Prison term for Cuban’s hunger rant is upheld

HAVANA – A Cuban appeals court upheld a two-year prison sentence for “public dangerousness” against a man who became an Internet celebrity after his drunken rant about hunger on the island was captured by a film crew.

The court rejected Juan Carlos Gonzalez Marcos’ plea for leniency, according to Richard Rosello, who observed the hearing on behalf of the Havana-based Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation.

Gonzalez Marcos appeared obviously inebriated when he burst into an interview for a documentary on Cuban music, waving his arms and screaming, “What we need here is a little bit of chow!”

He continued for more than 90 seconds, imploring the camera about how Cubans are going hungry in a country where the communist system is supposed to provide for all basic needs.

Video of the tirade ended up on YouTube and was viewed more than 450,000 times. It became a rallying cry for exile groups in South Florida, where some hailed Gonzalez Marcos as one of the few Cubans who dare speak frankly about the difficulties of daily life on the island.