US releases video of Obama with Cuba's best-known comedian
Source: Associated Press
Mar 19, 6:38 PM EDT
US releases video of Obama with Cuba's best-known comedian
By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN
Associated Press
HAVANA (AP) -- In a direct appeal to the Cuban people's sense of humor, the White House has released a video of President Barack Obama joking with the country's most famous comedian a day before the president makes a historic trip to the island.
Luis Silva plays Panfilo, an elderly character on a wildly popular show that often uses biting humor to comment on social reality and lampoon the failings of Cuba's government and centrally planned economy.
The video released Saturday shows Panfilo calling the White House to find out the weather for a baseball game during Obama's trip to Cuba. Obama answers and banters with Panfilo, using Cuban Spanish slang to say "Panfilo! Get outta here! What's going on?"
At one point, Silva says, "I am so glad you will come to visit so that you can know Cuba, its people."
Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CB_CUBA_OBAMA_PANFILO?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-03-19-16-40-50
Also posted in the Latin America forum:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/110848397
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Luis Silva (Pánfilo)
Pánfilo [/center]
Judi Lynn
(160,217 posts)[center]
[/center]Judi Lynn
(160,217 posts)President Obama Gets a Phone Call from Pánfilo
March 19, 2016 at 5:08 PM ET by Tanya Somanader
Summary: After years of trying, Pánfilo -- played by Cuba's well-known comedian Luis Silva -- finally connects with President Obama. .
After multiple failed attempts to reach President Obama, Pánfilo finally succeeded in getting him on the phone ahead of the President's trip to Cuba.
Pánfilo is played by Luis Silva, a popular Cuban comedian whose television show is seen weekly by about two-thirds of the Cuban people. One of his most popular skits involves him getting calls from and talking with President Obama about life in Cuba. The show has been on Cuban television since 2008, and has won the award for Most Popular TV Show in Cuba for several years running.
President Obama takes off for Havana tomorrow. You can see what the President and First Lady have planned for their trip here.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/03/19/president-obama-gets-phone-call-p%C3%A1nfilo