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{{Infobox person {{Infobox person
| name = Humberto Fontova | name = Humberto Fontova
| image = | image =
| imagesize = 275px | imagesize = 275px
| caption = | caption =
| birth_name = | birth_name =
| birth_date = 1954 | birth_date = 1954
| birth_place = ] | birth_place = ], Cuba
⚫ | occupation = Author, Columnist, Public Speaker, Political commentator
| religion =
| education =
⚫ | occupation = ]
| education = | spouse =
| salary = | website =
| networth =
| spouse =
| residence =
| website =
| footnotes = | footnotes =
}} }}


'''Humberto Fontova''' (1954-) is a ] author, blogger, ], and ] ]. Ardently ], his work is largely concerned with correcting what he argues is a Left-wing ] and ] view of Cuban history predominant in the entertainment industry, the mainstream media and sections of the academy. His writing features a blend of ], mild ], ] and ], often directed against targets on the ]. Such literary techniques have led to his work being described as "an art form of mixing frustration with ridicule."<ref name="Casey" /> '''Humberto Fontova''' (born 1954) is a ] author, blogger, ], and ] ]. A critic of the Castro regime, many of his works are aimed at correcting the record to what he contends is the unreported and inaccurate portrayal of Castro's Cuba. Fontova is a frequent contributor to several websites and has made guest appearances on ] and ] show ].


==Early life== ==Early life==
Fontova was born in 1954 in ], ]. As supporters of the ] regime, Fontova's family went into exile to the United States (]) in 1961, when he was seven years old. Coinciding with their exodus, his father was held prisoner by the regime of ] for three months after the ], although he was later released. A short time later Fontova's cousin Pedro, whom he describes as a "fervent Catholic activist" who spoke out against the new regime, died while in Cuban state custody. The official cause of death given was a heart attack, although Fontova believes he was murdered by police interrogators.<ref>{{cite book |first=Humberto |last=Fontova |title=Exposing the Real Che Guevara: And the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Him |publisher=Sentinel HC |location= |year=2007 |page=xi |isbn=1-59523-027-0}}</ref> Fontova was born in 1954 in ], ]. Fontova's family went into exile to the United States (]) in 1961, when he was seven years old. Coinciding with their exodus, his father was held prisoner by the regime of ] for three months after the ], although he was later released. A short time later Fontova's cousin Pedro, whom he describes as a "fervent Catholic activist" who spoke out against the new regime, died while in Cuban state custody. The official cause of death given was a heart attack, although Fontova believes he was murdered by police interrogators.<ref name="Real Che">{{cite book |first=Humberto |last=Fontova |title=Exposing the Real Che Guevara: And the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Him |publisher=Sentinel HC |year=2007 |page=xi |isbn=978-1-59523-027-0}}</ref>


==Works== ==Writing career==

===Outdoors===
As an avid ], ] and ], Fontova began his publishing career writing for the outdoor themed magazines ''Louisiana Sportsman'', ''Sierra'', ''Scuba Times'' and ''Bowhunter''. In 2001 he published his first book ''The Helldivers' Rodeo'', an account of an extreme scuba diving and ] adventure, followed in 2003 by ''The Hellpig Hunt'', about a hunting adventure in the wetlands along the ]. As an avid ], ] and ], Fontova began his publishing career writing for the outdoor themed magazines ''Louisiana Sportsman'', ''Sierra'', ''Scuba Times'' and ''Bowhunter''. In 2001 he published his first book ''The Helldivers' Rodeo'', an account of an extreme scuba diving and ] adventure, followed in 2003 by ''The Hellpig Hunt'', about a hunting adventure in the wetlands along the ].


===Politics===
Fontova later entered the political publishing arena and authored two Cuba-related ]. First ''Fidel: Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant'' and ''Exposing the Real Che Guevara and the ] Who Idolize Him'', a critique of ] and those whom support him.
⚫ Fontova later entered the political publishing arena and authored three Cuba-related ]. ''Fidel: Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant'' in 2005, ''Exposing the Real Che Guevara and the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Him'' in 2007, and ''The Longest Romance: The Mainstream Media and Fidel Castro'' in 2013. The former criticizes ] celebrities, particularly ] ]s, who lavishing praise on ]'s government in ] and meeting with Castro personally. Among those singled out are ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. Fontova interviews ]s as well as former government agents, such as ]. In ''Exposing the Real Che Guevara'', Fontova critiques the life of ] and those who lionize him.


==Reviews==
Fontova is a frequent contributor to several ]/] websites and has made a guest appearance on the ] and ] show ].
Robert D. Chapman, a former CIA officer who served in Cuba, wrote in a review of ''Exposing the Real Che Guevara'' in the '']'' that "His information is based almost exclusively upon exile sources. Some accounts I know are true, some untrue, and others are exaggerated war fables."<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Chapman|first1=Robert D.|title=Remembered by the Winds of Revolution|journal=]|volume=22|issue=2|pages=352–6|doi=10.1080/08850600802698333}}<!--|accessdate=21 December 2014--></ref> Writing a review of ''The Longest Romance'' in the same journal, Chapman writes that "I don't know where he obtained the many doubtful statistics he cites" and that "Fontova often presents pictures of Cuba that never happened".<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Chapman|first1=Robert D.|title=Righting Cuban History|journal=]|date=2014 |volume=27|issue=2|pages=421–4|doi=10.1080/08850607.2014.872542}}<!--|accessdate=21 December 2014--></ref>


⚫ Travel author ], in a review of ''Exposing the Real Che Guevara'' for ], noted that "taken in selective doses", the book puts "some well-placed holes in Che’s presumed ] and military competence."<ref name="WorldHum">{{cite web |first=Rolf |last=Potts |author-link=Rolf Potts |date=January 27, 2009 |title=Che: The Ronald McDonald of Revolution |url=http://www.worldhum.com/features/speakers-corner/che-the-ronald-mcdonald-of-revolution-20090126/N2/ |work=]}}</ref> However, Potts said that what "is meant to be a ] against Guevara’s t-shirt-certified mythology" actually ends up showing "how Che’s reputation benefits from the myopic fury and misguided political influence of those who hate him the most."<ref name="WorldHum" /> Potts said that the book's "slightly schizophrenic tone" meanders off into subject matter that has little to do with the book's premise, that the book seems "less an indictment of Guevara than the '']'' or ].<ref name="WorldHum" /> Ultimately, Potts states, the book is "less about Che Guevara than the ]-style resentments of the Cuban-Americans who hate him — and the effectiveness of its argument suffers as a result."<ref name="WorldHum" />
==''Fidel: Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant''==
⚫ '''''Fidel: Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant''''' criticizes ] celebrities, particularly ] ]s, who support ]'s government in ] and often travel to meet with Castro personally. Among those singled out are ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. Fontova interviews ]s as well as former government agents, such as ], who recounts how he was ordered to bug these same celebrities' rooms with secret microphones and video cameras so that they could be monitored.


⚫ Commentator and former research director of the ] Alex Singleton <ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927012846/http://www.theihs.org/alumni/alex-singleton |date=2011-09-27 }} at the '']''</ref> reviewed ''Exposing the Real Che Guevara'' for the ]. He said that "Fontova's book aims to challenge the mythology surrounding Guevara. At the very least, it will provide useful factual ammunition for conservatives and libertarians."<ref name = "SAU">{{cite web |first=Alex |last=Singleton |date=March 6, 2008 |title=Alex Singleton on the two Che Guevaras |url=http://www.socialaffairsunit.org.uk/blog/archives/001725.php |work=]}}</ref> Singleton differed with Fontova's view on libertarian opponents of ], saying that, "The embargo has been completely ineffective but created an excuse for Cuba's poor economic performance." Nevertheless, Singleton concluded that the book was an important one, having earlier in the review expressed the hope that it would "encourage scholars to reanalyse the conventional wisdom."<ref name = "SAU" />
==Review and writing style==
Perhaps predictably, Fontova's work has been disdained by Left-leaning writers and endorsed by conservative writers. However, Fontova's critics tend to take issue with the rhetorical effectiveness of his gung-ho style, rather than disputing the claims he makes or rejecting the evidence he adduces.


⚫ Journalist and ] bureau chief for ] Michael Casey reviewed ''Exposing the Real Che Guevara'' in his 2009 book ''Che's Afterlife: The Legacy of an Image''. Casey described it as "an art form of mixing frustration with ridicule."<ref name="Casey">{{cite book |first=Michael |last=Casey |title=Che's afterlife: the legacy of an image |publisher=Vintage Books |location=New York |year=2009 |pages=249–50 |isbn=978-0-307-27930-9}}</ref> Casey said that Fontova's prose was a marriage of ] with the ] of ], and that Fontova "basically yells at his readers, mixing a sarcastic wit with a touch of self-deprecation until it is overwhelmed by disdain for his opponents."<ref name="Casey" /> Lastly, Casey observed that Fontova often "lathers himself into a rage" when it comes to the issue of ], noting that his barrage of ] leads him to describe Guevara as an "assassin", "sadist", "bumbler", "fool", and "whimpering-sniveling-blubbering coward" who is "revered by millions of imbeciles."<ref name="Casey" /> Other descriptions by Fontova of Guevara, cited by Casey, were "shallow", "boorish", "epically stupid", "a fraud", a "murdering swine", an "intellectual vacuum", and an "insufferable Argentine jackass."<ref>{{cite news |first=Humberto |last=Fontova |date=October 8, 2009 |title=Che Guevara: Assassin, Coward, Imbecile |url=http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/15588 |work=Canada Free Press}}</ref>
⚫ Travel-writer ] in a review of Fontova's ''Exposing the Real Che Guevara and the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Him'' for ], notes that "taken in selective doses", the book puts "some well-placed holes in Che's presumed ] and military competence."<ref name="WorldHum">{{cite web |first=Rolf |last=Potts |authorlink=Rolf Potts |date=January 27, 2009 |title=Che: The Ronald McDonald of Revolution |url=http://www.worldhum.com/features/speakers-corner/che-the-ronald-mcdonald-of-revolution-20090126/N2/ |work=]}}</ref> However, Potts laments that what "is meant to be a ] against Guevara's t-shirt-certified mythology" actually ends up showing "how Che's reputation benefits from the myopic fury and misguided political influence of those who hate him the most."<ref name="WorldHum" /> Pott's goes on to critique the book's "slightly schizophrenic tone" for meandering off into subject matter that has little to do with the book's premise, while positing that the books seems "less an indictment of Guevara than the '']'' or ].<ref name="WorldHum" /> Ultimately, Potts states, the book is "less about Che Guevara than the ]-style resentments of the Cuban-Americans who hate him -- and the effectiveness of its argument suffers as a result."<ref name="WorldHum" />


==Works==
⚫ British journalist and media commentator Alex Singleton, reviewing the same volume for the ]<ref name="SAU">{{cite web |first=Alex |last=Singleton |authorlink=Alex Singleton |date=March 6, 2008 |title=Alex Singleton on the two Che Guevaras |url=http://www.socialaffairsunit.org.uk/blog/archives/001725.php |work=]}}</ref>, states "Fontova's book aims to challenge the mythology surrounding Guevara. At the very least, it will provide useful factual ammunition for conservatives and libertarians." Singleton differs with Fontova's view on libertarian opponents of ], saying that, "The embargo has been completely ineffective but created an excuse for Cuba's poor economic performance." Nevertheless, Singleton's conclusion is that the book is an important one, having earlier in the review expressed the hope that it will "encourage scholars to reanalyse the conventional wisdom."
*''The Helldivers' Rodeo: A Deadly, X-Treme, Scuba-Diving, Spearfishing, Adventure Amid the Off Shore Oil Platforms in the Murky Waters of the Gulf of Mexico'', M.Evans & Company, (2001), {{ISBN|978-0-87131-936-4}}

*''The Hellpig Hunt'', M.Evans & Company, (2003), {{ISBN|978-1-59077-009-2}}
⚫ Journalist and ] bureau chief for ] Michael Casey reviewed ''Exposing the Real Che Guevara and the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Him'' in his 2009 book ''Che's Afterlife: The Legacy of an Image'', makes comments similar to those of Potts regarding Fontova's prose style<ref name="Casey">{{cite book |first=Michael |last=Casey |title=Che's afterlife: the legacy of an image |publisher=Vintage Books |location=New York |year=2009 |pages=249-50 |isbn=0-307-27930-8}}</ref>, describing it as a marriage of ] with the ] of ] --- "he basically yells at his readers, mixing a sarcastic wit with a touch of self-deprecation until it is overwhelmed by disdain for his opponents."<ref name="Casey" /> Lastly, Casey observes that Fontova often "lathers himself into a rage" when it comes to the issue of ], noting that his barrage of ] leads him to describe Guevara as an "assassin", "sadist", "bumbler", "fool", and "whimpering-sniveling-blubbering coward" who is "revered by millions of imbeciles."<ref name="Casey" />
*''Fidel: Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant'', Regnery Publishing, (2005), {{ISBN|978-0-89526-043-7}}

*''Exposing the Real Che Guevara and the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Him'', Sentinel HC, (2007), {{ISBN|978-1-59523-027-0}}
Other invective descriptions that Fontova often lobs against Guevara is that he was "shallow", "boorish", "epically stupid", and "a fraud"; whom Fontova considers to be a "murdering swine", an "intellectual vacuum", and an "insufferable Argentine jackass."<ref>{{cite news |first=Humberto |last=Fontova |date=October 8, 2009 |title=Che Guevara: Assassin, Coward, Imbecile |url=http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/15588 |work=]}}</ref>
*''The Longest Romance: The Mainstream Media and Fidel Castro'', Encounter Books, (2013), {{ISBN|978-1594036675}}


==References== ==References==
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==External links== ==External links==
{{Portal|Cuba|Biography}}
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{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see ]. -->
| NAME = Fontova, Humberto
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Cuban-American political commentator
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1954
| PLACE OF BIRTH = Havana, Cuba
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fontova, Humberto}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Fontova, Humberto}}
] ]
] ]
] ]
]

]
]

Latest revision as of 01:22, 14 October 2024

Humberto Fontova
Born1954
Havana, Cuba
Occupation(s)Author, Columnist, Public Speaker, Political commentator

Humberto Fontova (born 1954) is a Cuban-American author, blogger, political commentator, and conservative polemicist. A critic of the Castro regime, many of his works are aimed at correcting the record to what he contends is the unreported and inaccurate portrayal of Castro's Cuba. Fontova is a frequent contributor to several websites and has made guest appearances on The O’Reilly Factor and Fox News show Hannity and Colmes.

Early life

Fontova was born in 1954 in Havana, Cuba. Fontova's family went into exile to the United States (New Orleans) in 1961, when he was seven years old. Coinciding with their exodus, his father was held prisoner by the regime of Fidel Castro for three months after the Cuban Revolution, although he was later released. A short time later Fontova's cousin Pedro, whom he describes as a "fervent Catholic activist" who spoke out against the new regime, died while in Cuban state custody. The official cause of death given was a heart attack, although Fontova believes he was murdered by police interrogators.

Writing career

Outdoors

As an avid hunter, fisherman and scuba diver, Fontova began his publishing career writing for the outdoor themed magazines Louisiana Sportsman, Sierra, Scuba Times and Bowhunter. In 2001 he published his first book The Helldivers' Rodeo, an account of an extreme scuba diving and spear fishing adventure, followed in 2003 by The Hellpig Hunt, about a hunting adventure in the wetlands along the Mississippi River.

Politics

Fontova later entered the political publishing arena and authored three Cuba-related polemics. Fidel: Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant in 2005, Exposing the Real Che Guevara and the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Him in 2007, and The Longest Romance: The Mainstream Media and Fidel Castro in 2013. The former criticizes American celebrities, particularly Hollywood actors, who lavishing praise on Fidel Castro's government in Cuba and meeting with Castro personally. Among those singled out are Jack Nicholson, Danny Glover, Harry Belafonte, Chevy Chase, Steven Spielberg, Ted Turner, and Dan Rather. Fontova interviews dissidents as well as former government agents, such as Delfin Fernandez. In Exposing the Real Che Guevara, Fontova critiques the life of Che Guevara and those who lionize him.

Reviews

Robert D. Chapman, a former CIA officer who served in Cuba, wrote in a review of Exposing the Real Che Guevara in the International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence that "His information is based almost exclusively upon exile sources. Some accounts I know are true, some untrue, and others are exaggerated war fables." Writing a review of The Longest Romance in the same journal, Chapman writes that "I don't know where he obtained the many doubtful statistics he cites" and that "Fontova often presents pictures of Cuba that never happened".

Travel author Rolf Potts, in a review of Exposing the Real Che Guevara for World Hum, noted that "taken in selective doses", the book puts "some well-placed holes in Che’s presumed humanism and military competence." However, Potts said that what "is meant to be a polemic against Guevara’s t-shirt-certified mythology" actually ends up showing "how Che’s reputation benefits from the myopic fury and misguided political influence of those who hate him the most." Potts said that the book's "slightly schizophrenic tone" meanders off into subject matter that has little to do with the book's premise, that the book seems "less an indictment of Guevara than the New York Times or John F. Kennedy. Ultimately, Potts states, the book is "less about Che Guevara than the King Lear-style resentments of the Cuban-Americans who hate him — and the effectiveness of its argument suffers as a result."

Commentator and former research director of the Adam Smith Institute Alex Singleton reviewed Exposing the Real Che Guevara for the Social Affairs Unit. He said that "Fontova's book aims to challenge the mythology surrounding Guevara. At the very least, it will provide useful factual ammunition for conservatives and libertarians." Singleton differed with Fontova's view on libertarian opponents of America's Cuban embargo, saying that, "The embargo has been completely ineffective but created an excuse for Cuba's poor economic performance." Nevertheless, Singleton concluded that the book was an important one, having earlier in the review expressed the hope that it would "encourage scholars to reanalyse the conventional wisdom."

Journalist and Buenos Aires bureau chief for Dow Jones Newswires Michael Casey reviewed Exposing the Real Che Guevara in his 2009 book Che's Afterlife: The Legacy of an Image. Casey described it as "an art form of mixing frustration with ridicule." Casey said that Fontova's prose was a marriage of Ann Coulter with the Gonzo journalism of Hunter S. Thompson, and that Fontova "basically yells at his readers, mixing a sarcastic wit with a touch of self-deprecation until it is overwhelmed by disdain for his opponents." Lastly, Casey observed that Fontova often "lathers himself into a rage" when it comes to the issue of Che Guevara, noting that his barrage of hyperbole leads him to describe Guevara as an "assassin", "sadist", "bumbler", "fool", and "whimpering-sniveling-blubbering coward" who is "revered by millions of imbeciles." Other descriptions by Fontova of Guevara, cited by Casey, were "shallow", "boorish", "epically stupid", "a fraud", a "murdering swine", an "intellectual vacuum", and an "insufferable Argentine jackass."

Works

  • The Helldivers' Rodeo: A Deadly, X-Treme, Scuba-Diving, Spearfishing, Adventure Amid the Off Shore Oil Platforms in the Murky Waters of the Gulf of Mexico, M.Evans & Company, (2001), ISBN 978-0-87131-936-4
  • The Hellpig Hunt, M.Evans & Company, (2003), ISBN 978-1-59077-009-2
  • Fidel: Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant, Regnery Publishing, (2005), ISBN 978-0-89526-043-7
  • Exposing the Real Che Guevara and the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Him, Sentinel HC, (2007), ISBN 978-1-59523-027-0
  • The Longest Romance: The Mainstream Media and Fidel Castro, Encounter Books, (2013), ISBN 978-1594036675

References

  1. Fontova, Humberto (2007). Exposing the Real Che Guevara: And the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Him. Sentinel HC. p. xi. ISBN 978-1-59523-027-0.
  2. Chapman, Robert D. "Remembered by the Winds of Revolution". International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence. 22 (2): 352–6. doi:10.1080/08850600802698333.
  3. Chapman, Robert D. (2014). "Righting Cuban History". International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence. 27 (2): 421–4. doi:10.1080/08850607.2014.872542.
  4. ^ Potts, Rolf (January 27, 2009). "Che: The Ronald McDonald of Revolution". World Hum.
  5. Alex Singleton bio page Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine at the Institute for Humane Studies
  6. ^ Singleton, Alex (March 6, 2008). "Alex Singleton on the two Che Guevaras". Social Affairs Unit.
  7. ^ Casey, Michael (2009). Che's afterlife: the legacy of an image. New York: Vintage Books. pp. 249–50. ISBN 978-0-307-27930-9.
  8. Fontova, Humberto (October 8, 2009). "Che Guevara: Assassin, Coward, Imbecile". Canada Free Press.

External links

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