Cuban News December 21 2006. Visit our web
site at: (http://havana.usinterestsection.gov/)
CUBA’S FUTURE by Thomas A.
Shannon,
Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice Roundtable with Press
Raul Castro calls for more policy debate in Cuba (Reuters) (AFP) (EFE)
Cuba's Raul Castro signals more openness to debate of divergent
ideas than brother Fidel (AP)
Cubans seem resigned to life without Castro...(MH)
All Eyes on Cuba's Ailing Castro (NPR)
EDITORIAL: CUBAN MARKET RIPE FOR KANSAS FARMERS (Wichita Tagle)
Never lose sight of a Cuba that has room for all of us...(MH)
Gov. Bush tells Cuban-Americans
he shares wish for free Cuba (SS) (MH)
Congressional Delegation
Returns from Cuba (WP)
Lawmaker to examine anti-Castro broadcasts (Ch.T)
DELEGATION TO HEAD TO CUBA; PALM BEACH GROUP HOPES....(SS)
Chavez is in line to succeed Castro (The Kingdom)
Cuba: Raúl no trata de imitar
a Fidel (BBC)
Canciller:
Fidel Castro informado del congreso universitario (EFE)
La dolorosa realidad de una asamblea en Cuba (NH)
Cuba: premisas de una visita(La Jornada)
Cuba: ofensiva para demostrar
que Castro se encuentra bien (Infolatam)
Cubanos de Miami dicen hasta luego a Jeb Bush (NH)
Cubanos asesoran al Gobierno en lucha anticorrupción (El Nacional)
'A Cuba le interesa intensificar la relación comercial con Ecuador'
(El Comercio)
Protesta Cuba por ser excluida en debate sobre terrorismo en la ONU
(NTX)
Informaciones tomadas de Encuentro
en la Red (http://www.cubaencuentro.com/)
Concierto en Madrid de apoyo a
la sociedad civil cubana
Una catedral rusa para La
Habana
Informaciones de Cubanet (http://www.cubanet.org/)
Ingresan a
Normando Hernández en estado crítico
Tres muertos en
accidente de tránsito
Castigan a prisioneros
de conciencia
La Oficina de
Asuntos Religiosos
CONTENIDO
DEL RÓTULO DEL 20 DE DICIEMBRE DEL 2006
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by Thomas A. Shannon, Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs
What would it be like to live in a tropical paradise, but to be banned from using its most beautiful beaches; live blocks away from fine restaurants, but not be allowed to eat in them? To be required to get government permission to buy a car, to rent an apartment, or leave the province in which you live? To be spied on by your neighbors and made to participate in group “acts of repudiation” against neighbors who flouted the government’s restrictions? Welcome to Cuba.
Vaclav Havel, former political prisoner, leader of Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution, and eventual president of an independent republic, once argued that totalitarian regimes fear and imprison dissidents because they represent the potential of human freedom. Regimes that govern through lies, fear, and intimidation cannot abide individuals who remain true to themselves and their aspirations. Individuals who dare to question such regimes find themselves in prison. In Cuba today, over 300 political prisoners languish in its jails.
In March 2003, the Cuban regime arrested and imprisoned 75 members of Cuba’s democratic civil society for such “crimes” as organizing seminars on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, running a library, and writing uncensored articles, essays and poems about life in Cuba. In June 2005, others were arrested for organizing a protest outside the French embassy.
Some of these prisoners have been given “conditional releases” (for health reasons) dependent on their behavior. While out of prison, many have been subject to harassment, intimidation, and violent attack. In recent weeks, the regime has released some well-known dissidents, while other activists have been beaten and arrested. The message is clear: The regime will not tolerate independent political activity that undermines its ability to control Cuba’s future.
The systematic repression of dissent should be unacceptable in a hemisphere that, through the Inter-American Democratic Charter, declared, “The peoples of the Americas have a right to democracy and their governments have an obligation to promote and defend it.” It should be unacceptable in a larger community of democratic nations that has committed itself to fundamental freedoms and political liberty. The Cuban people deserve to elect their leaders just like everybody else in the hemisphere.
The U.S. does not seek to impose its model on Cuba. To paraphrase Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice, you cannot impose democracy, but you can impose tyranny. As she said recently, “If you ask people,
‘Do you want to live in a society in which you have some say in who will govern
you, in which you can educate your children, both boys and girls, in which you
can speak your conscience, in which you can worship freely, in which you can
associate to promote your interests, the sort of basics of democracy,’ most
people will say yes.” Asking that in
Cuba can land you in jail.
When Fidel Castro became ill, he transferred power to his brother and a small group of individuals who represent the bureaucracy and institutions of Cuba’s totalitarian state. They have prepared for this moment for years by improving their internal policing, increasing censorship, blocking foreign access to Cuba’s democratic civil society, and further closing any independent spaces existing in Cuba.
At this uncertain moment, Cuba sits between hope and fear. Hope for a political opening that would lead to a free and democratic Cuba ready to regain its place among the democratic nations of the Americas. Fear that the regime will attempt to perpetuate itself, and the privileges of its elites, through increased repression and jailings, deepening the isolation of the Cuban people.
Now is the time for the international community to tell the Cuban people that it stands in solidarity with their democratic aspirations, and will provide the political and economic support necessary to make those aspirations real.
The first step is for the international community to call on the regime to free its political prisoners, stop the persecution, restore individual political and economic rights and start down a path that leads to free elections. The dialogue that needs to take place is one between the Cuban authorities and the Cuban people about the democratic future of the island. We look forward to the day when the people of Cuba will enjoy the same freedoms as citizens of democracies everywhere.
------------
Excerpts)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
For Immediate Release December 19, 2006
2006/1131
Interview
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Roundtable
with Press
December 19, 2006 Washington, D.C.
QUESTION: On Cuba, I think you've said you don't want to see a transition
from one strong man to another, but a lot of folks have suggested the U.S.
might do something. Congressman Flake,
who just came back from Cuba, would like to see the U.S. ease a little bit the
ban on Cuban Americans visiting the island.
As you recall, the Bush Administration tightened those restrictions. And he said its put Cuban Americans in a
terrible situation and it hasn't done anything to change the Cuban regime. Are you considering any gesture that might
suggest a slight change in policy now that Fidel Castro appears not to be
coming back to power?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, there's clearly a transition underway in Cuba. But I think that our energies need to go into
making very clear to the Cuban people that we believe, first of all, that the
future of Cuba is with the Cubans on the island, that -- you know, they will
have to make their choices. But
secondly, that we're going to support a democratic future and democratic
elections and I think that's the gesture that needs to be made; not gestures to
potentially continue the regime.
The sense that Cuba -- Cubans somehow need a
transition; well, all right, fine.
Everybody understands that -- you know, elections wouldn't be held on
day one, but we have a lot of experience with this in places where the
international community has stepped in, has been able to help a society to get
to free and fair elections. That's what
the Cuban people deserve and so that's where we are spending our efforts.
QUESTION: So nothing before elections?
SECRETARY RICE: In all of these years there has been an assessment -- and by the
way, you know, yes, the Bush Administration tightens on this, but this policy
has been pretty steady for the United States.
In all these years, the day has been wished for when the Cuban people
were going to have a chance to have a democratic choice and I think the worst
betrayal would be to hand, in any way, a sense of outreach to someone who may
think that he's just going to succeed and go to another -- you know, one
dictator to another. I just don't see
the value of that.
------------
Raul
Castro calls for more policy debate in Cuba
By
Anthony Boadle
HAVANA, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Cuba's interim leader Raul Castro,
signaling a different style of government from his ailing brother Fidel Castro,
on Wednesday called for greater debate on public policies in the communist-run
country.
"Sometimes
people fear the word disagree, but I say the more debate and the more
disagreement you have, the better the decisions will be," he told students
in Havana.
Raul
Castro said he was delegating more responsibilities and making fewer speeches
than his famously verbose brother, and running the country of 11 million in a
more collegial way.
He
did not mention the health of his 80-year-old brother who has not been seen in
public since emergency intestinal surgery forced him to relinquish power on
July 31 for the first time since Cuba's 1959 revolution.
The
bearded leader's absence has fueled uncertainty about the future of the Western
hemisphere's only communist state, amid speculation that he may be close to
death.
His
designated successor Raul Castro, 75, said Cuba's one-party political system,
or the "Revolution" as its backers call it, will continue with or
without his brother.
"Fidel
is irreplaceable, unless we all replace him together," he said, repeating
a statement he made in June that Fidel Castro's only possible heir is Cuba's
Communist Party.
"Fidel
is irreplaceable and I don't intend to imitate him. Those who imitate
fail," Raul said in the short speech to a conference of Cuba's Federation
of University Students.
The
younger Castro had the 800 delegates in stitches with humorous stories about
his childhood, including one about getting thrown off a horse the day he tried
to copy a peasant and ride bareback.
Looking
relaxed even though he was dressed in his army uniform, Raul said Cuba was at
an "historic" moment.
"I
say historic because, like it or not, we are finishing the fulfillment of our
duty and we have to give way to new generations," he said.
Cuba
watchers believe Raul Castro does not have the ambition to run Cuba
indefinitely and would govern for only a few years before handing over to a
younger successor.
Since
Raul took over from his brother in July, Cuban newspapers have published rare
stories exposing theft and corruption in Cuba's socialist society. He is said
to favor relaxing state controls over the economy.
Cuban
Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque gave the final address to the student
meeting, filling a role traditionally played by Fidel Castro.
Perez
Roque announced increases in grants and reductions in bus fares for the
students.
---------------
Raul
Castro calls his brother, Fidel 'irreplaceable'
HAVANA, Dec 20, 2006 (AFP) -
Cuba's
interim leader Raul Castro said Fidel Castro was "irreplaceable" and
that he had never tried to imitate his ailing brother in the five months since
he was deputised.
Fidel
Castro has been recovering in hospital since undergoing intestinal surgery on
July 27, and has not been seen in public since.
"Fidel
is irreplaceable," Raul Castro said of his 80-year-old brother. "I
ought to know. I've known him since I've had the use of reason. We've not
always had the best of relations, because, as he says, I am who I
am."
Serving
also as defense minister, Raul Castro has been known as a no-nonsense, hardline
military leader.
Fidel
Castro "is irreplaceable, unless he is replaced by all of us, together,
each taking his corresponding place," Raul Castro told a meeting of the
University Student Federation in Havana.
Only
Cuba's communist party could replace Fidel Castro for "obvious
reasons," he said.
In
the five months since he was deputised by Fidel Castro, Raul said he has not
tried to imitate his brother.
"From
the first moment it was established that I would not be giving all the
speeches," he said.
"On
this we must be clear," said Raul Castro, saying he respected the role and
the charisma of the leader of the Cuban revolution and that the president's
various duties had been distributed among different officials.
The
interim leader's comments came two days before the communist Caribbean nation's
legislature meets Friday amid speculation about Fidel Castro's health and the
country's political future.
It
will be only the second time in its 30-year history that Fidel Castro will miss
a session of the National Assembly of People's Power (ANPP).
Raul
Castro also told the student audience that the revolutionary generation had a
duty to pass the torch to a younger generation, whether "we want to or
not."
He
urged the students to debate current issues during what he called a
"historic" moment in Cuba.
He
described his brother as "perseverant, talented and guided by solid
principles." mis/fgf/ddl/mac
------------
Raul
says Party the only legitimate heir of Fidel
Havana, Dec 21 (EFE).- Raul Castro, who is heading Cuba's
government "provisionally" for his ailing brother, says neither he nor any other indvidual can take the place of Fidel and that the
supreme commander's only legitimate heir is the Communist Party.
In
an address Wednesday night to the congress of the University Students'
Federation, the longtime defense minister and No. 2 man of the regime also
spoke of his differences of style with his brother, acknowledging that the
elder sibling cannot be imitated.
"Fidel
cannot be substituted for, unless it is all of us together that substitute for
him, each one in the place that belongs to them," said Raul. He said the
way must be "gradually" cleared for the younger generation to assume
more power.
Authorities
of the 48-year-old Communist regime have treated the ailment of Fidel, who
underwent intestinal surgery in July, as a "state secret." The
80-year-old leader has not been seen in public since shortly before the July 31
announcement of the "temporary" transfer of power to Raul, 75.
John
Negroponte, head of U.S. intelligence, was quoted last week as saying Fidel has
only months to live. Cuban authorties have denied that, saying the top
commander does not have cancer or any other terminal illness, though they have
not said what his affliction is.
Raul,
in his speech Wednesday night, underscored that he feels obliged to pursue his
own style.
"Because
from the first moment I determined that it wasn't me who had to be summarizing
everything and speaking at every event," alluding the near ubiquity that
has characterized the extraordinarily energetic Fidel over decades of
rule.
He
noted that principal speaking roles have been taken in recent months by several
high-ranking government and party officials.
"That's
the line we must follow," he said. Referring to the oratorical skill of
his elder brother, he said: "When somebody just tries to imitate, they
fail."
The
provisional president told the students, "this is an historic
moment." Without elaborating and perhaps referring only to his advanced
age and that of Fidel, he said: "We at this time are concluding the
fulfillment of our duty."
"We
must make way for the new generations, or continue to open the way for new
generations, gradually," he said.
He
prompted repeated laughter from the audience by relating anecdotes from his
childhood with Fidel, especially bickerings or rivalries they had at school and
elsewhere, a product, he said, of the trait of hard-headedness they share.
Raul
then ceded the microphone to Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, a former
president of the student federation and one of the relatively few younger men
in a top position in the regime.
Raul
declined to meet last weekend with a delegation of visiting U.S. lawmakers, the
biggest such party to make a trip to the island in nearly a half-century.
The
legislators, who held three days of talks with authorties just below the rank
of the provisional president, said their trip was the beginning of a new and
promising phase in the ever-difficult bilateral relationship.
Arizona
Republican Jeff Flake, who headed the U.S. delegation, insinuated that it was
perhaps out of respect for the ailing "maximum leader" that those
currently running the country declined to herald any sort of watershed moment
in the relationship with Washington.
"But
the dialogue has begun ... and there will be more visits and more
dialogue," he said. EFE
-------------
Cuba's
Raul Castro signals more openness to debate of divergent ideas than brother
Fidel
By
ANITA SNOW
Associated
Press Writer
21
December 2006
HAVANA
(AP) - Cuban provisional leader Raul Castro said in comments published Thursday
he will delegate more duties and give fewer speeches than his
"irreplaceable" brother Fidel, and further signaled a new leadership
style that includes more openness to divergent opinions.
The
Communist Party newspaper Granma said Raul Castro told about 800 university
leaders they should "fearlessly" engage in public debate and analysis
-- expressing a different leadership style than that of his 80-year-old
brother.
The
elder Castro, who stepped aside almost five months ago after emergency
intestinal surgery, for almost five decades was Cuba's "Maximum
Leader," characterized by meandering, hours-long speeches, unquestioned
decisions and micromanagement of government programs and policies.
The
younger Castro said that as Cuba's long-serving defense minister he had
learned to listen to and discuss differing ideas, without offering any hints
about what those divergent opinions might be.
Raul
Castro is largely seen as a pragmatist more likely to embrace limited free
enterprise than his brother, and in the past has expressed interest in China's
model of capitalist reform with one-party political control.
"The
first principle in constructing any armed forces is the sole command. But that
doesn't mean that we cannot discuss," he said. "That way we reach
decisions, and I'm talking about big decisions."
Raul
Castro also echoed his earlier insistence that neither he nor any individual
could replace his brother. Although some Cuban officials have insisted Fidel
Castro will return to power, they privately acknowledge that it is unlikely he
will come back in the same all-powerful role.
"Fidel
is irreplaceable, save that we all replace him together, each one in his
place" Granma quoted Raul Castro as telling the closing session of Cuba's
University Student Federation annual congress. "The only substitute for
Fidel can be the Communist Party of Cuba."
The
75-year-old Raul Castro also spoke of the need to promote younger people to
start taking over for Cuba's aging leaders, many of whom are now in
their 70s.
"We
are finishing up the fulfillment of our duties and there has to be a slow
opening up to the new generations," he said.
When
Fidel Castro addressed the same congress last year, he also spoke of the need
to nurture younger leaders for the future.
Cuba's unchallenged leader for 47 years, Fidel Castro announced
on July 31 that he had undergone emergency intestinal surgery and was
temporarily ceding power to his younger brother while he recovered.
Last
seen in public on July 26, his medical condition has been kept as a state
secret. The government has occasionally released official photographs and
videos of him since then, and he appeared thin and frail in the last one seen
in late October.
Cuban
authorities have denied speculation by many, including U.S. intelligence
officials, that Fidel Castro is suffering from cancer or some other terminal
illness.
Some
U.S. doctors have said that Castro might have diverticular disease, which can
provoke bleeding in the lower intestine, especially in people over age 60. In
severe cases, emergency surgery may be required.
-------------
Cubans
seem resigned to life without Castro;
While the Cuban government maintains leader Fidel Castro is recovering, on the
streets of Havana there already is talk of a new era. CUBA
BY
FRANCES ROBLES
frobles@MiamiHerald.com
21
December 2006
The
Miami Herald
After
nearly half a year of Fidel Castro sidelined by illness and government
stalwarts insisting that he will make a comeback, a new feeling has swept over
Cuba: acceptance.
''We
know he's human just like all of us,'' said José, a 63-year-old Havana
teacher. ``Life ends for all of us one day.''
The
Cuban government maintains that Castro is recovering. A U.S. congressional
delegation that visited Cuba last week said that was clearly the message that
the Cuban leaders they met with sought to put forward.
The
fact that interim president Raúl Castro did not meet with the delegation only
reiterated the point: Fidel, who announced on July 31 that surgery for
intestinal bleeding had forced him to temporarily turn over power to his
brother, will return.
But
on the streets of Cuba, the sense was different.
''What
was perhaps a little surprising is that now it seems everyone is so accepting
that Fidel is gone,'' said one of the delegation heads, Rep. Jeff Flake,
R-Ariz. ``Not the government -- they went through extreme lengths to say he'll
be back. But out on the street, people seemed to express that a new era has
begun, and it's going to look a lot like the old one.''
Even
if Cubans have accepted that Castro's presidency has essentially ended,
speculation about his health has only grown. Castro has not made any public
appearances since his surgery, and photos released by the government show a
shrunken 80-year-old in his pajamas.
RAMPANT
RUMORS
Castro's
health is a closely guarded state secret, yet rampant rumors spread in Cuba and
abroad last week, apparently fueled by the Dec. 2 military parade in Havana
which Fidel, who was to have been the guest of honor, did not attend.
The
rumor that Castro had in fact died were so widespread last week that the Miami
Police Department issued a statement saying the department didn't know whether
it was true.
Within
days, National Intelligence Director John D. Negroponte told the Washington
Post that Castro had ''months, not years'' to live. Meanwhile more rumors that
Castro had suffered a setback, had been transferred to a different medical
facility or reacted badly to his anesthesia made the rounds.
''The
truth is that everybody is dying to know how he is, but nobody knows exactly,''
Castro's sister Juanita told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. ``I
haven't talked directly with him, but my relatives in Cuba assure me that he is
recovering and, thanks to a first-rate medical team, he will recover.''
Venezuela's
Hugo Chávez, after first saying that he worried about his friend and prayed for
him, announced that he had talked on the phone with Castro about trade and
other bilateral issues. Chávez also said the Cuban leader does not have
cancer.
The
next day, Cuba's Granma newspaper published
an
article saying that Castro had spoken by telephone to a work session of
provincial Communist Party leaders, and that his words were met with
applause.
But
the U.S. congressional delegation left unconvinced of Castro's return, saying
that all signs point toward a government running smoothly under Raúl.
''If
he does come back, I can't imagine it would be in any serious role,'' Flake
said. ``I can't judge Fidel's health from pictures on TV, but I do get the
sense Cuban people are just ready to move on.''
Increasingly,
the mood appears to be one of wait-and-see by Cubans as they also express
growing uncertainty over whether life will be better or worse under Raúl.
''Everyone
knows Raúl doesn't have the same ability as Fidel,'' said Pedro, 57, a
statistician. ``But Fidel and Raúl are the same.''
SOMBER
MOOD
While
street parties held for Fidel around the time of his 80th birthday on Aug. 13
had the feel a celebration, the Dec. 2 military march had the eerie feel of a
wake.
''The
mood there is that the succession has taken place,'' said Cuba analyst Phil
Peters of the Lexington Institute, a Washington-based think tank, who coordinated
the congressional visit. ``Nobody knows what the status of Fidel's health is,
but if it turns out he isn't coming back, the pieces seem in place for this
government to take his place.''
Miami
Herald translator Renato Pérez and a Miami Herald staff writer in Havana
contributed to this report.
--------------
Cuba
opens first mill, looking for sugar recovery
By
Marc Frank
HAVANA, Dec 20 (Reuters) - The Cuban sugar harvest began this
week with the first of 51 mills grinding toward a hoped-for comeback to take
advantage of higher world prices and increased ethanol demand, local media said
on Wednesday.
Authorities
have said there is at least 25 percent more cane than the previous harvest that
produced an estimated 1.2 million tonnes of sugar.
"The
Paquito Rosales mill in eastern Santiago de Cuba began milling on
Tuesday," state-run television said, announcing the start of the
harvest.
"Local
specialists announced there was 37.7 percent more cane in the province and raw
sugar output would increase 51.2 percent" over the previous harvest's
90,000 tonnes, Santiago's Sierra Maestra weekly said Wednesday in its online
edition.
Sugar
Minister Ulises Rosales del Toro said in October the painful process of
downsizing the industry was over.
Since
2003, he said, Cuba has reduced the number of mills from 156 to 66, of which 51
will participate in the harvest that runs through April, with most mills
opening in January.
Above
average rainfall since May has broken a long drought that hit sugar hard as most
plantations do not have adequate irrigation, and the island was spared
hurricanes this season.
However,
there is concern that the El Nino phenomenon could produce out-of-season
rainfall during the December to April dry season, lowering yields and slowing
mechanized harvesting.
Optimism
prevails in the sugar-producing central and eastern Cuba. Las Tunas province
reported it would produce 50 percent more raw sugar than last season's 118,000
tonnes and Granma 30 percent more than 90,000 tonnes, while central Camaguey
forecast a 50 percent increase over 100,000 tonnes.
Cuba
consumes a minimum 700,000 tonnes of sugar per year and 400,000 tonnes are
destined for a toll agreement with China.
Cuba
has imported some low-grade white sugar over the last few years, but is not
expected to do so in 2007, unless it proves less expensive than refining on the
island.
Higher
sugar and ethanol prices led to a decision in 2005 to invest once more in the
decapitalized and aging industry where all but eight mills pre-date the 1959
revolution.
This
year's planting was doubled to 120,000 hectares, Rosales said in October. Most
of the new cane was slated for cutting in 2008, and for the first time in a
number of years larger amounts of fertilizer, herbicides and other inputs were
made available.
Some
500,000 hectares were harvested this year, the National Statistics Office
reported, with yields averaging 26 tonnes of cane per hectare according to
Rosales, compared with the 40 tonnes the ministry hopes to achieve by 2008.
Prices
the state-run mills pay for cane have increased significantly.
---------------
All
Eyes on Cuba's Ailing Castro
20
December 2006
NPR:
News & Notes
FARAI
CHIDEYA, host:
Ailing
Cuban leader Fidel Castro is back in the news. Earlier this week, John
Negroponte, director of National Intelligence, said Castro is very ill and
close to death, that claim is denied by Cuban authorities.
A
10-member congressional delegation, the largest to ever visit Cuba just wrapped
up a trip last weekend. They were unable to meet with either Fidel Castro or
his brother, Raul. Raul’s been the interim leader since Castro’s surgery for
internal bleeding last July. There’s no word on Castro’s physical ailment this
time.
Gary
Marx is the Havana bureau chief for the Chicago Tribune. He says Cubans
aren’t hearing U.S. claims that Castro may be near death.
Mr.
GARY MARX (Chicago Tribune): Generally speaking, the Cubans have been very
upset about it. I mean they are insisting that, you know, Fidel is recuperating
from an unnamed illness. And so I think word coming out of Washington that he
has months and not years to live has infuriated the Cubans. But they’re in a
position now, where they’re just providing no information about his health
condition and therefore, you know, rumors are just flying free right now.
CHIDEYA:
Can you give us a little recap of the Cuban leader’s health over the past few
months?
Mr.
MARX: At the end of July, he announced that he had undergone a major intestinal
surgery. It was not specified what exactly he had and that he was handing over
power temporarily to his brother, Raul Castro, the nation’s long- time defense
minister. But since then there’s been very little information about him; we’ve
seen a couple of videos.
But
the last pictures we saw, the last images was October 28th, and it was a video
that showed him very weak, and in fact, disoriented. And since then we see
nothing.
CHIDEYA:
Tell us who Raul Castro is in terms of temperament, power. At this point, is
Fidel Castro, despite these videos and images of him being very ill, is he
still really in power or is Raul Castro in power?
Mr.
MARX: Well, the general feeling is Fidel is still there, but he’s really more
of a check on any changes. And the power is really passed to Raul and some
generals that are loyal to him. Raul really is a military guy and he’s very
much an organizational person. You have to understand though, Farai, he’s 75
years old. How much longer is he going to last? So the feeling is Raul Castro,
even if he takes over, is really a transitional figure.
CHIDEYA:
Now, I visited Cuba several years ago on a reporting trip and people on the
island seemed to have a very different view of Fidel Castro than Cuban
immigrants in the United States.
So
even when Cubans in Cuba were critical of the president they saw him as a force
resisting international imperialism. How do Cubans, these days, assess their
leader?
Mr.
MARX: There are some Cubans on the island who absolutely hate him. There’s a
small percentage that absolutely love him. Most have a very, very mixed
feeling. I mean Fidel Castro is a towering figure in the world. He has put Cuba
on the map, and at least, in the first several decades of the revolution made
major changes in education and healthcare, and things like that.
But
over the last several decades the country really has gone downhill, especially
after the collapse of the Soviet Union. And I think a lot of people are very
disappointed that he hasn’t made the sort of economic changes that would make
lives easier for most Cubans.
CHIDEYA:
If Cuba goes through a transition of leadership, will there be any talk of
Cubans in the U.S. returning to Cuba and making a play for power?
Mr.
MARX: You know, I think that’s a non-starter. People here are very united in that
sense. They feel like this is their island, the immigrants have made their
lives somewhere else, and they do not have a say in the future of this
country.
CHIDEYA:
Well, on that note, Gary Marx, thank you so much.
Mr.
MARX: Thanks, Farai. It was a pleasure.
CHIDEYA:
Gary Marx is the Havana bureau chief for the Chicago Tribune. He joined
us from Cuba.
---------------
EDITORIAL:
CUBAN MARKET RIPE FOR KANSAS FARMERS; Open up
21 December 2006
Wichita Eagle (KS)
opinion
Four
decades after imposing an embargo on Cuba, America has very little to
show for it. With Fidel Castro's health failing, and the end of the Castro era
in sight, it's time for America to begin a new era of diplomatic engagement and
trade with Cuba.
Kansas
farmers would be among the big winners.
Rep.
Jerry Moran, R-Hays, was among a 10-member bipartisan congressional delegation
that traveled recently to Cuba to promote agricultural trade -- the most
high-profile official visit in decades.
In
2000, Moran helped pass legislation that partially opened Cuba to U.S.
drug and agricultural exports, resulting in Cuba buying $1.4 billion
worth of U.S. ag products from 2001 to 2005.
He's
now working to roll back Bush administration rules imposed last year that once
again thwarted Cuba trade.
And
there's a change in the air, not just in Cuba but in Congress.
Many
GOP lawmakers now recognize that trade with Cuba would provide a boost
for struggling Midwestern farmers, hungry for markets for their products.
A
2002 study by Texas A&M University found that the United States was losing
$1.2 billion annually in agricultural sales because of the Cuba trade
ban.
President
Bush, though, remains firmly opposed to ending the embargo or opening a
diplomatic dialogue with Cuba. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
restated this week that any overture to the regime would be "the worst
betrayal" of Cubans.
But
the embargo betrays the Cuban people, by keeping them dependent on the Castro
regime. Flooding Cuba with American visitors, products and ideas is the
best way to promote political and economic reforms in the island nation.
Opening
Cuba to trade would give America greater influence over that country's
future and help send the Castro regime into well-deserved oblivion.
As
Moran said Monday after returning from the trip, "personal freedom follows
economic opportunity. The larger trading relationship we have, the higher
standard of living that Cuban people have, the more demands they will make upon
their government for change."
Besides,
the United States trades with several politically oppressive countries,
including Russia, China and Vietnam, arguing that trade promotes political
reforms.
Why
the double standard for Cuba?
For
decades, the United States' Cuba policy has been more about winning
votes in Miami than benefiting the Cuban people or the American economy.
It's
time for a change of course.
For
the editorial board, Randy Scholfield
---------------
Never
lose sight of a Cuba that has room for all of us; AFTER CASTRO
BY
MARIFELI PEREZ-STABLE
mps_opinion@comcast.net
21
December 2006
The
Miami Herald
F
idel Castro is on the final stretch. Would he have missed the pharaonic
commemoration of his 80th birthday otherwise? For almost six decades, Castro
has been a fixture of Cuban politics. With the year and his life winding down,
my heart and my mind are set on Cuba more than ever.
Let's
put Castro's shadow over Cuba in perspective. In 1948, Cubans last voted in a
free-and-fair presidential election. Four years later, the 50th anniversary of
independence was observed, and Fulgencio Batista overthrew President Carlos
Prío. In 1953, the ill-fated attack against Moncada Barracks -- and Batista's
wanton repression against the young men -- ushered Fidel Castro onto national
prominence. The citizenry -- which had resigned itself to the coup -- was taken
with the Moncadistas for acting against the dictator. Fidel never looked
back.
Castro's
reign looms larger in Cuba's history than absolute monarchies do in Europe's,
communism in Russia's or Mao in China's. Cubans have an arduous trek
ahead.
Historical
revisionism, which highlights bygone moments of compromise, is well under way.
On both sides of the Florida Straits, not a few look askance at the effort:
glorifying the intransigence of our past is stubbornly equated with patriotism.
But, the time for mere intellectual debate is running out.
Unless
we think -- and feel -- outside the box, we won't untangle the knotted threads
that bind us to the present. There are no straight lines to a democratic Cuba.
The road map will be drawn in fits and starts, stumbling into dead ends while
also making progress. We will need a different kind of courage, one rooted in
the unbending conviction that the ends simply do not justify the means. We should
ask ourselves, what would Fidel Castro do, and then find another path, never
losing sight of a Cuba that has room for all of us.
Máximo
Gómez -- a Dominican at the forefront of Cuba's independence wars -- used to
say that Cubans either fall short or overreach. Unfortunately, the old
general's insight has been more on the mark than not. Dwelling on details is
tempting -- for instance, the recent trip of a U.S. congressional delegation to
Havana. Since Raúl Castro did not meet with the representatives, was
their visit a waste of time? If so judged, then we better be prepared to
entertain many more useless journeys before the back-and-forth yields concrete
results. How can it be otherwise with relations so long entrenched in
confrontation?
More
sensitive is the issue of Havana's violation of rights. Augusto
Pinochet's passing renewed comparisons to Fidel Castro. Well-meaning
individuals on the Left scoffed at the suggestion. Yet, Castro in the 1960s had
many more thousands killed than Pinochet did in the 1970s. Only the Comandante
was leading a revolution, and the General crushed democracy. Both deserve a
place in the human-rights hall of infamy.
The
context in which each acted -- Castro in a society that longed for social
justice and national sovereignty, Pinochet in one that had descended into chaos
-- needs to be understood. Still, lofty ends pursued with brutal means are
debased, no ifs, buts or maybes. When the truth comes out in a democratic Cuba,
the world will acknowledge the atrocities perpetrated by a revolution which, at
the time, stood tall among most Cubans and offered hope to so many
elsewhere.
Last
November, I traveled to Nicaragua as an electoral observer with the
Organization of American States. I went with Cuba on my mind and came back wonderfully
heartened. Since the 1980s, the OAS has organized dozens of electoral missions
throughout the region. In Nicaragua, the OAS also worked with Enrique Bolaños'
government for 18 months to fend off a constitutional crisis. Fully
appreciative of its work in Nicaragua, I look forward to the OAS doing the same
in Cuba.
What
most moved me were the Nicaraguans who lined up for hours to cast their
ballots. My Christmas and New Year's wish is to see similar lines everywhere in
Cuba. I'm certain our day will come, but we must get it right. We've paid
dearly for falling short or overreaching.
Marifeli
Pérez-Stable is vice president for democratic governance at the Inter-American
Dialogue in Washington, D.C., and a professor at Florida International University.
--------------
By Madeline Baró Diaz
Miami Bureau, Sun Sentinel
December 21, 2006
CORAL GABLES · Gov. Jeb Bush expressed wishes
for democratic change in Cuba at a gathering Wednesday of Cuban-American
political action committee members.
"My hope for next year is that all of us who want to can go to Cuba to see
the results of a free Cuba," he said in Spanish to those gathered at the
Biltmore Hotel for the annual luncheon of the U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC.
His remarks came as many in the Cuban-American community hope there soon will
be a democratic transition in Cuba. Serious illness has forced Cuban leader
Fidel Castro to hand over power to his brother, Raul.
The political action committee contributes to candidates who support strong
measures against communist Cuba and an "unconditional" transition to
democracy on the island. It was Bush's last scheduled public event outside of
Tallahassee as governor.
"What better way to go out than supporting democracy in Cuba?" he
said to reporters afterward.
Other politicians attending the gathering included governor-elect Charlie
Crist, U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., and U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas.
Among the speakers were Miami Republicans U.S. Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart and
Mario Diaz-Balart and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston.
Several praised Bush for his interest in bringing about change in Cuba.
Martinez jokingly referred to Bush, a longtime Miami resident who speaks fluent
Spanish, as Florida's "first Cuban-American governor."
------------
Bush
praised as state's 'first Cuban-American' governor; Hailed as Florida's first
'Cuban-American' governor, Gov. Jeb Bush was praised by the
exile community's power brokers at a swank luncheon. GOVERNOR'S FAREWELL
BY
CASEY WOODS
cwoods@MiamiHerald.com
21
December 2006
The
Miami Herald
A
crush of the Cuban-American community's power brokers honored outgoing Gov. Jeb
Bush Wednesday in a loving farewell to a leader the exile community sees as the
most staunch champion of their cause -- a free Cuba -- in the state's
history.
''As
a Cuban American, I want to thank you for being what I would call in my mind,
the first Cuban-American governor,'' U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez said. ``Not only
with his language, but also with his understanding and intrinsic love for the
Cuban people . . . he has been an immense help to the cause of freedom.''
Bush
responded with equal affection. 'If Bill Clinton can be the first
`African-American' president, I can be the first Cuban-American governor,'' he
said during his address to hundreds of supporters.
The
event, an annual lunch of the U.S.-Cuba Democracy Political Action
Committee, drew a who's-who of the exile community and its supporters,
including Republican U.S. Reps. Lincoln and Mario Díaz-Balart and Rep. Debbie
Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat. The political group has lobbied heavily in
Congress to quash efforts to weaken elements of the U.S. embargo against Cuba.
In
his remarks to more than 800 people gathered at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral
Gables, Bush referred to the controversial comments of Colorado Republican Rep.
Tom Tancredo, who last month called Miami a ``Third World country.''
''Miami
is the most beautiful place in the world,'' he said in Spanish. ``The
congressman from Colorado doesn't know anything about Miami.''
Bush
did not directly opine on another controversy roiling the Cuban-American
community, one over the possible congressional investigation of the
government-funded Radio and TV Martí, though he did express support for the
Martís' efforts.
''The
people that want more truth to come [to Cuba] because they believe that
will hasten the transition to freedom in Cuba believe we've got to find
out ways to get Radio and TV Martí into Cuba, and I'm on that side,'' he
said in an interview afterward.
With
a $37 million budget, the Martís, which were created to promote democracy in Cuba,
have been dogged by political cronyism and mismanagement, according to audits
in 2003 and 1999. Another government audit is underway. TV Martí also has
struggled to expand its audience, which a government study estimated at 9,000
last year, because of jamming by the Cuban government.
On
Tuesday, Martí officials announced that they will spend $377,500 to air certain
programs over South Florida broadcast stations, using a loophole in the law
that bans the dissemination of propaganda in the United States.
U.S.
Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass., announced Wednesday that he will move to hold
hearings next year on the alleged problems at the Martís. Delahunt is slated to
head the oversight and investigations subcommittee for the House International
Relations Committee.
Martinez
was openly critical of the investigation.
''We'll
have to see what the [investigations] say, but it is important to recognize
that when there was Radio Free Europe, they didn't do these [investigations],''
he said.
He
also criticized the recent legislative delegation to Cuba, which
included Delahunt, calling it a ``colossal failure.''
''They
were not considered important enough for Raúl Castro to take his time to meet
with them,'' he said.
------------
Congressional Delegation
Returns from Cuba
10-Member Bipartisan Contingent Met With Cuban Officials
Reps. Mike Conaway (R-Tex.) and Jim McGovern
(D-Mass.)
U.S. Congress
Wednesday, December 20, 2006; 11:00 AM
Reps. Mike
Conaway (R-Tex.) and Jim
McGovern (D-Mass.) were online Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 11 a.m. ET
to discuss the recent bipartisan congressional delegation to Cuba, where
members of Congress met with Cuban government officials to discuss ways to
improve relations between the two countries.
The transcript follows.
____________________
Burke, Va.: What will happen,
realistically, after Castro passes in respect to our relationship with Cuba?
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.): I hope our
relationship with Cuba will improve even before Castro passes on. The ball
really is in the US government's court. It is my belief that more trade and
lifting the travel restrictions will promote better relations between our two
countries and result in more political space in Cuba. Current US policy is a
relic of the Cold War. The US needs to show more imagination and maturity in
our relations.
Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Tex,): I believe that the
leadership of the government of Cuba has moved on even though Castro is still
alive. This trip is a good example of the U.S. trying to move the relationship
with Cuba forward. The leadership in Cuba is very nationalistic and does not
want to be seen a "giving in" to the U.S.
_______________________
Raleigh, N.C.: What efforts did your
delegation make to meet with long-standing political prisoners such as Dr.
Oscar Biscet, an Afro-Cuban physician incarcerated for years for the crime of
opening a lending library in his home? Did you press for the release of
political prisoners or at least for an amelioration of their deplorable
"living" conditions? Or would such overtures spoil the "make
nice" theme of your visit? It should be noted that, along with our
embargo, Castro's gulags are also a "relic" of the Cold War. But,
perhaps one beneath our notice--as Shakespeare put it, "He jests at scars
who never felt a wound."
Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Tex,): We did not
specifically ask to see Dr. Biscet. We did address release of the dissidents
jailed in 2003. Throughout the visit, the ministers we met with were markedly
not interested in addressing human rights issues.
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.): I have met with
countless dissidents during my many trips to Cuba. I have always raised the
issue of human rights with every Cuban official I have ever met with,
including, in the past, Fidel Castro. Our group raised these issues during this
trip and passed on names of many people who have been jailed and who we believe
should be free.
_______________________
Alexandria, Va.: Can you describe what you
saw in Cuba? Were you mostly in Havana being escorted by officials, or did you
make it to other towns? I've heard Cuba is almost reminiscent of the '50s in
terms of its cars and styles because of its restricted economy. Please comment
on what you observed on the streets.
Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Tex,): This was my first
trip to Cuba. We stayed in the city of Havana. We were not escorted by
government officials and were free to go where we wanted. The city looks like
it has 50 years of neglect. Most of the buildings are in need of exterior
maintenance and repair. However, if you use your imagination you can see what a
jewel the city must have been in its heyday. The majority of the cars are
vintage U.S. that have been kept running by some really good Cuban mechanics
because they do not have access to replacement parts. The streets are clear of
litter but the overall look is very shabby.
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.): I've been to Cuba
many times. My first visit was in 1979. Clearly you can see the effects of the
US embargo by the fact that the Cubans cannot, by law, receive goods and
services from the US. Over the years, I have traveled the entire island. On
this current trip, unfortunately, I only had time to venture out of Havana
twice. There were no restrictions imposed on me by Cuban officials. I have a
great respect for the people of Cuba and I look forward to the day when US
citizens can travel to Cuba and Cuban citizens can travel to the US. We can
learn a lot from each other.
_______________________
Melbourne, Australia: As the post Castro
era approaches, is it not now time for the U.S. to soften its hard line policies
towards Cuba and its inhabitants? Australia recognizes Cuba and could it not be
an important player in opening dialogue with Cuba's new generation of leaders.
Isn't continued isolation simply delaying the inevitable dialogue and
rebuilding of Cuban society.
Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Tex,): I went to Cuba
supporting the administration's policy toward Cuba. I went to observe, learn
and listen to help me make informed decisions as we go forward. I came away
from the trip still supporting most of the current policy. I do not believe
that lifting the embargo and tourist travel restrictions will change any of the
policies in Cuba that we want changed. This trip does show however, that those
of us who support the current policy are willing and want to continue building
relationships with the leaders in the Cuban government to work toward
solutions.
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.): I have long felt
that US policy toward Cuba defies common sense, makes the US look ridiculous,
and hurts average Cuban people. I have also felt that US policy has been used
as an excuse to justify all the shortfalls of the Cuban government and their
crackdown on political dissidents. When all is said and done, I think there are
many in the current Cuban government who are nervous about a possible change in
US policy. Among other things, it will mean that the US will not be able to be
blamed for everything.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.: Why were the two of you,
personally, interested in going to Cuba? Did you choose to join the delegation
or were you picked?
Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Tex,): I asked to go on
the trip. Two of my staffers have been to Cuba on Ag related trips and they
wanted me to go. One of the staffers supports the current policy and the other
is in favor of lifting all restrictions.
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.): I've been to Cuba
many times. I am part of the Cuba Working Group in the Congress, which is a
bipartisan group of Members dedicated to changing our policy. The group of
Congresspeople is the largest official Congressional Delegation to visit Cuba
since before the revolution.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.: Do you believe that our
current stance toward Cuba, essentially blocking all American personal and
commercial interaction with the island, is helping to promote democracy? Is it
actually meeting its goals or is there a bit of stubbornness the U.S. has when
dealing with Castro? If that's the case, will his eventual death harken a new
U.S. strategy toward Cuba?
Thanks!
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.): I believe our policy
toward Cuba, to put it bluntly, is dumb. It is self-defeating and reflects a
double standard. The embargo hurts the Cuban people, not the Cuban government.
When Fidel Castro dies, absent a major shift in US policy, there is no reason
to believe anything will change.
Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Tex,):