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Send
right message to Cuba's regime
Don't reward a dictator by lifting sanctions
Posted on Mon, Nov. 10,
2003 in The
Miami Herald.
Rewarding Cuba's repressive dictatorship
makes no sense, especially now. Only months
ago, Cuba's dictatorship summarily executed
three young men for an alleged hijacking
and slapped 75 activists into prison for
1,454 years for peacefully promoting human
rights and democratic changes.
Don't change U.S. policy
Yet today members of Congress are pushing
to lift long-standing U.S. travel sanctions.
And the U.N. General Assembly again overwhelmingly
has condemned the U.S. trade embargo. How
do these advocates of free trade and travel
justify the Cuban regime's embargo on civil
liberties and travel for its own people?
The Herald long has supported the trade
embargo on the regime. We also have argued
that Americans should be able to travel
to Cuba without restriction and that such
a policy would help ordinary Cubans. Our
position hasn't changed. But this isn't
the right moment, nor is pending congressional
action on Cuba travel the right way, to
change U.S. policy.
Cuban dissidents who have argued against
U.S. sanctions say that to end them now
-- in the aftermath of the crackdown while
peaceful dissidents suffer inhuman cruelty
in jail -- would be an endorsement of the
Castro dictatorship's brutality. They're
right.
Why doesn't the U.N. General Assembly condemn
the Castro regime ''for having embargoed
all of our civil rights?'' asked Vladimiro
Roca, a prominent Havana dissident and one
of the few not jailed. How can the regime
demand U.S. compliance with the U.N. embargo
vote when the regime has never complied
with any of 13 U.N. Human Rights Commission
resolutions condemning Cuba?
Varela Project leader Oswaldo Payá,
too, called for the U.N. General Assembly
to demand freedom for Cuba's political prisoners.
'If U.N. member governments truly are concerned
with Cubans' well-being and rights,'' Mr.
Payá said, "they should demand
that Cuba's government cease its cruel and
degrading treatment of political prisoners.''
Drop or veto the bill
In Congress, meanwhile, a Cuba-travel measure
is now being hotly debated in conference
committee. Attached to the Treasury-Transportation
appropriations bill, the measure would cut
all funds for enforcing travel restrictions.
While it would still be illegal for American
tourists to travel to Cuba, they might not
be charged for the violation. Approving
the measures would send two disturbing messages:
It's OK for Americans to break the law,
and it's OK for a tyrant to repress Cubans
and brutalize political prisoners.
The conference committee should drop the
Cuba-travel measure. But if the bill still
includes the measure when it's sent to the
White House, President Bush should keep
his promise to veto it.
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