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Posted on Mon, May. 20, 2002 in
The Miami Herald.
May it be one of freedom from tyranny
One hundred years after Cubans won independence from Spain, they are still
in pursuit of freedom. Between foreign intervention, political violence and 66
years of authoritarian rule, it has been a rough century for the island that
crowns the Caribbean.
May Cuba's centennial today mark changes to come. Let this begin a new
century that will bring freedom from tyranny and build democracy and prosperity
in Cuba. Let it also usher in an era of goodwill between Cuba and the United
States, between Cubans on the island and those in diaspora.
First, of course, the totalitarian dictatorship that imprisons the island's
11 million people must end. Fidel Castro and his regime is the past. Former
President Jimmy Carter's trip provided ample evidence of that.
While the regime continues to try to discredit its internal opposition as
U.S. ''lackeys,'' Mr. Carter showed them to be the courageous pro-democracy
activists that they are. The Varela Project is home-grown. Relying on on a
provision in Cuba's current constitution, Oswaldo Payá led a petition
drive calling for free speech and other rights. It garnered more than 11,000
signatures -- a significant number in a police state where criticizing the
government is a criminal offense.
Thanks to Mr. Carter, Cubans all over the island now know of the Varela
Project. More important, perhaps for the first time, they heard about the
possibility of an alternate reality -- a reality based on respect for human
rights and the rule of law. May that vision now ignite imaginations dampened by
censorship and propaganda for 43 years. Let it nurture the Cuban Vaclav Havels,
who one day could lead in the nation's best interests.
Ultimately, Cuba's solutions should be home-grown, too. But exiles can and
should make important contributions. Even as island Cubans have been losing
fear, exiles here have been evolving. There is less rancor and more-open debate
on tough Cuba-policy issues than ever. More talk of reconciliation, less of
hate.
A poll released last week clearly shows the trend. Among Cuban Americans
surveyed in Miami-Dade County, 79 percent said they prefer a ''gradual and
peaceful transition'' in Cuba, versus the ''abrupt and violent'' change
preferred by only 16 percent. And 56 percent supported amnesty for regime
officials who cooperated with transition.
While a majority, 61 percent, still supports the U.S. economic embargo, 52
percent said that it shouldn't be the focus of U.S. policy, and 48 percent said
they send money to family in Cuba. Regarding restrictions on travel to Cuba,
exiles are split down the middle: 46 percent support lifting restrictions while
47 percent would keep them in place.
Even the Cuba Study Group that commissioned the poll reflects the moderation
and diverse voices among exiles who too often have been represented by extremes.
These are textures that President Bush would be wise to note when he arrives
in town today and speaks on U.S. policy toward Cuba. Cuban Americans are not all
of the same mind.
Historians pose varied reasons for why Cuba has failed, many worth studying.
But the truth is that building a nation of laws, human rights, and checks and
balances has never been without travails, not even for the United States. A
century of mistakes and hurt can teach valuable lessons. It is for Cubans now to
build the future of a free and independent Cuba. Our fervent hope is that they
are ready. | 
