By Jim Burns. CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer. June 08,
2001
(CNSNews.com) - The Cato Institute has released a study calling the
Helms-Burton Act, an anti-Castro measure, a failure.
The law has "antagonized our allies, further isolated ordinary Cubans
from the influence of American ideas," and strengthened the Cuban
government - the same government it was supposed to undermine, the report said.
The Helms-Burton Act, passed in 1996, seeks to prevent other countries from
trading with Cuba. Specifically, the law was intended to discourage foreign
investment in Cuba by punishing foreign companies and individuals who "traffic"
in Cuban property that was owned by U.S. citizens before the revolution.
It allows U.S. nationals to file suit against foreign firms that traffic in
those confiscated properties.
The measure was intended to encourage democratic reform in Cuba, but the
Cato study said the plan has backfired.
The entire Act should be scuttled, said Mark Groombridge, a Cato research
fellow. His study, called "Missing the Target: The Failure of the
Helms-Burton Act," is particularly critical of the law's Title Three
provision, the one that punishes foreign-owned companies that engage in the "wrongful
trafficking of property confiscated by the Castro regime."
A decision is expected soon from President Bush on whether to waive that
provision.
Critics claim law has backfired
The Cato study argues that the Helms-Burton Act has had a number of adverse
effects.
First of all, because the United States has no formal diplomatic relations
with Cuba, it remains the one country with which Cuba has not settled claims,
something that will become more and more difficult, as the number and amount of
those claims continue to rise.
The study also says Helms-Burton has soured U.S. trading relations with
European and other countries that resent U.S. for imposing its agenda on them.
"Helms-Burton has failed to promote democracy in Cuba and has
strengthened the hand of the Castro regime by providing a scapegoat for its own
failed economic system," the study said.
Groombridge urges President Bush to "remove a painful thorn from the
side of U.S.- Canadian and U.S.-European bilateral relations" by urging
Congress to repeal the Helms-Burton Act. At a minimum, Groombridge said, Bush
should continue to waive implementation and enforcement of the most egregious
provisions stipulated in Title Three of the Act.
Neither Helms nor Burton had any comment on the study.
Radio Havana blasts Helms-Burton
Radio Havana, the voice of Cuba's communist government, also considers the
Helms-Burton Act a "foreign policy blunder" by North Carolina
Republican Senator Jesse Helms, who relinquished the chairmanship of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee this week, as Democrats took control of the Senate.
According to Radio Havana, "With control of this key Senate committee
out of Republican hands, some positive adjustments may be made in US foreign
policy, which has been riding roughshod over international relations."
Radio Havana denounced the Helms-Burton Act as "interventionist"
and "extraterritorial," because it tries to force other nations to
stop trading with Cuba. "Because of its illegality under U.S. and
international law, the legislation has never been completely implemented,"
the editorial said.
The editorial noted that President Bill Clinton, who signed Helms-Burton
into law, was forced to suspend the Title Three provisions, and it said
President Bush "will be obliged to maintain the suspension if he wishes to
avoid aggravating differences with Europe."
The Radio Havana editorial concluded, "If the application of Title
Three of the Helms-Burton law is implemented, sparks are sure fly between
Washington and its European trading partners, which have important interests in
Cuba."
Last month, Helms along with Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) introduced in
the Senate the "Cuban Solidarity Act." The legislation would provide
$100 million over four years to pro-democracy and human rights activists in
Cuba.
The money would be use to provide cash, fax machines, telephones, books as
well as food and medicine to critics of the Castro government. Rep. Lincoln
Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) has introduced similar legislation in the House.
Helms described the Solidarity Act as "a blueprint for a more vigorous
U.S. policy to liberate the enslaved island of Cuba."
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