Title:  Cuba blames 'necrophiliacs' and Twitter for Castro death rumours

Date:  7:00AM GMT 05 Jan 2012

Origin:  Telegraph

 This article was a response to another article posted on a Cuban national debate website that criticized the US based website, Twitter, for not censoring internet content in order to suppress rumors of his death.  The Cuban government, through the mouthpiece of their national media, also accused Twitter of censoring pro-Castro content.  A Twitter spokesperson said they do not mediate content.

The author also mentions some amusing details about the specific user who Cuba alleges started these false rumors, "Naroh - David Fdez."  Cuba claimed to have isolated his IP address to an Italian server.  He identifies himself as 20 years old and located "between Asturias and Madrid," in Spain.  He told an AP reporter that the topic, #fidelcastro, was already trending when he began tweeting.

The "necrophiliacs" to whom the title of the UK article refers are what the Cuban article originally called the supposed expatriated citizens that the government blamed for fueling the rumors about the death of Fidel.

The article wraps up by noting that Fidel Castro is actually alive, 85, and was almost killed by an illness in 2006.  His brother has been the leading administrator of Cuba ever since, but Fidel remains involved in politics.  Fidel Castro also boasts of his longevity and claims to have survived hundreds of assassination attempts by US enemies.

I had quite a humorous reaction to this article.  It is ridiculously pitiful that someone will make such desperate accusations simply to maintain his public image, but more importantly solidify power.  However, considering the over 11 million souls that are governed by such a twisted regime, I am also disgusted.

The article, whose author was not credited by Telegraph, was a brilliant exposition of the twisted web of propaganda cooperatively woven by the Cuban government and media in order to preserve hegemony over the Cuban people.  The fact that this rumor pushed the #fidelcastro Twitter topic to #4 worldwide exemplifies the immense effect mass media can have on society.  I think this article clearly demonstrates how mass media can be abused in order to impose ideological slavery when it is controlled by the hands of a corrupt minority.  A more liberal medium such as Twitter is also vulnerable to abuse resulting in an oversaturation of information astoundingly deficient in accuracy (see "Fidel Castro has died,") and importance (see entertainment news).

It is important to realize that every media outlet has its own ideology which it tries to propagate.  Our propaganda in the US is just a bit more subliminal than Cuban propaganda.