Present at the Creation

the AZEL PERSPECTIVE Commentary on Cuba's Future, U.S. Foreign Policy & Individual Freedoms - Issue 458 B

José Azel's latest books "On Freedom" and "Sobre La Libertad" are now available on Amazon. Present at the Creation (Previously published) Share Tweet Forward

Dedicated to the heroes of the Brigade 2506 and the                 underground resistance “Had I been present at the creation, I would have given some useful hints for the better ordering of the universe.” This nostalgic expression of Alfonso X King of Castile (1252-1284) inspired the title of Dean Acheson’s memoirs “Present at the Creation: My Years in the State Department.” Acheson (1893-1971) was not just present at the creation of the postwar world; he was one of its architects until he left office as Secretary of State in 1953. Similarly, my generation was present at the creation of Cuba’s totalitarian state beginning in 1959 and has witnessed the socioeconomic devastation of a nation. In the introduction to my book “Reflections on Freedom,” I recount the story of how I was ten years old in January 1959 when the Cuban revolution came to town. Like most Cuban children I was captivated by the circus-like and storybook qualities of that surreal experience. I did not then apprehend the antecedents and the consequences, and it did not take long for the storybook heroes to turn into villains. Within a year I had joined the underground urban resistance fighting against the Castro regime. Following the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion in April 1961, my father concluded that for our safety, my brothers and I should leave Cuba. Thus, in June 1961, I left Cuba as part of Operation Pedro Pan, at that time the largest exodus of unaccompanied children in the history of the Western Hemisphere. I began life in the United States as a thirteen-year-old political exile with an indelible, if juvenile idea of our individual freedoms and how they must be protected. I was never able to see my father again, and I have never returned to my place of birth as I vowed never to return until Cuba was once again free. I beg the reader’s indulgence for this melancholic walk on memory lane. But, as the cohort of those present at the creation dwindles, it is important to convey the angst for freedom of a generation of Cuban-Americans that has fought valiantly defending freedom for both their adopted homeland and their place of birth. My generation is that of the aging heroes of the Cuban urban resistance of the 1960’s, of the Bay of Pigs invasion, of the uprising in the Escambray mountains, of the Pedro Pan exodus, of the Vietnam War. Our generation, present at the creation of a totalitarian regime in our homeland, has not succeeded in bringing freedom to Cuba. And perhaps, like Alfonso X, we could have done more for the better ordering of the universe. But we have succeeded admirably in transmitting love of country – for both the United States and Cuba- and democratic values to our children and grandchildren. Those inheriting our struggle understand freedom as a state of being, and a state of consciousness. Our children and grandchildren apprehend the free flow of information, economic freedom, human rights, political liberty, transparency, freedom of speech, and empowerment of the individual as a way of life. Their freedom-fighting tactics may differ from ours, but these are values they will not repudiate by embracing tyrannical collectivism. We are passing the torch to a generation that understands instinctively that economic well-being is a consequence of freedom, and that to value freedom is an insightful philosophical and moral achievement. It is a generation that grew up listening to our stories of a lost country and has learned the lessons of Pericles as he sought to inspire the Athenians during the Peloponnesian War: “Make up your minds that happiness depends on being free, and freedom depends on being courageous.” The youngest of my generation are now in their 70s, and we are necessarily passing the responsibility and the honor of defending freedom to a new generation that was not present at the creation of Cuba’s totalitarian state. But, like a mirror at the end of the road, this generation will honor us by being present at the creation of a democratic nation. Please let us know if you  this article. We welcome your feedback. Abrazos, Lily & José (click on the name to email Lily or Jose) José Azel, Ph.D. José Azel left Cuba in 1961 as a 13 year-old political exile in what has been dubbed Operation Pedro Pan - the largest unaccompanied child refugee movement in the history of the Western Hemisphere.   He is currently dedicated to the in-depth analyses of Cuba's economic, social and political state, with a keen interest in post-Castro-Cuba strategies. Dr. Azel was a Senior Scholar at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies (ICCAS) at the University of Miami, Jose Azel has published extensively on Cuba related topics. In 2012 and 2015, Dr. Azel testified in the U.S. Congress on U.S.-Cuba Policy, and U.S. National Security.  He is a frequent speaker and commentator on these and related topics on local, national and international media.  He holds undergraduate and masters degrees in business administration and a Ph.D. in International Affairs from the University of Miami. José along with his wife Lily are avid skiers and adventure travelers.  In recent years they have climbed Grand Teton in Wyoming, trekked Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Machu Pichu in Peru.  They have also hiked in Tibet and in the Himalayas to Mt. Everest Base Camp. They cycled St. James Way (El Camino de Santiago de Compostela) and cycled alongside the Danube from Germany to Hungary and throughout southern France.  They have scuba dived in the Bay Islands off the Honduran coast and in the Galapagos Islands. Most recently, they rafted for 17 days 220 miles in the Grand Canyon. Their adventurers are normally dedicated to raise funds for causes that are dear to them.  Watch Joe & Lily summit Kilimanjaro. Books by Dr. José Azel José Azel’s writings are touched with the wisdom of a master, and the charm of an excellent communicator. Anyone who wishes to understand why countries do, or do not, progress will find in this book the best explanations. And, from these readings emerge numerous inferences: How and why do the good intentions of leftist collectivism lead countries to hell? Why is liberty not a sub product of prosperity, but rather one of its causes? If it was in my power, this work would be required reading for all college and university students, and I would also recommend its reading to all politicians, journalists, and policymakers. With his writings Azel accomplishes what was achieved in France by Frédéric Bastiat, and in the United States by Henry Hazlitt: Azel brings together common sense with intelligent observation, and academic substance. Stupendous, Carlos Alberto Montaner                                                                    BUY NOW Los escritos de José Azel están tocados por la sabiduría de un maestro y la amenidad de un excelente comunicador. Cualquiera que desee entender por qué los países progresan, o no, encontrará en este libro las mejores explicaciones. De estas lecturas surgen numerosas inferencias: ¿Cómo y por qué las buenas intenciones del colectivismo de izquierda llevan a los países al infierno? ¿Por qué la libertad no es un subproducto de la prosperidad, sino una de sus causas? Si estuviera en mis manos, esta obra sería de obligada lectura de todos los estudiantes universitarios, pero además, le recomendaría su lectura a todos los políticos, periodistas y policy makers. Con sus escritos Azel logra lo que Frédéric Bastiat consiguiera en Francia y Henry Hazlitt en Estados Unidos: aunar el sentido común, la observación inteligente y la enjundia académica. Estupendo. Carlos Alberto Montaner                                                            Compre Aqui "Liberty for beginners is much more than what the title promises. It is eighty themes touched with the wisdom of a master, and the charm of an excellent communicator. Anyone that wishes to understand why countries do, or do not progress, will find in this book the best explanations. Stupendous" Carlos Alberto Montaner Buy Now "Libertad para novatos es mucho más de lo que promete el título. Son ochenta temas tocados con la sabiduría de un maestro y la amenidad de un excelente comunicador. Cualquier adulto que desee saber por qué progresan o se estancan los pueblos aquí encontrará las mejores explicaciones. Estupendo." Carlos Alberto Montaner Compre Aqui In Reflections on Freedom, José Azel brings together a collection of his columns published in prestigious newspapers.  Each article reveals his heartfelt and personal awareness of the importance of freedom in our lives.  They are his reflections after nearly sixty years of living and learning as a Cuban outside Cuba. In what has become his stylistic trademark, Professor Azel brilliantly introduces complex topics in brief journalistic articles. Buy Now En Reflexiones sobre la libertad José Azel reúne una colección de sus columnas publicadas en prestigiosos periódicos. Cada artículo revela su percepción sincera y personal de la importancia de la libertad en nuestras vidas. Son sus reflexiones después de casi sesenta años viviendo y aprendiendo como cubano fuera de Cuba.  En lo que ha resultado ser característica distintiva de sus artículos, el Profesor Azel introduce con brillantez complejos temas en  breves artículos de carácter periodístico. Compre Aqui Mañana in Cuba is a comprehensive analysis of contemporary Cuba with an incisive perspective of the Cuban frame of mind and its relevancy for Cuba's future. Buy now

Un día como hoy, Abril 22, en nuestra lucha contra el castrismo.

 Un día como hoy, Abril 22, en nuestra lucha contra el castrismo.

Dedicado a aquellos que dicen que en Cuba no se combatió el comunismo.

Comparta estas efemérides. Gracias.

PROHIBIDO OLVIDAR.

1959

El Gobierno de Panamá anuncia la invasión de su territorio por fuerzas cubanas y da cuenta por medio de su representante Ricardo Arias, a la Organización de Estados Americanos. La expedición, compuesta por 82 cubanos, 3 panameños y una enfermera, había zarpado el día 19 desde Surgidero de Batabanó a bordo de una pequeña embarcación.

1960

Felipe Martínez Norman es fusilado en Boniato, Oriente.

*****

Capturado en la Sierra Maestra un grupo de patriotas cubanos que se oponen al régimen comunista de Fidel Castro. Entre los alzados apresados se encuentran: David Alba Núñez, Justo Cabrera, Mario Mena, Saturno Pino, Hérmes Aguilera entre otros. Todos ellos formaban parte de una guerrilla que operaba bajo el mando del excapitán Manuel Beatón.

*****

El Gobierno de Honduras rompe relaciones diplomáticas y comerciales con el Gobierno de Cuba.

1961

 Lázaro Reyes Benítez es fusilado en La Cabaña.

*****

En el cuartel Rius Rivera, de la provincia de Pinar del Río fueron ejecutados Armando Escoto Aloy, Pedro Valdés Montano y Ramón Díaz Calderín. Fueron acusados de atentar contra la estabilidad del estado comunista cubano en la causa 62 del corriente año.

*****

La guerrilla que comanda Osiel Ramírez, sostiene un encuentro con la milicia castrista, resultando gravemente herido el insurgente Clemente Galindo, a quien hubo que amputarle ambas piernas.

1962

Elionilo Hernández, Isaías Iglesias Ponce y Guillermo Reyes Viada son fusilados en La Cabaña.

*****

Un grupo de presas recluídas en la cárcel de mujeres de Guanabacoa, provincia de La Habana, se inician una huelga de hambre que se extiende por varios días.

*****

Un guardacostas de la Marina de Guerra del régimen castrista es atacado cerca de Santa Cruz del Norte por una lancha artillada. La embarcación del régimen sufre 3 bajas mortales y varios heridos.

1975

 Julio Rodríguez Santander es fusilado en La Cabaña.

1976

Explota una bomba en la embajada cubana en Lisboa, Portugal, causando la muerte de dos funcionarios del régimen castrista.

2000

El niño naufrago Elián González, que perdió su madre en un intento de salida clandestina de Cuba, es sacado por la fuerza de la casa de sus familiares en Miami por agentes Federales siguiendo órdenes de la fiscal general Janette Rino en el gobierno del presidente Bill Clinton. En la foto el niño protegido por el pescador Donato Dalrymple que lo había rescatado en aguas del Estrecho de la Florida.

El adoctrinamiento ha hecho de Elían un papagayo más en el régimen del Clan Castro.

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¡Miguel Diaz Bauzá: El Alma Inquebrantable de la Resistencia Cubana!

Por Alfredo López.

Compatriotas, hermanos de causa y defensores de la libertad: Hoy no es un día cualquiera en la historia de nuestra amada Cuba.

Hoy, 15 de diciembre del 2025, marcamos un hito de dolor, pero también de indomable coraje.

El preso político cubano Miguel Díaz Bauzá, a sus 82 años de edad, continua en prisión, el régimen se niega a liberarlo, cumple la escalofriante cifra de más de tres décadas de encarcelamiento.

Treinta y un año, imaginen ese lapso. Una vida entera vivida tras las rejas, no por un crimen vil, sino por el delito más noble que un cubano puede cometer: amar a su patria por encima de los intereses personales.

Miguel Díaz Bauzá nació en Caibarién, Las Villas, el 19 de marzo de 1943, es uno de los presos políticos más antiguos en las prisiones de la tirania asesina de los hermanos Castro.

Diaz Bouza es un Patriota recto, justo y consecuente con sus principios. Pero, sobre todo, un hombre poseedor de una valentía y un coraje que desafían la lógica del miedo.

Impulsados por el supremo derecho a la rebelión, Miguel y otros patriotas cubanos desembarcaron en secreto la noche del 14 de octubre de 1994. El punto de entrada fue el pedraplén que une Caibarién con Cayo Santa María. Al frente del grupo se encontraba el inquebrantable Armando Sosa Fortuny, un combatiente y expreso político cuya vida de 43 años en prisión atestiguaba su lucha contra la tiranía y la opresión.

Sosa Fortuny, quien pasó más de 40 años en cárceles del régimen castrista en dos etapas, falleció el 29 de octubre de 2019 a los 78 años de edad. Murió en la sala de penados del Hospital Amalia Simoni, de la provincia de Camagüey. Sosa Fortuny estaba cumpliendo prisión política en una de las mazmorras más terribles de la tiranía, conocida como Kilo 7.

El grupo comando del que formaba parte Miguel Diaz Bouza, desembarcó en las costas cubanas con el objetivo de organizar un levantamiento armado contra la tiranía de Fidel Castro y su pandilla, buscando la libertad que les habían arrebatado.

El régimen los silenció con condenas injustas, acusándolos de "terrorismo" y "actos contra la seguridad del Estado.

Miguel Diaz Bouza a sus 82 años, su cuerpo soporta las marcas de esa injusticia: psoriasis, diabetes, hipertensión, problemas de próstata y circulación. Su salud se resquebraja, pero su espíritu permanece intacto, y firme.

Miguel ha soportado torturas de todo tipo, siempre firme a sus convicciones, como recordaba su compañero, el fallecido Sosa Fortuny. “Es un patriota, un hombre con valores éticos y morales dignos de admirar, como atestigua el exprisionero político”.

A pesar de las limitadas visitas en la prisión, su hija Karen María León relata como aprovecha cada segundo para estar con sus nietas y bisnietos, intentando recuperar el tiempo robado.

Treinta y un años lejos de su familia, de la vida que le arrebataron; él, que fue chef en grandes restaurantes y amaba la pesca y el boxeo.

En el año 2020, la lucha de Diaz Bouza fue reconocida con el prestigioso «Premio Libertad, Pedro Luis Boitel». Un galardón que simboliza la resistencia inquebrantable dentro de las mazmorras castrista.

La historia de Miguel Díaz Bauzá no es solo la de un hombre que a sufrido encierro; es la de un preso político histórico y un referente de la dignidad cubana que, con más de 31 años en las mazmorras del régimen, se niega a doblegarse.

Ni siquiera tras el paso del tiempo y la adversidad han podido doblegarlo, su legado no ha pierdido fuerza. Al contrario, su firme resistencia nos exige a nosotros, que estamos fuera, a no rendirnos, y continuar la lucha por ver una Cuba Libre.

“Prohibido Olvidar”.

Free Cuba Now!

Fact Checking Miguel Diaz-Canel’s claims on Meet the Press: Mr. president, your claim that Cuba has not interfered in U.S. internal affairs are false.

 

Havana has taken active measures against Washington over more than six decades.

 

This is the third in a series of CubaBriefs fact checking the claims made by Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel during his appearance on Meet the Press broadcast on April 12, 2026.

Fact Checking Miguel Diaz-Canel’s Meet the Press appearance 

“Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it.” – Jonathan Swift The Art of Political Lying (1710).

Fact-check:  Cuba’s dictatorship has taken offensive actions against the United States, and interfered in its internal affairs over more than six decades.

The historical record—drawn from U.S. court records, declassified FBI/DIA documents, State Department reports, and independent scholarship—shows repeated, deliberate Cuban interference: hosting global revolutionary coordination (Tricontinental), direct support for terrorist bombings on U.S. soil (FALN), high-level infiltration of U.S. intelligence (Montes and others), and fueling conflicts that killed Americans (Central America). These actions were offensive in nature and explicitly aimed at undermining U.S. security and interests. The claim does not hold up under scrutiny.

Let us examine his claim below at 7:04: 

PRESIDENT MIGUEL DÍAZ-CANEL [TRANSLATED]:

 

“Like I’ve always said in previous meetings and previous interviews, and when I also address the Cuban people, it is evident that there are threats out there. It is part of the rhetoric of the U.S. government. Cuba has done nothing to offend the U.S. Cuba has never said about attacking the United States or interfering with the United States affair — affairs. […] We have a doctrine which is entirely defensive. It is not aggressive, it doesn’t pose a threat. In addition, we also believe that as we prepare ourselves, to defend is the best way to avoid war and the best way to preserve peace.”

 

Let us now test Diaz-Canel’s claims, with some facts. This is not an exhaustive accounting.

1. Cuban Missile Crisis (1962): Cuba actively hosted and supported the secret deployment of Soviet nuclear missiles targeting the U.S. mainland—the closest the Cold War came to nuclear war.

2. The Black Friday Plot (1962). In November 1962, weeks after the Cuban Missile Crisis, Cuban DGI/State Security agents at the Cuba Mission to the United Nations in New York City orchestrated the “Black Friday Plot,” intending to detonate approximately 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of TNT plus a dozen incendiary devices, hand grenades, and detonators in crowded Manhattan locations on the busiest shopping day of the year (November 23). Primary targets were Macy’s, Gimbel’s, and Bloomingdale’s department stores, along with Grand Central Terminal. Individuals involved were diplomats Elsa Montero Maldonado and her husband José Gómez Abad; they supplied the explosives from the mission under diplomatic cover; attaché Roberto Santiesteban Casanova, who coordinated logistics; José García Orellana, a Cuban immigrant whose West 27th Street costume-jewelry shop served as the storage and assembly site; and his part-time assistant Antonio Sueiro. The FBI broke up the plot through counterintelligence surveillance of the Cuban mission and pro-Castro operatives; on November 17, agents approached Orellana, who cooperated by leading them to the cache at his shop, where the entire stockpile was seized in raids. The three non-diplomatic operatives were arrested on federal sabotage-conspiracy charges, while the diplomats were expelled under immunity; all charges were later dropped in a 1963 prisoner exchange with Cuba.

3.  Tricontinental Conference (Havana, January 1966) Cuba hosted the First Solidarity Conference of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (Tricontinental), attended by over 80 delegations from revolutionary and anti-colonial movements. The explicit purpose was to coordinate global support for armed struggles against “imperialism,” with a heavy focus on U.S. actions in Vietnam and Latin America. Fidel Castro’s closing speech promised “maximum support” from Cuba to any revolutionary movement on any continent. Cuba was chosen as the permanent headquarters for the Organization of Solidarity with the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (OSPAAAL), which became a hub for propaganda, training coordination, and material aid to insurgencies. This was not passive diplomacy—it was active promotion and logistical organization of movements explicitly targeting U.S. interests and allies.

4. Support for the FALN (and related Puerto Rican terrorist groups) Following the failure of the 1962 Black Friday Plot and the exposure of Cuban diplomats providing explosives, Havana shifted to using proxies. One of them was a Puerto Rican terrorist group. The Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional Puertorriqueña (FALN) conducted more than 130 bombings and attacks on U.S. soil between 1974 and 1983, killing at least six people and injuring dozens. Key examples include the January 24, 1975 Fraunces Tavern bombing in New York City (4 dead, 63 injured) and a 1977 New York bombing spree that killed one and injured six while forcing the evacuation of 100,000 office workers. U.S. court documents, FBI investigations, and congressional testimony establish that Cuban intelligence (DGI) provided training in explosives, guerrilla tactics, and sabotage in Cuba; logistical support; and safe haven for leaders. Filiberto Ojeda Ríos (FALN co-founder) received advanced training in Cuba; Guillermo Morales (convicted FALN bomb-maker) fled to Cuba after escaping U.S. prison and remains there. Cuba also harbored other Puerto Rican militants wanted for attacks on U.S. targets. This was direct material support for terrorism on U.S. territory that killed innocent American civilians.

5. Broader state sponsorship of terrorism: Cuba was designated a state sponsor of terrorism by the U.S. in 1982 (and again in 2021) precisely for arming and training groups like the FALN, ELN (Colombia), and others engaged in violence against U.S. interests or allies.  Havana also harbors dozens of U.S. fugitives wanted for terrorism and violence into the present day.

6. Infiltrating the U.S. government and passing intelligence to enemies Cuba’s Dirección General de Inteligencia (DGI) ran multiple long-term espionage operations inside U.S government agencies. The most damaging documented case is Ana Belén Montes (“Queen of Cuba”), a senior Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) analyst on Cuban and Latin American affairs. Recruited in 1984–1985, she spied for 17 years (until her arrest in September 2001), passing classified information on U.S. military plans, identifying at least four undercover U.S. intelligence officers working in Cuba, and influencing U.S. assessments of Cuba. She used encrypted communications and memorized documents to avoid detection. Other cases include Walter Kendall Myers and his wife (State Department analysts who spied for decades after recruitment in 1978) and the “Wasp Network” in Florida (1990s Cuban spy ring targeting exile groups and U.S. facilities). During the Cold War, much of this intelligence was shared with the Soviet Union (and later sold to other adversaries).

7. Tortured U.S. prisoners of war in Vietnam From July 1967 to August 1968, a team of Cuban intelligence officers led by an interrogator nicknamed "Fidel" (later identified by some as Fernando Vecino Alegret) conducted the "Cuban Program" at the North Vietnamese prison camp known as "The Zoo." This group, which also included officers nicknamed "Chico" and "Pancho," subjected approximately 20 American airmen to brutal interrogation and torture using rubber hoses and fan belts. These actions resulted in the death of Major Earl G. Cobeil, who died from his injuries in 1970, while survivors like Colonel Jack Bomar and Captain Raymond Vohden later provided detailed testimonies of the abuse.

8. Brothers to the Rescue shoot down (1996) Cuban spies from the DGI’s Wasp Network (La Red Avispa), including the Cuban Five—Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, Fernando González, and René González—working in coordination with Cuban military officials under the orders of Fidel Castro and Raúl Castro, infiltrated Cuban-American exile groups like Brothers to the Rescue (BTTR) and Movimiento Democracia as part of Operation Scorpion to gather flight schedules, pilot details, and operational plans that enabled the premeditated shootdown of two unarmed BTTR civilian Cessna 337 Skymaster aircraft on February 24, 1996, in international airspace over the Florida Straits (6–16 nautical miles outside Cuba’s 12-mile territorial waters), by Cuban MiG-29UB and MiG-23 fighters under Raúl Castro’s command as Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, killing four U.S. citizens—Armando Alejandre Jr., Carlos Costa, Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales—who were on a search-and-rescue mission for Cuban rafters; The Wasp Network also gathered private personal information on U.S. military personnel, including names, home addresses, and even medical files at U.S. Southern Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa as well as officers stationed at Naval Air Station Key West (Boca Chica), as part of their infiltration of these U.S. military facilities and broader Operation Scorpion directives from Havana. Antonio Guerrero obtained employment as a civilian maintenance worker at Boca Chica and reported detailed information on combat readiness, daily activities, building layouts (including security areas), and other operational data.

9. Cuba maintains diplomatic, ideological, and historical operational ties to Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran ( as their primary backer). Havana’s support for Middle Eastern terrorists dates back to the 1960s. This includes documented Cold War-era training of Palestinian militants. Currently engages in intelligence sharing allegations, high-level meetings, and public support for Hamas post-October 7, 2023. This includes regional operational bases via Latin American networks).

10. Ongoing espionage and subversion: Post-Cold War operations continue, including economic espionage and intelligence-sharing that benefited U.S. adversaries.

Díaz-Canel’s claim is the standard Cuban dictatorship talking point that portrays the regime as purely defensive and non-aggressive. The claim frames Cuba as a passive victim of U.S. aggression with no history of offensive actions or interference, but the historical record says otherwise. The above ten examples are not an exhaustive list.

 

 

 

 

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