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Posted on Thu, May. 16, 2002 in
The Miami Herald
If he were Cuban, Jimmy Carter could well have landed in jail for his
remarkable speech Tuesday evening. For the first time in 43 years of repression,
Cubans were exposed to open criticism of the dictatorship -- live on
government-controlled TV and radio. They also heard, to the surprise of many,
about a legal process allowing for a transition toward democracy.
That came via Mr. Carter's welcome plug for the Varela Project, an
extraordinary dissident effort that's been ignored by state-run media. The
constitutional petition drive garnered 11,020 signatures seeking a referendum on
freedoms of speech and association, multiparty elections and the right of
individuals to own businesses. In mentioning the Varela Project, Mr. Carter
planted a notion that undermines Cuba's status quo: that the Cuban people -- not
a one-party regime or the United States -- can and should define their own
destiny.
Like nails covered in honey, Mr. Carter's hard calls for human rights and
democracy came wrapped with criticism of current U.S. policy and some
compliments for the Cuban system. While we do not agree with all of his
recommendations, we appreciate the favorable impact that his approach may have,
especially among Cubans fed a steady diet of anti-American propaganda for
decades.
Invited by Fidel Castro, Mr. Carter is the most prominent American to visit
Cuba since Castro took power in 1959. Unlike Cuba's dissidents, the former U.S.
president was not under threat of arrest when he spoke out. He did not expect to
sway Castro with his words, nor should anyone. The aging despot fiercely is
holding onto power.
But Mr. Carter's message offered food for thought for Cubans unused to free
and frank speech. The U.S. embargo and travel ban, he said, ``are not the source
of Cuba's economic problems. Cuba can trade with more than 100 countries and buy
medicines, for example, more cheaply in Mexico than in the United States.''
Referring to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, he said: ''All
citizens are born with the right to choose their own leaders, to define their
own destiny, to speak freely, to organize political parties, trade unions and
nongovernmental groups and to have fair and open trials.'' Cuba's ''Constitution
recognizes freedom of speech and association,'' he added, ``but other laws deny
these freedoms to those who disagree with the government.''
Like Mr. Carter, The Herald advocates lifting current U.S. restrictions on
travel to Cuba. On balance, the benefits of open, people-to-people communication
counter those of hard currency for the regime. But we support the U.S. embargo
on commerce with Cuba. Unfettered U.S. trade and investment promise to enrich
the police state and its loyalists at the expense of exploited Cuban workers and
U.S. taxpayers who would have to cover bad trade debts.
Change will come to Cuba, hopefully sooner than later. What happens now will
pave the way. The aim is a peaceful transition out of totalitarianism, one that
avoids Russian-style corruption. When change comes, however, Cuba doesn't need
Castro loyalists to inherit political power and strip the nation of what wealth
is left. So it is best to support Cuba's democracy activists and fledgling civil
society, as Mr. Carter is doing. | 
