Former US President and Nobel peace laureate Jimmy Carter
called on Cuba to free Dissidents(AFP/File/Steve Schaefer)
Posted on 04/15/2003 1:15:43 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
In a bitter criticism of the executions carried out last week in Cuba, José Saramago, the Nobel Prize-winning Portuguese writer considered Fidel Castro's best friend among European intellectuals, broke with the regime Monday.
''This is as far as I go,'' Saramago wrote in a short but powerful essay printed in Spain's leading newspaper, El País, as the European Union, various countries and organizations around the world continued to offer public repudiations.
Killing three men by firing squad at dawn Friday for trying to spirit a ferry boat is unacceptable -- especially since the would-be hijackers didn't hurt anybody, wrote Saramago, a communist.
``Cuba has won no heroic victory by executing these three men, but it has lost my confidence, damaged my hopes, robbed me of illusions.''
Meanwhile, groups ranging from France's Socialist party to the foreign ministers of the EU condemned the killings -- part of a dissident crackdown that began in March as the war unfolded in Iraq.
Leaders of the EU, which opened a Havana mission earlier this year, alluded to rejecting Cuba's petition to join the Cotonou Agreement, a trade accord that offers economic help to more than 70 developing nations.
The recent arrests signal a further deterioration of the human rights situation and ''will affect Cuba's relations with the European Union, and the perspective of increased cooperation between both groups,'' the statement read.
Cuba, which withdrew an application two years ago over concerns about its human rights record, reapplied to join the trade accord in January.
The executions, the first for a terrorism offense in Cuba in more than a decade, could also give momentum for a condemnation by the United Nations Human Rights Commission, a measure that could be heard in Geneva as early as Wednesday. A group of nations led by Peru, Uruguay, Costa Rica and Nicaragua had planned on again asking the commission to send a special representative to the island to report on violations -- something Cuba rejected last year.
But the executions could give steam to an even stronger measure -- an outright condemnation of Cuba. Some Latin American countries, however, have been wavering.
On Monday, Mexico issued a statement condemning Friday's killings but staying mum on the U.N. resolution. Chile's foreign minister said the South American country was willing to consider a rebuke.
Yet even if the EU keeps Cuba out of the trade agreement, and the U.N. resolution is approved, neither will have an effect on the life of average Cubans, said Jaime Suchlicki, a Cuba expert at the University of Miami. Castro expected international outcries before rounding up members of the fledgling opposition movement, he said. That wasn't enough to sway him from his goal, Suchlicki said.
''He's more interested in cleaning out dissidents, so that he can leave a legacy for his brother. If he was worried about Cubans eating more, he wouldn't have done this,'' Suchlicki said.
Friday's executions capped weeks of tension on the island of 11 million that included a flurry of attempted hijackings, dozens of arrests and stiff jail sentences for dissidents. Last week, 75 dissidents were sentenced with terms up to 28 years. They were accused of collaborating with, or taking money from, U.S. officials.
The measures were necessary, the Cuban government has claimed, to protect Cuban national security. The United States has no right to criticize Cuba, Parliament President Ricardo Alarcón said Monday, since it violated the rights of detainees after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The United States is losing an ''opportunity to stay quiet,'' Alarcón said, because more than a year later many are still detained without charges.
This report was supplemented by Herald wire services.
That's what dictators do.
2 posted on 3/6/02 7:30 AM Pacific by grammymoon:
"What would you do Without FR?
How would You Feel without FR?
Suppose one day you tried to log on and Free Republic wasn’t there?
Where would you get your up to the minute news? How about the live threads as things are happening?
How would you know about the latest Demorat scams, anti-second amendment schemes and all the other liberal, anti-American ploys that are tried every single day?
Insight into world affairs, brilliant wit, sharp retorts, instant information gratification are a few of the things that make FR so vital.
How would you keep on top of things without FR?
How would you know who to contact to complain about the lying politicians, Media Bias, Hollyweirds latest mouth off, sponsors of these idiots, company policies that are unfair and all the other things we need to know to counteract the liberal mindset and the evil plans of liberals?
How would you be part of a Freep?
What would you do without FR????
Freedom isn’t free.
If you enjoy the site and find it a place of like minded Americans to sound off, to get together, to fight back, to have your voice heard and make a difference,PLEASE CONTRIBUTE NOW ! Donate Here By Secure Server
Jim can’t do this alone.
The liberals are sure we won’t be able to keep FR up & running. Prove them wrong. Show them we are indeed united Freepers. Whether it is $5.00, $50.00 or more, it all adds up. Please send a donation now to Free Republic.
''This is as far as I go,'' Saramago wrote in a short but powerful essay printed in Spain's leading newspaper, El País, as the European Union, various countries and organizations around the world continued to offer public repudiations.
Oh, I see, there must be a set amount of murders to be done until liberals wake up... How many more WTCs? What do people expect when people shrug off profit form past murders and call it forgiveness. Forgiveness requires repent, truth, a trial and fact findings. Forgiveness or "moving on" to more important matters does not mean shruggin off things. Truth is the more important matter.
Why do we have to go back to kindergarten with all these so called high level intellectuals? Never has truth been so distorted by the very credentials that were supposed to glorify it.
Oh, well we wouldn't want a communist robbed of their illusions now would we? What would support the revolution then, brute force and persecution?
/yawn.
The U.S. has taken advantage of too many ``opportunities to stay quiet,'' and should speak up. Not to mention other countries.
Yes, it's time for regime change in Cuba and Venezuela, for starters. And I want FARC hunted down like rabid dogs.
Maria and a dozen frightened neighbors said hundreds of guerrillas from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) attacked their town from Venezuela, crossing the river to engage an anti-guerrilla paramilitary force occupying several riverside villages. Within an hour, Maria saw Venezuelan military aircraft swoop over her village to bomb paramilitary positions inside Colombia supporting the rebel advance.***
Yes. Because that would mean Castro facing the firing squad.
What do they have worth trading? Economically, the EU might do better admitting a kindergarten class.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.