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Hypocritical rules on Cuba
By Mary Sanchez. Knight
Ridder Newspapers. Posted on Thu, Oct. 07,
2004 in The
Kansas City Star.
(KRT) - A welcome Cuban import to Las Vegas:
Cuban performers, live on stage with mambo,
rumba, flamenco, colorful costumes and swinging
Latin rhythms.
An unwelcome Cuban import to Las Vegas:
Cuban scholars, academic viewpoints on Latin
film, literature, history, politics and
economics.
The disparate treatment is the latest round
in the Bush administration's nonsensical
approach toward Cuba.
Havana Nights, a Tropicana-themed cabaret
show of 53 Cuban dancers and musicians,
completed their Las Vegas bookings at Stardust
Resort and Casino last month.
Reviews were good.
But 61 Cuban scholars invited to attend
the October 7-9 Latin American Studies Association
convention had their travel requests denied.
American academics are furious about the
last minute denial of visas by the U.S.
Treasury Department.
Some convention panels have been cancelled.
For more than a year now the Bush White
House began a systematic crackdown on relations
with Cuba. The stated goal was to spur democracy.
Fair enough, no one is arguing that Fidel
Castro is not a dictator.
Castro bites back to every perceived slight
from the United States - with jailings,
human rights abuses and executions of his
own people. Sixty-eight Cuban dissidents
are imprisoned now.
The sanctions against Cuba are 40 years
old. They were originally intended as a
slap to Castro for confiscating American
land and holdings in Cuba. Now, they have
morphed into an illogical political mess.
Universities that have long held licenses
to travel to Cuba are not being granted
renewals.
Publishers who work with Cuban authors
risk large monetary fines.
Cuban-Americans with relatives in Cuba
can visit every three years, not every year.
And when they go, they are allowed to spend
only $50 a day instead of the $160 previously
allowed.
The most recent victim of this policy change
was a Cuban-American combat medic, on leave
from his duties in Iraq.
He wanted to visit his teenaged sons in
Cuba.
Visa denied.
The Cuban scholars, who were viewed by
the White House as employees of the Cuban
government, were deemed "detrimental
to the interests of the United States."
Never mind, that many of the scholars have
been frequent lecturers in the United States.
One of the academics was at Harvard University
last fall. His dissertation's subject: the
benefits of foreign investment in Cuba.
Congressional support to overturn the embargos,
among both Democrats and Republicans, is
growing.
And polls show that increasingly, younger,
U.S.-born Cuban-Americans are less supportive
of sanctions.
But not enough of those younger Cuban-Americans
hold enough big buck political leverage.
The wishes of an older Cuban generation,
the people who literally lost everything
when Castor came to power in 1959, still
hold the most sway.
Still, how long will respect for their
losses be allowed to form ineffective policy?
Fairness is another concern.
Vietnam and China also have human rights
abuses. But they do not have the same harsh
restrictions for travel and academic freedom.
American policies toward Cuba only help
Castro maintain his foot on the necks of
his own people. And, they add a few more
dollars and votes for Bush in the key electoral
state of Florida.
Presidential candidate John Kerry has said
the Bush policy "punishes and isolates
the Cuban people while leaving Castro and
his cohorts unharmed."
Kerry supports ending the travel ban, believing
that with more contact in Cuba, Cuban-Americans
can peacefully influence change.
A long held saying is that Castro is like
crabgrass, he never dies.
Bush too, is poised to hang on longer in
his seat of power.
If he does, get ready for four more years
of hypocritical rules on Cuba.
Despite growing bipartisan support in Congress,
despite the beliefs of many Cuban-Americans,
and despite logic, fairness.
Bring on the Cuban dancing girls, but there
is little to applaud.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Mary Sanchez is an opinion-page
columnist for The Kansas City Star. Readers
may write to her at: Kansas City Star, 1729
Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. 64108-1413,
or via e-mail at msanchez@kcstar.com.
© 2004,
The Kansas City Star.
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