Published Sunday, May 14, 2000, in the Miami Herald
To oppose U.S. sales of food and medicine to Cuba gives us no pleasure. Many respected organizations and religious groups support such sales on humanitarian grounds. Yet if the goal of U.S. policy is to improve the quality of life for Cuba's people by encouraging democratic change, legislation
giving up sanctions misses the mark. If U.S. farmers sell directly to the Cuban government, as they would have to, the effect would be to strengthen the regime. There is no assurance that substantial benefits will trickle down to ordinary Cubans.
The legislation unilaterally would lift sanctions that bar food and medicine sales to Cuba as well as to Iran, Libya, Sudan and North Korea. Pushed by Rep. George R. Nethercutt, R-Wash., it was attached to an agricultural appropriations bill in the House last week. That in itself is revealing:
While proponents tout moral principles, in truth this is a relief bill for American farmers.
Rep. Nethercutt -- recently named Wheat Champion by the National Association of Wheat Growers -- himself argues that these sanctioned nations represent $7 billion in ``new agricultural market opportunities'' for U.S. farmers.
The American farm lobby and other economic interests have been pushing against U.S. trade sanctions for years. Progressively better organized, they focused on Cuba, while the prize is unrestricted sales to Iran's much-richer market.
A similar amendment sponsored by Sen. John Ashcroft, R-Mo., easily was approved by the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee with the blessing of Chairman Jesse Helms, R-N.C. A longtime Cuba-embargo supporter, Mr. Helms gave his nod only after the language was changed to bar U.S. government
financing for sales to sanctioned countries and to require licensing. Currently, licensed sales of medicine to Cuba are allowed.
The House is expected to take up its version of the amendment next week, attached to the agriculture appropriations bill. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, will try to block it. But with the majority Republicans split on the issue, it could well survive. If so, the only clear winners will be
American farmers and the Cuban regime, which will have more money to spend on repressing the people. It also will divert attention from the fact that the Cuban government's incompetence prevents it from providing for its people.
If Congress wants to help Cuba's people, a better approach would be to lift all restrictions on American remittances and travel to Cuba.
Copyright 2000 Miami Herald |