BUCL's Bizarreries to End at Versailles Restaurant

As part of its "Campaign for the Invisible Ones," Bloggers United for Cuban Liberty (BUCL) will stage in conjuction with Unidad Cubana its first protest in front of Versailles Restaurant, in Miami, on July 9th. If they were protesting the food, I might join them; but, seriously, despite the incongruity that such a protest might present, food and politics are a traditional Cuban mix. Perhaps the most famous political event ever held at a restaurant in Miami occurred on May 20th 1983 when President Ronald Reagan discovered black bean soup at La Esquina de Tejas, which is what he most liked about Cubans and did the most to promote during his presidency. The Eastern Europeans got freedom; we got credit for our frijoles negros. Sounds fair? Well, nothing has ever been fair for us in the last 48 years.

Has BUCL entered a "militant" phase? During their expired "Campaign Against Spain," they didn't protest in front of Spanish consulate in Miami (nor did their stickers come within 13 blocks of it). They are not now protesting Sting and The Police on any of their tour stops before Miami and there is not likely to be one after Miami. Wherefore, then, this protest in front of Versailles? I see it as a welcome development; any protest against Castro and on behalf of political prisoners is important more than in itself to show that time has not erased Castro's crimes from our memory even if the rest of the world has no trouble forgetting.

So if all of BUCL's bizarreries (in the English acceptation) end in a protest in front of Versailles Restaurant no great harm shall have been done. Henry advised potential protesters that after the demonstration they should go eat at the restaurant. I hope he has arranged for a group rate.