Editorial. Published Thursday, January 18, 2001, in the
Miami Herald
An ominous question has surfaced about Mexican President Vicente Fox's short
but noticeable record on democratic issues. His administration's ambassador to
Cuba, Ricardo Pascoe, announced at a recent press conference that the
ambassador's doors will be closed to Cuban dissidents during his tenure in the
Havana embassy.
This refusal taints Mr. Fox's stance as a president who has promised to
stand up for human rights. Mr. Fox and his foreign minister, Jorge G. Castañeda,
have said that Mexico will continue its "nonintervention'' policy in
matters of foreign affairs, but that they would speak out against violations of
human rights.
In Cuba, dissidents are the only form of opposition that exists under Fidel
Castro's regime. Denying these dissidents a chance to speak to foreign
representatives is another way of silencing their subtle voices and underlines
the recurrent violations of their rights.
It is customary for foreign delegations to meet with leaders of parties that
oppose the government. Castro himself welcomed to Cuba Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas,
a strong opposition contender for the presidency of Mexico. At least Mr. Cárdenas
had the right to travel abroad, a freedom not often extended to Cuban
dissidents. Why can't Mexico extend the same welcome to Cuba's opposition?
Mexico has every right to resume its trade and economic ties with Cuba and
to continue its policy of nonintervention in the affairs of the island.
But it seems that Castro is setting the terms of the rapprochement, when it
was Mr. Fox who suggested warming up relations that had cooled off during his
predecessor's tenure. Mr. Fox presented an image of a maverick in Mexican
politics. He now should extend that image to his diplomatic dealings with Cuba.
Copyright 2001 Miami Herald | 