Published Thursday, February 8, 2001, in the
Miami Herald
In their words
This is the statement signed by detained Czech citizens Ivan Pilip and
Jan Bubenik on Sunday in Havana.
The text in Spanish was supplied by a source in the Cuban Foreign Ministry.
The translation is by The Herald.
We state that our trip to Cuba was prepared in cooperation with the Freedom
House foundation, based in the United States. The purpose of this trip was to
meet with some people who, we were told, devote themselves to independent
journalism and to monitoring human rights.
From the foundation, we received money to cover the cost of our stay in Cuba
and the addresses of the people we were to contact. These addresses we carried
in our electronic note pad, concealed by a code so as to avoid problems with the
Cuban authorities.
At the same time, that organization asked us to deliver medicine, a portable
computer and pencils to these people. In Ciego de Avila, we met with two of the
people indicated by the foundation.
We made this trip unaware that we were going to violate the laws of the
Republic of Cuba. At this time, having heard the explanation of the examining
magistrates, we have become aware that we violated the laws of Cuba.
We fully respect the fact that Cuba has the right to constantly enforce its
laws and protect its sovereignty. We understand that the Cuban people have been
offended by these actions. It is a reality we regret, because we maintain a
friendly relationship with these people.
Therefore, we would like to express to the Cuban people our apologies for
having violated the laws of Cuba.
Ivan Pilip
and Jan Bubenik
Havana, Feb. 4, 2001.
Senate bill eases U.S. exports to Cuba
Plan reverses key provisions
By Gabriella Boston . States News Service
WASHINGTON -- A bill that seeks to reverse key provisions of current
legislation governing the U.S. export of agricultural and medical products to
Cuba has been introduced in the Senate under bipartisan sponsorship.
The bill, labeled the Cuba Food and Medicine Access Act of 2001 and
introduced by Sens. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., and Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., seeks to
enable American farmers, ranchers and pharmaceutical companies to do business
more easily with Cuba.
The proposal would alter U.S. law enacted by Congress last year. The bill
would:
Provide access to normal export financing in the U.S. private sector for
American exports to Cuba. Present law bars U.S. banks from financing the sales
authorized by last year's legislation, a spokesman for Hagel said.
Permit American vessels carrying agricultural products or medical devices
to export directly from a U.S. port to a Cuban port. That is not now allowed.
Reverse travel restrictions that were incorporated in last year's
legislation, which stripped the president of his power to expand travel to Cuba
by U.S. citizens.
When the United States places unilateral sanctions on other nations,
American producers are hurt, not the sanctioned nation, Hagel wrote in an
introduction to the bill.
Moreover, he said, other than promoting the interests of U.S. farmers and
pharmaceutical companies, it is the role of the United States to help improve
the quality of people's lives, including those in Cuba.
The move drew fierce opposition Wednesday from Rep. Lincoln Díaz-Balart,
R-Miami.
"I think this is not only an affront to the United States, its also an
embarrassment to those senators,'' Díaz-Balart said. He said President
Bush has promised to help defeat the bill.
"To ask for taxpayer subsidies for that state is ultimately unfortunate
and contrary to the U.S. national interest,'' he said.
"President Bush has a very clear stand on sanctions. He will not accept
easing sanctions against the Cuban regime,'' Díaz-Balart said.
U.S. aid against Castro sought
By Carol Rosenberg. crosenberg@herald.com
WASHINGTON -- Launching a new offensive on the Capitol, Cuban American
National Foundation Chairman Jorge Mas Santos on Wednesday urged a technological
and financial invasion of the island funded by U.S. aid to topple Fidel Castro's
regime.
Arm anti-Castro Cubans with cellphones and computer printers, fax machines
and Internet access through special U.S. funding to private organizations and
individuals, said Mas, in his first major address since taking over the
influential lobby.
"Many on our side have pretended that if we just enforced U.S.
sanctions against the regime, we could achieve our objective of establishing
freedom and democracy for the Cuban people,'' said the U.S.-born Mas, 37, whose
founder father died in 1997.
Mas offered no price tag for his laundry list of ideas. It included using
taxpayer money to pay private groups to fund microloans inside Cuba to
independent soup kitchens, day care centers and restaurants as a way of
disrupting the state-controlled economy.
He also proposed establishing a Food for Peace Program that would somehow
circumvent Cuban distribution systems and deliver U.S. farmers' food donations
to individuals; funding and creating independent Internet sites and e-mail
portals; and licensing U.S. groups to establish business management training and
labor rights institutes in Cuba.
The call comes just days after Cuba freed two Czechs who had been jailed in
Havana for 24 days on allegations they engaged in subversion by meeting with
dissidents to describe how they resisted Communist rule in their country.
He unveiled the list at an invitation-only speech to academics, church
activists and think-tank members at the Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace. Some people there politely told him they oppose the embargo. Others
questioned how the aid programs -- which Mas said should be "overt, not
covert'' -- could circumvent Cuban government interference.
"I hope it comes with a 'Get out of jail, free' card,'' one audience
member told another after the speech.
CANF Washington Director José R. Cárdenas characterized the
address as part of a calculated campaign to increase Bush administration
attention on ending Cuba's four-decade communist rule.
Mas met with National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday to urge
what he called "a reinvigorated political will with an activist policy.''
Using a huge endowment left by founder Jorge Mas Canosa, the foundation
bought a $1.7 million townhouse in Washington and is restoring the Freedom Tower
in Miami. CANF also expanded its permanent staff after Mas' failed effort to
intermediate in the Elián González episode.
Many of Mas' ideas are not new. Republican Sen. Jesse Helms outlined a
similar strategy in a speech several weeks ago, and Rep. Lincoln Díaz-Balart,
R-Miami, is advocating similar but not identical legislation.
But Mas said today's strategy is no longer to simply solidify sanctions but
to expand people-to-people contacts like the Reagan administration's support to
Poland in the 1980s.
The Clinton administration similarly supported people-to-people contacts,
mostly cultural and sports events. But in a prepared text distributed to the
audience, Mas dismissed those efforts as "a static, sterile policy in which
leading officials have paid lip service to the goal of a free Cuba, but were
actually more interested in preserving what they called 'stability' on the
island.''
Mas also scolded members of his host think-tank, the Inter-American
Dialogue, made up of both Republicans and Democrats, some who argue that ending
the embargo would flood Cuba with capitalist culture.
Dialogue members met with Castro last week in Havana.
"Whatever you call your delegation, you are just a tourist,'' Mas said.
Copyright 2001 Miami Herald | 