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NPR Correspondent Tom Gjelten to Speak on Treasure Coast

By Janie Gould

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wqcs/local-wqcs-769218.mp3

Fort Pierce, FL. –
WQCS is hosting two local appearances by Gjelten to discuss his new book, "Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba: The Biography of a Cause." He will speak at 2 p.m. Oct. 20 at the Richardson Center on the Mueller Campus of Indian River State College, and at 6 p.m. at the Schreiber Center on the St. Lucie West campus of IRSC. Events are sponsored in part by Costa d' Este Beach Resort. Free to WQCS members, but call 772-462-7813 to reserve your seat.

WQCS is bringing veteran NPR international correspondent Tom Gjelten to the Treasure Coast Oct. 20 for two lectures about his newly published book, Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba: A Biography of a Cause.

Gjelten will speak at 2 p.m. at the Richardson Center at Indian River State College's Mueller Campus in Vero Beach, and at 6 p.m. at the Schreiber Center at the St. Lucie West Campus of IRSC. Admission is free to WQCS members, but seating is limited. Call 772-462-7813 to reserve your seats. The event is sponsored in part by Costa d' Este Beach Resort in Vero Beach.

Gjelten, who covers intelligence and other national security issues for NPR News, has reported extensively on Cuba and visited the country more than a dozen times, most recently in May.

In the book, he tells the amazing story of the Bacardi family, producers of Bacardi rum. Founded in 1862, and nearly bankrupt for many of its early years, the company made a refined version of rum that became Cuba's most famous product.

Bacardi family members also were freedom fighters who joined in the struggle for independence from Spain and later the U.S. In the 20th century, Bacardis embraced Castro at first, like most of their countrymen, but later were forced into exile

Among many other assignments, Gjelten covered wars in Central and South America, the 1990-91 Gulf War, and the wars in Croatia and Bosnia. He is the author of Sarajevo Daily: A City and its Newspaper Under Siege, and of Professionals in War Reporting: A Correspondent's View.

He also has covered U.S. diplomacy and military affairs. He was reporting live from the Pentagon at the moment it was hit on Sept. 11, 2001. and was NPR's lead Pentagon reporter during the war in Afghanistan and the invasion of Iraq.