Concert-For-Peace in Cuba: What's The Big Deal?

Pic from the Miami Herald

I read in the Miami Herald this weekend that the American government is OK (Not officially endorsing) Juanes throwing a Concert-For-Peace in Cuba. It seems Juanes’ goal is to gather enough support from other Latin artists to play in La Habana at the Plaza de la Revolución come September. The same thing was done last year in the first concert which took place in the border of Venezuela and Colombia amid diplomatic turbulence between the two countries. Although that concert was a huge success despite the political turbulence, this Habana concert is drawing a lot of criticism; particularly from the Cuban American exiled community in Miami, where many view it as a theatrical political stage which may favor the regimen Castrista.

As you may well know from watching or reading history, La Plaza de la Revolución is served as the scenario for many famous Castro’s anti-American speeches, and where the immense image of Ernesto “Che” Guevara stands tall. “Aquí no hay manipulación, aquí se trata de abrir puertas, de crear puentes a traves de la música. Juanes defended the idea on his Twitter account against critics.

So far Juanes has announced that Olga Tañon y Miguel Bose have confirmed to play in la Habana, and he hopes there will be many more to follow. In my opinion, I would imagine many in the U.S. Latino community would support Juanes’ effort to bring peace to the world through music, especially in Latin America. Do you think singing Odio por Amor in La Plaza de la Revolución is politics? We believe: Sí se Puede!