Bohemia Accuses the Killers of Cuban Democracy

Miguel Angel Quevedo was the owner, publisher and editor of the Cuban political weekly magazine “BOHEMIA”, the most popular of the Island’s magazines. Many “democratic” Latin-American governments considered themselves friends of the Magazine. BOHEMIA’s journalists and editor acclaimed those governments good deeds while minimizing or omitting their dictatorial actions, or criminal wrongs.

BOHEMIA followed this same pattern against the democratic government of did not have communist inclinations. This continued and in fact was multiplied during the political dictatorial-democratic government of Batista. Batista’s government, although dictatorial, allowed some important democratic facets, such as freedom of the press, freedom to bear arms, freedom to lawfully trade, etc. Bohemia, its journalists and the majority of the Cuban media, repeated the lie of the“20, 000 deaths that Batista assassinated”, and always exaggerated negative events. The worst of BOHEMIA’s abuses, was not supporting the General Election invoked by Batista in 1958 (it was subsequently delayed by Castro when he called for a general strike and was known to set bombs; the three candidates were Carlos Márquez Sterling, Ramón Grau San Martín, and Andre Rivera Agüero). Batista was not even slated to be a candidate. BOHEMIA ignored this electoral process, and continued to center its attention on information about the revolutionaries, as if the electoral process was not existing. BOHEMIA and other leftists knew that Batista’s government had to oversee a fair and constitutional election, or it could lose the needed economic backing of the United States. But BOHEMIA, and the majority of the Cuban free press had one political end: not the termination of rule by Batista, but the success of Fidel’s revolution.

Quevedo knew that very well.

This is exerpt of a rarely published letter by Quevedo exposes, and is perhaps the last beacon that can openly inform readers, of the repeated international plan to end democracy in Cuba. This plan in the Americas, was initiated by Fidel in Cuba , and has since been repeated by Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, Evo Morales in Bolivia, and Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, amongst others. There are signs that this action is being repeated again, even in the most powerful democratic bastion, the United States of America.

This is my translation of the last letter written by Miguel Angel Quevedo, who was the owner, director, and one of the editors of the most influential weekly magazine in Cuba, "Bohemia". He was very effective in bringing Castro to power. In this letter he demonstrates that there was a conspiracy against the many pre-Castro governments, denounces those involved, and apologies for his assistance and participation in this conspiracy. The letter speaks for itself:

Mr. Ernesto Montana,

When you receive this letter, you will likely have heard via a radio announcement that I have died. I finally (!!) committed suicide, after avoiding yours and Agustin Alles attempts to stop me.

I recognize that after my death my grave will be covered by a mountain of accusations. I know that the world wants to recognize me as the only guilty party to bring Castro to power. But, all of us were guilty to a greater or lesser extent.

Guilty were all of the reporters who littered my desk with destructive articles all directed towards the all the governments. They were trying to achieve fame through morbid destruction. To feel important, and flattered by the approbation of the populace. This was a masquerade which they never removed. It didn't matter who the president was, no good works could ever be praised. Instead, it was a need to attack and destroy. Then, after being influenced by this press, the populace reversed their previous desires and wished to hang those they had previously elected. The people were also guilty. The people who loved Guitera, the people who loved Chibas, the people who applauded Pardo Llada*. The people who bought Bohemia, because Bohemia was the voice people wanted to hear. The people who accompanied Fidel from Oriente to Columbia**.

Fidel was a product of demogougerie and insensitivity. We all contributed in creating him. And all of us are guilty of his arrival to power because of either resentment, stupidity, or evilness. The reporters knew of Fidel's past: his participation in the communist Bogotazo, his assassination of Manolo Castro***, and his gangsterish conduct at the University of Havana. And even when he was later jailed, we asked for amnesty for him and his accomplices.

The congress was guilty because they approved the amnesty. The radio commentators who filled the air with praises for Fidel. The population who gathered for his speeches and blindingly approved all of his communist dictums.

Bohemia was an echo of what was said in the streets. An echo that was influenced and resonated by Bohemia. Bohemia was applauded by the populace when it printed the diabolical lie by Enriquito de la Osa, inventing that Batista had killed 20,000 youths.

The millionaires who gave Fidel millions of dollars to takedown the old regimen

The millions who sold-out to the bearded criminal. And those who cared more for contraband and fraud than taking action against those in Sierra Maestra. Guilty were the priests clothed in red robes who sent youths to the Sierra Maestra to serve Castro and his guerillas. And the clergy, who officially supported the communist revolution with those incendiary sermons. Pushing the government to release its power to the revolutionaries.

The U.S. Government was guilty in stopping further arms to the government to fight the revolutionaries. And guilty was the U.S. State department in not exposing and so backing the international communist community in owning Cuba.

Guilty were the politicians who closed the door on any electoral changes****. And the newspapers, like Bohemia, who played these politicians, and would not cover nor mention these elections.

We were all guilty. All of us. By action, or omission. Young or old. Rich or poor. White or black. Honest man and thief. Virtuous and liar. Of course, we didn't understand the incredible and bitter lesson that the most virtuous and honest was the poor man.

I die with revulsion. Alone. Proscripted. Exiled. Abandoned and betrayed by friends whom I had generously supported both morally and economically during difficult times. Like Romulo Betancourt, Figueres, Muñoz Marin. The Titans of the democratic left; who had little of the "democratic" but so much of the "leftist".

All, coldly, and without humanity abandoned me in my fall. When they were convinced that I was anti-communist, they demonstrated that they were anti-Quevedistas. They were the founders of the "Third World". The world of Mao Tse Tung.

I hope my death will be fruitful. And commands people to meditate. For those who can learn. And for newspapers and journalists to never say only what vulgar populace and mobs want them to say. That the press no longer be an echo of what is said in the streets, but a beacon to orient the voices in the street properly. That the millionaires no longer give their money to those who will later take away all of their belongings. That there no longer be announcements and publications filled bias and hatred capable of destroying the physical and morality integrity of a nation or of a diaspora.

So that the people rethink and repudiate those hate filled voices that bear only bitter fruit.

We were a people blinded by hate. And we were all victims of this blindness.

Our sins weighed more than our virtues. We forgot about Nuñes de Arces, when he said, "when a nation forgets it's virtues, it carries in it's own vices it's future tyrant".

Good bye. This is my last good bye. Tell my compatriots that I pardon them with crossed arms, and for them also to pardon me for the wrongs I committed.

Miguel Angel Quevedo

August 12, 1969