10-05-06, 8:55 am

First came Bacardi’s 'Cuba' Festival in January. An illusion of Cuban bands celebrating Cuban rum. Bacardi is not Cuban. The company’s headquarters are in the Bahamas and the rum is made in Puerto Rico. The bands played Cuban music but they themselves were not Cuban bands. It was a Bacardi Festival, not a Cuba Festival.

Bacardi’s web site proclaims its 'Cuban heritage', never mentioning that its Cuban phase ended very soon after the Cuban people gained independence from their cruel foreign oppressors.

Since then, the only Cuban rum has been Havana Club.

Now comes Bacardi’s new cocktail, the 'Cubano', another delightful allusion to Bacardi’s 'Cuban identity', created by its advertising agency.

This 'Cuban image' of music, dancing and rum is simple, appealing and hopelessly inadequate.

Cuba is suffering the effects of nearly 40 years of a harsh economic blockade imposed-by the USA. This blockade is supported only by Israel, being condemned by 157 other member nations of the UN.

By no means can this blockade be said to have international support. Nevertheless, it appears that Bacardi lobbied for the Helms-Burton law which tightens this blockade further still. If true, this would mean that Bacardi is actually opposed to Cuba!

A country with free, high quality, lifelong education and health care. A country with very high literacy, a very high life expectancy and a very low infant mortality rate. A country that has made great advances against sexism, racism, ageism and intolerance.

A country with a highly accountable and dynamic democracy — Government activity is open to public scrutiny and elected officials can be dismissed by their voters at any time for unsatisfactory performance.

A country that sent emergency medical teams to aid the survivor of Hurricane Mitch and cancelled Nicaragua’s $50 million debt after that horrific event.

A third world country that can achieve all of this under such long standing economic strain should be applauded, not opposed. And if Bacardi does oppose Cuba, why does it seem so intent on having the public identify it with Cuba?

In the USA, Bacardi is facing legal challenges over the rights to the Havana Club trademark. Bacardi’s usurping of a Cuban image is an offence to the Cuban people and to all those who are impressed by their profound social achievements.

All that said, Cubans do love their music, dancing and rum. They are famous throughout the world for these things.

Even here in Sydney, one radio station plays three hours of real Cuban music every week and real Havana Club is sold in various pubs and bottle shops.

Anyone who wants to celebrate Cuban culture would be better off drinking real Havana Club and dancing to real Cuban music.

Bacardi is as Cuban as McDonald’s is Scottish.

From The Guardian