US painted as fascist torturers
in Havana propaganda battle
A war of words flared yesterday when Cuban authorities displayed a giant swastika and pictures of abused Iraqi prisoners in front of the US mission in Havana.
The propaganda stunt was in retaliation for US diplomats' Christmas decoration which highlighted the plight of Cuban dissidents.
The diplomats awoke yesterday to the sight of two huge billboards opposite the mission's entrance emblazoned with a swastika, the word "Fascists" in bold red letters, and some of the infamous photographs of American troops abusing Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison, Baghdad.
To drum home the point to commuters on one of Havana's busier avenues, the word "Fascists" had a giant "Made in America" stamp on top.
The display was opposite the mission's Christmas decorations, which infuriated the authorities with a neon 75, a reference to the 75 dissidents imprisoned by Fidel Castro last year.
Cuba complained about the decorations to James Cason, the chief American representative, and demanded that he take them down.
The speaker of the Cuban parliament, Ricardo Alarcon, said the display, which includes a Father Christmas and white lights wrapped around palm trees, was "rubbish" and a "provocation". He said Mr Cason seemed "desperate to create problems".
The State Department defended the decorations and said there were no plans to take them down before the end of the Christmas holiday.
"It shows our solidarity with Cubans who struggle for democracy and freedom," said the department spokesman, Richard Boucher.
When the decorations went up Cuba gave warning of unspecified "consequences". Yesterday the threat became clear as America was given its latest reminder of how the Abu Ghraib scandal has delivered Washington its greatest public relations setback in years.
Mr Cason has refused to back down.
Since his arrival two years ago, to the fury of Havana he has met leading dissidents, encouraged their struggle for democracy and dispensed books and short-wave radios.
Havana has subsequently imprisoned 75 dissidents and journalists and banned Mr Cason's trips around the country. But still every month thousands of Cubans visit his headquarters where they get free access to the internet and watch cable television.
Washington cut diplomatic ties with Havana and imposed sanctions after Castro took power in 1959. The two countries retain special missions in each other's capitals.
photo caption:
A jogger passes the billboard depicting abused Iraqis
By Alec Russell in Washington (Filed: 18/12/2004) © Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2004.
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