years ago at the exhibit of one of my documentaries about the late Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. Since then we became very good friends. He inspired me to do a documentary about Cuban Political Prisoners. He believed that the Cuban tragedy has become the new Venezuelan tragedy. He called it the Cuban Holocaust.

Manuel was a brilliant man who took New York by storm. He lived in the Big Apple with the love of his life, his wife Beatriz whom he met in high school back in Venezuela.
Manuel was a thinker but above he was funny. He made light of everything and whenever you were with him; you had to laugh. His big line was “don’t worry, be happy.”

Manuel Kohn not only inspired me but also kicked me in the butt when he felt I doubted myself.
I will miss You, my friend because you made me laugh when I just wanted to cry. Thank you for being there for me and your honest friendship.  You didn’t have the chance to see a free Venezuela, but I have no doubt that your wishes will always follow us.