Uncommon Sense

What Cuba needs

By Oswaldo José Payá Sardiñas and Minervo Lázaro Chil Siret, Christian Liberation Movement, via Misceláneas de Cuba:

Fifty years from the perspective of those who have exercised total power over the people may seem as if “it is not a lot of time,” but this time is the life of several generations of Cubans, of eleven million Cubans, among whom surely, there exist different opinions about this long experience and about General Raúl Castro’s words on July 26.

His speech begs the question: how many mistakes could have been avoided and injustices not committed, and what good would not have been prevented, if Cubans were not living choked and could express themselves freely with regards to their brethren?

The intolerance that has prevented Cubans from being able to express their opinions, critiques and proposals freely, on all aspects of life in our country as well as on the leaders and their management, has been a determinant in creating the capacity in those who govern to establish many policies, laws, campaigns, and measures that have brought about grave calamities, shortages, injustices, and suffering for the people of Cuba. During all this time the people have been, to a great extent, barred from the exercise of free speech and many of the legal recourses that would guarantee their rights.

They have also been deprived of respect by the authorities of many human rights and other rights that are recognized by the law. The denial of their rights has impeded Cubans from influencing and deciding freely, responsibly, and democratically the course of events in their Homeland.

Read the whole thing below the fold.

Sancti Spiritus, Cuba

Once again, via TrekEarth.

A Cuban sunset, by Giuseppe Liberti

Food fight

Cattlemen in Florida.

Potato farmers in North Dakota.

Chicken ranchers in Alabama.

Agricultural interests across America are itching to sell their products to Cuba, regardless of how nasty the dictatorship is to its own people.

Or how stupid they sound when defending doing business with Havana.

"There's a lot of folks in South Florida who have a different opinion than I do," said Ron Sparks, Alabama's commissioner of Agriculture and Industries. "I hope they see we are trying to make it better for the Cuban people. We're not selling them bullets or tanks or aircraft. We are selling them peanut butter, syrup and shingles."

If that were the motive, why not just give the stuff away?

Of course, it is better to have money flowing out of Cuba, rather than in. But decades of trade between other nations and Cuba has demonstrated that all the commerce in the world will not better the behavior of the dictatorship in Havana. It has not bettered the material lives of Cuba, nor has it set them free.

The 2000 law allowing agricultural sales to Cuba — as long as the Cubans pay in cash, in advance — ripped a huge loophole in the so-called embargo, resulting in the U.S. becoming the No. 1 foreign supplier of food to the island. So maybe now it is time to end the hypocrisy, ease the rules and allow the Cubans to buy on credit.

But there still is value in not allowing the Cubans to have easier access to the American market — especially as long as the dictatorship continues to oppress and repress its people. Until Havana tilts towards democracy, releases political prisoners and allows non-communists newspapers printed on Alabama-produced newsprint to be published on the island, the restrictions, and other elements of the "embargo" serve as a valuable negotiating stick with which the U.S. in the future might be able to affect change on the island.

Thank goodness sound thinking in Congress — that's right, Congress — has again put the brakes on further expansion of farm sales to Cuba.

After all, the Cuban government is just another deadbeat.

Another reason to hate wet-foot, dry-foot

Via Misceláneas de Cuba:

Cuban dissidents detained in the Guantanamo Naval Base after they have been interdicted in the high seas began a hunger strike at 10:00 A.M. this Sunday, to request from the US Government a better treatment on the side of the private entity that guards them, and a prompt resolution of their cases, which for some has meant over two years detained in the military Base.

The announcement was given to the Democracy Movement in a recorded statement made from Guantanamo by the activists.

There are 44 human rights activist in total, among them three children and five women, once of them pregnant. The 44 Cubans are all members of different non-violent, human rights group in the Island who risked their lives to escape dictatorship after their lives became unbearable due to the repression of the regimen against them.

The human rights advocates complain about their long stay in the Base under a regime similar to that of a prisoner, and about how the entity that guards them mistreats them. They argue that they are arbitrarily punished in cells as if they were prisoners, sprayed in the eyes as criminals, their housing units are searched during sleeping hours; they are counted several times as if they were convicts, etc.

The Democracy Movement respectfully appeals to the Government of the United States to permanently resolve the issue of Cuban human rights detainees in Guantanamo by apportioning a small percentage of the 20,000 visas it now gives to Cubans at large to be given to the small group that is taken to Guantanamo every year after being interdicted at sea.

The Cuban people

Cubans are a beautiful people. Not the most tyrannical dictator can take that away.

For examples, visit TrekEarth.

My big sister, by Griet Van Overbeke

Presidential preference poll

Everyone's doing it, so why not?

Alexis Rodríguez Fernández, Political Prisoner of the Week, 7/29/07 (UPDATED)

UPDATED, Sept. 10, 2010 — Alexis Rodríguez was released from prison in September 2010 under a deal reached by Spain, the Catholic Church and the Castro dictatorship.

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Alexis Rodríguez Fernández

The evidence that Cuba's dictatorship is one of the worst in history is evident in so many ways.

Its iron grip on the media.

Its jailing of human rights and democracy activists and other dissidents.

Its control of all economic, political and social activity.

But one of the surests proofs of the complete awfulness of Fidel Castro's regime is that no one gets to leave without Fidel Castro's permission.

You may be one of the 20,000 Cubans each year fortunate to win a U.S. visa, but it's just a piece of paper until you get a piece of paper to leave the island.

In 1994, when so many Cubans took to the seas to get away from Castro, merchant marine engineer Alexis Rodríguez Fernández got tired of waiting. Along with a couple of friends, he tried to leave Cuba through the U.S. Naval Base at Guántanamo Bay. He was captured — by the Cubans — and sentenced to 3 years in prison.

After his release, he worked a variety of jobs, and at some point, joined the Christian Liberation Movement (MLC), one of Cuba's leading dissident organizations — and during the "black spring" of 2003, one of Castro's prime targets.

Like many other MLC members, all of whom were leaders of the Varela Project, Rodríguez was arrested. After a sham trial, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Rodríguez's opposition to Castro's dictatorship, and his solidarity with fellow dissidents has only gotten strongere while in prison. For example, in May 2005, Rodríguez, now 37, and other prisoner went on a hunger strike to show their support for another political prisoner, Luis Enrique Ferrer García, after Ferrer was placed in a punishment cell.

In a common story for Cuba's political prisoners, Rodríguez is a very sick man. He was recently diagnosed with general neuropathy and severe optical neuritis. But, as his wife complained, Rodríguez has been denied both a transfer to a hospital and a diet that would help restore his health.

One of the surest indicators of the repressive nature of the Castro regime is the jailing of more than 300 political prisoners. To illustrate that reality, Uncommon Sense each week profiles one prisoner. There also is a Political Prisoner archive on the left sidebar. To suggest a prisoner for a profile, send me an e-mail.

For profiles of imprisoned Cuban journalists and related information, read the March 18 Project.

Romney on Cuba (UPDATED)

Northing earth-shattering here, but just came across this video of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney talking Cuba. He sees big opportunties for American business in a post-Castro Cuba, but before any of that happens, for example, Cuba must release its political prisoners, Romney says.

UPDATED, 9:30 p.m. EDT

Romney took a swipe at Democratic candidate Barack Obama while campaigning in Florida today:

Later, Romney criticized Democrat Barack Obama for saying last week that he would meet with the leaders of Iran, Venezuela, Syria and Cuba.

Romney told 350 people at a Seminole County GOP fundraiser Saturday that the next president should meet with friendly nations first.

"Surely the next American president would want to reach out to our friends around the world, particular here in our own hemisphere," he said, specifically mentioning Colombia and Mexico. "We want to reach out to these people, re-establish our relationships and trust."

Obama was asked during a debate last week if he would meet - without precondition - with the leaders of Cuba, North Korea, Syria, Iran and Venezuela. The Illinois senator said he would.

Romney said he would not restore relations with Cuba until it had free elections, political prisoners were freed and individual rights were restored.

Is Barack Obama so wrong?

He didn't mention any dictators by name, but Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Saturday again reiterated an earlier statement that he would be willing to meet with the Castro brothers and other rulers of "rogue nations."

"We need a president who'll have the strength and courage to go toe to toe with the leaders of rogue nations, because that's what it takes to protect our security," the Illinois senator told Democrats at a rally in Iowa. "That's what I'll do as your next commander in chief."

The Associated Press story continues:

On Saturday, Obama said he would be willing to meet — without conditions — in the first year of his presidency with the leaders of (Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea), contrary to "the chattering class" in the nation's capital who "want to focus, like they always do, on who's up and who's down."

Defending his position, Obama cited (President John) Kennedy's 1961 inaugural address saying that the nation must never negotiate out of fear, but also never fear to negotiate.

"I was called irresponsible and naive because I believe that there is nobody we can't talk to," said Obama, drawing loud cheers. "We've got nothing to fear as long as we know who we are and what we stand for and our values."

Obama said his campaign was about "turning the page on a failed foreign policy and having the strength to engage our adversaries and protect American interests around the globe."

When dealing with renegade nations, Obama said, the Bush administration has mistakenly been led by a "guiding diplomatic principle" that it can punish a nation by refusing to talk.

"I am confident we can go before the world and talk to the worst dictators and tell them we don't believe in your values, we don't believe in your human rights violations, we don't believe in you exporting terrorism, but if you are willing to work with us in a better direction then we're willing to talk," Obama said. "We shouldn't be afraid."

Obama's chief rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, has called Obama "naive." But there is one thing that is unchallenged: the respective approaches taken towards Cuba, and the other rogue states, during the Bush administration, and before that, the administration lead by Clinton's husband, have not forced substantive changes in the behavior of their dictatorships. North Korea broke a deal to end its nuclear weapons program, and the Cuban government, a transfer of power from one dictator to another apparently complete, continues to oppress and repress its own people.

Maybe Obama's is a foolhardy approach in a dangerous world, but part of the American diplomatic failures during the past 14 years is that we — starting with man in the Oval Office — failed to properly communicate our values as a nation, through our foreign policy. Whether Obama has the experience and the temperment — and a sound understanding of what America's interests are, and should be — I don't know.

On Cuba, it is difficult to imagine the Castro brothers ever agreeing to meet unconditionally with an American president; and why an American president would want to do so without first, some sign of good behavior — say, the release of all political prisoners — by Havana.

On Cuba, what needs to be communicated is that the American government, the American people
, stand with the people of Cuba hoping, praying for liberty and the demise of tyranny. Ultimately, that has to be the choice of the Cuban people, and they are the ones who need to take the critical steps.

But under Bill Clinton and George W. Bush — the architect and the enforcer, respectively, of "wet-foot, dry-foot" — little has been done to show where America stands, how our values make it easy to determine what is in our interests.

The issue of Cuba has been set aside, as the nation focuses on other priorities, i.e. the war in Iraq. All the Bush administration has had time for is empty rhetoric, and little else.

But Obama deserves credit for highlighting how the status quo — going back at least to when Hillary Clinton was first in the White House — may need a change.

Rául hates journalists, too

I am not getting too caught up in the upcoming one-year anniversary of Raúl Castro's "temporary" ascendancy to the No. 1 spot in the Havana dictatorship. In many ways, Raúl will never be like Fidel. But the past year has shown that little brother is just another tyrant, and that the tools of oppression and repression — just like they have been for 47 of the past 48 years — are in the hands of someone who loves his job.

Reporters Without Borders agrees:

There has been no improvement in the human rights and press freedom situation in Cuba since Raúl Castro took over from his older brother Fidel as acting President of the Council of State a year ago, on 31 July 2006, Reporters Without Borders said as Cuba today celebrated the 54th anniversary of a rebel attack on the Moncada Barracks.

With Fidel Castro still hospitalized, Raúl presided over today’s ceremonies, which commemorate an armed action that is regarded as the first step in a revolution that led to the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista’s dictatorship six years later.

Since Raúl became acting president, three journalists have been imprisoned and some 40 others and been subjected to searches, summonses for questioning by the political police, physical attacks or threats. (emphasis added)

“One dictatorship succeeded another in the 1959 Cuban revolution,” Reporters Without Borders said. “And now, the first year of Raúl Castro’s presidency has not resulted in any significant change either. The repressive methods have evolved slightly, going from massive round-ups and Stalinist trials to everyday brutality against dissidents, but Cuba continues to be the world’s second biggest prison for journalists.”

The press freedom organisation added: “Raúl Castro’s tentative desire for an ‘opening’ has never been translated into action. Under Spain’s aegis, there has been a return to dialogue with the Cuban government, but the international community must clearly raise the issue of free expression. There will be no progress if the taboos remain in place.”

Among the journalists Raúl has sent to prison, according to RSF, are Oscar Sánchez Madan, Raimundo Perdigón Brito and Ramón Velázquez Toranso. "A fourth journalist, Armando Betancourt Reina, the editor of the underground newspaper El Camagüeyano, had been arrested on 23 May 2006," the RSF report states. "He was finally tried a year later and sentenced to 15 months in prison for 'public disorder.' Discounting the time spent in pre-trial detention, he should be freed next month."

By RSF's count, there are 25 journalists imprisoned in the Cuban gulag; I count 30. (Click on the names on the left, under "March 18 Project." Either way, Cuba under Raúl, like under Fidel, trails only China as the world's biggest jailer of journalists.

Unless Raúl does something about that — that is, reduce the number of imprisoned journalists, not increase it — and so much more to reverse his brother's legacy, there will be nothing about his rule worth getting excited about.

Read the whole RSF report here.