A vote for Radio Martí

Juan Carlos González Leiva

HAVANA, Cuba, December 18 (www.cubanet.org) – State Security has started another campaign against Radio Martí because of the impending assumption of the American presidency by Barack Obama.

It is expected here that the United States will change its relationship with Cuba: dialogue, elimination of restrictions, etc.

The boycott of Radio Martí, including by some pacifist dissidents, is nothing more than the hope of the government that the destruction of the broadcast will connect with the supposed changes that Obama makes with Cuba.

Some dissidents say: "The broadcast no longer responds to our peaceful opposition, it's not serious, it doesn't check the facts, and when we dissidents are in trouble, it doesn't help us. It butchers the news and repeats what's not important."

This isn't new. What the political police are doing to Radio Martí it has already done to most of the relevant defenders of human rights in Cuba since the beginning of civil pacifism. Discredit and total destruction were the arms used against Ricardo Bofill, Gustavo Arcos Bergnes, Jesús Llanes Pelletier and many more.

We true patriots and peaceful defenders of human rights inside and outside Cuba, interested in democracy, must keep our eyes open. Losing the vehicle for expression that is Radio Martí would be catastrophic for internal peaceful dissidence. Not only would it be terrible for us but, above all, for the political prisoners.

Why does the Cuban government spend money it doesn't have to build towers and interfere with the signals of Radio and Television Martí? Why does it refuse to recognize the right of Cubans to the Internet? Because keeping us like frogs at the bottom of the dark well is a guarantee of its permanence in power.

I'm not referring, of course, to the critical position of some genuine fighters for democracy. The criticism can be healthy and I share some criteria. No human work is perfect and all is sensible and can be improved.

My profound thanks to Radio Martí for all it represents as a media of communication at the service of democracy and freedom of expression.