Letter to Jimmy Carter by OBP

Re: Hand written response: "To Mr. Pichardo You're completely confused - I'm not shilling for anyone or promoting terrorism." Jimmy C.

Mr. Carter: No Mr. Carter, I am not confused. In my previous communication, I presented a valid case why your visit to Cuba would serve no useful purpose, but legitimize the abominable dictatorship that has existed for the past 43 years. I requested you refrain from joining the succession of American elected representatives and corporate representatives placing profits over dignity and not meet with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

You chose to make the trip, - actions speak louder than words - and by your actions became a shill for American corporations, and a tacit promoter of terrorism.

"I'm not shilling for anyone" Yes you are Mr. Carter, you certainly are! You stated in Havana this past May 14 "First, my hope is that Congress will soon act…and repeal the embargo" (NY Times 5/14/02.) Who would benefit? "Companies like Archer Daniels Midland, Riceland Foods, Gold Kist Inc. and about 18 others that have sold food to Cuba since late last year" (NY Times 5/26/02.) As a direct result of your proposal, American corporations would line their coffers, the Castro dictatorship economically sustained, and a dynasty begun - his brother is anointed as the successor. The Cuban people would continue to suffer oppression, denied human rights, and subjected to the continued reprisals of the Castro tyranny when daring to exercise a basic right such as freedom of speech. An unlikely scenario, I think not!

During the same speech you gave as a viable example "when I normalized relations with China in 1979." Let us look at the progress of human rights in China the past 23 years, easily summarized in two specific cases: Tiananmen Square June 1989, and religious persecution.

Normalizing economic relations with the Chinese Communist Government has had zero impact on the rights of the average Chinese, but it has greatly profited the exceptionally corrupt and parasitic rulers and their collaborators. The very same rulers who ordered the bloody crackdown on peaceful unarmed student and worker demonstrators in Tiananmen Square in June of 1989, to protect their personal fortunes and lifestyles. Who can forget the images of an unarmed man standing up to a tank? The failure of "normalization" with China paid in blood by the thousands of slain students and workers.

Religious persecution in China is an incessant abomination. Any and all religions are viewed as enemies of the state, whether Christianity or Falun Gong, and its followers are subjected to persecution by the Chinese government. This systemic religious persecution is sanctioned at the highest levels of the communist Chinese regime. "During last December's National Religious Working Conference in Beijing, President Jiang Zemin called for the elimination of spirituality's encroachment on China's Communist Party rule. The three-day meeting was attended by a "who's who" list of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council." (National Review 1/23/02.)

In calling to repeal the embargo Mr. Carter, you condemn the people of Cuba to another 40 years of systematic oppression, subjected to economic apartheid, virtually enslaved, and robbed of human dignity. Just as the "normalized relations with China" has allowed the communist regime to castigate the Chinese people for the past twenty plus years.

Furthermore, why do you not extend the oppressed population of Cuba the same solidarity and support you expressed for the people of South Africa and Rhodesia? You supported the trade embargo against those countries as a means of effecting changes in government that enfranchised those citizens to participate in self-determination. Yet, you would sentence the population of Cuba to the failed Chinese model. Why?

The obvious answer, is economic pressure. There were no corporations lobbying for trade with South Africa and Rhodesia; you would have been pilloried in the media as conspiring with governments that trampled on the human rights of their oppressed citizens. Yet, the plight of the Cuban people provokes no cry for justice. You genuflect at the altar of corporate profits, mindlessly repeating the mantra of your corporate sponsors - repeal the embargo for "humanitarian" reasons. You sir are shilling for Archer Daniels Midland, Riceland Foods, and Gold Kist Inc.

"or promoting terrorism." "First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me." Reverend Martin Niemoller's oft-quoted condemnation of the bystanders. You Mr. Carter are one of those bystanders.

Over the past years some of the most notorious terrorist organizations in the world - PLO, IRA FARC ETA, FALN, Hamas - have been hosted and encouraged to open training facilities on Cuban soil by Fidel Castro. When you fail to denounce Castro's involvement with these organizations, you are promoting terrorism.

The US State Department lists Cuba and Iran as terrorist states. Five short months before the cowardly attacks of September 11, Castro visited Teheran where he and Ayatollah Khamenehi stated Iran and Cuba would hand in hand defeat America, and swore publicly to destroy the United States. When you share a meal with Castro, you are promoting terrorism.

The World Health Organization classifies countries into five categories depending on the development of their biological industry. Cuba is classified as category 4.based on its capacity to produce bioweapons. There is a bilateral agreement between Cuba and Libya, Cuba and Iraq, and Cuba and Iran on biotechnology. Iran's major Biotechnology Center, was inaugurated by Castro on May 2001. When you tour the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Havana and naively state there is no danger of Castro transferring technology that can be used to make weapons of mass destruction, you are promoting terrorism.

"Mr. Carter said the Cuban governmnet would now have to decide how to respond to the petition (Varela Project) campaign's demands" (NY Times 5/18/02)

Well Mr. Carter the Castro government has decided: "Defying calls …for democratic reforms, Fidel Castro led a march of hundreds of thousands of people Wednesday to ratify as ``untouchable'' the one-party socialist system that has ruled this Caribbean island for four decades." (AP 6/12/02)

It appears Castro has made a dupe out of you. It has been a month since your visit and Castro has said nothing publicly about Project Varela. He led you by the nose in his VIP "dog and pony show" as you praised his corrupt oppressive regime, used your visit to legitimize his tyrannical political system, and had his failed economic policies validated as you foolishly called for a unilateral repeal of the embargo.

In truth sir, you have done a great disservice to the Cuban dissidents and the Varela Project. Even before your visit, the Castro regime began a campaign to discredit the Varela Project as the "work of marginal people paid by the United States." At the same time turning "to more direct dissuasion with threats and home searches. Some were detained and taken miles from their homes, then forced to walk or hitchhike back." (NY Times 5/14/02.)

Despite your assertion "I did not come here to interfere in Cuba's internal affairs" (NY Times 5/14/02) you handed the communist regime the perfect excuse to reject the Varela Project - the first time the majority of Cubans are introduced to the Varela Project is through a speech by a foreigner and an American to boot! You simplistically played right into the hands of the dictator, validating the Castro regime's claim that "it was crafted by foreigners" and therefore has no merit.

Castro has thumbed his nose at you, Mr. Carter, using his typical propaganda machinations: "The proposed constitutional amendment declaring Cuba's socialist system to be ``untouchable,'' and the mobilization, appear to be Castro's response to the Varela Project, the proposed reform referendum." (AP 6/12/02.)

Foolishly Mr. Carter, you made your asinine visit. Paying homage to Castro the repressive dictator, who for the past 40 years has systematically oppressed and trampled the human rights and dignity of the Cuban people.

Respectfully, Oscar B. Pichardo 2109 Ernest Ave. Redondo Beach, CA 90278 E- mail: Qbnchzhd@aol.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ FOR FREEDOM & JUSTICE GROUP http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ForFreedomandJustice

"Sec. 953. - Private correspondence with foreign governments

"Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both."

This is 18 USC 953, the Logan Act.

It would seem that both Mr. Carter and of course Jesse Jackson are guilty of multiple violations of this law, making them felons, unless they can show concrete "authority" under which they negotiated with officials of foreign powers. I have never seen any indications of such authority. Can anyone supply evidence of such authority under which, e.g:

--Carter negotiated with North Korea;
--Carter negotiated with Castro;
--Jackson negotated with Libya;
--Jackson negotiated with Iraq;
etc?...

--Boris

March 27, 2002

Dear Mr. Carter:

It is unconscionable that you, a man of principle that once received the highest honor of being chosen to be president of this great nation is planning to travel to the main terrorist stronghold in this hemisphere in a mission aimed to aid and abet a bloody tyrant leader of a country recognized by the U.S. State Department among the five main terrorist states in the world while undermining President Bush’s war against terrorism.

Thousands of Islamic, Spanish ETA, Colombian FARC, Irish IRA, Puerto Rican “Macheteros”, Peruvian “Sendero Luminoso,” and every other brand of terrorists and most of the guerrillas in Latin America have received haven, training, financing, logistical and intelligence support from the Cuban regime. Tens of thousands died in Latin America, Africa, Middle East and the Far East at the hands of Castro’s armies and proxies. This is not counting the tens of thousands of Cubans murdered by his infamous firing squads, over 500,000 Cubans who suffered the rigors and tortures of Castro’s political dungeons, and the untold tens of thousands who died trying to cross the Florida Straits in fragile makeshift rafts in their pursuit for freedom.

I am sure you are well informed that Castro has defaulted in all his international financial obligations and also encourages other Third World countries to do likewise. Castro stopped payments long ago on the 12 billion dollar debt to the Paris Club of European Banks. He owes over 2 billion dollars to Japan, 9 billion to Spain, 1.28 billion to Argentina and several billions more to England, Venezuela and every other of the 150 countries that were unwise enough to deal with him.

According to Euromoney’s country investment risk survey, Cuba was placed in 183rd place out of 187 countries, ranking even below Somalia. “Why then, investors may ask, should they bother with Cuba in a world replete with opportunities and more welcoming governments?” The Financial Times reported on June 30 1995. The reason is obvious: Cuba is a paradise for money laundering from terrorism, drug traffic, for hiding the proceeds from the graft and pillage of corrupt politicians, and a sanctuary for American murderers and money swindlers fugitive of the U.S. justice. No honest businessman would get involved with a criminal in a country where there is no rule of law and everybody is at the expense of Castro’s whims.

In Cuba, Castro and the State are just one and the same; he allocates the product of his joint ventures with foreigners and the income from money laundering to his accounts in Switzerland without ever passing through the Cuban Treasure. In fact, Castro, according to Forbes, is among the richest chief of state in the world while the Cuban people are kept in dire poverty.

Another factor you have to reconcile with is that every deal; every investment in Cuba is a “joint venture” in partnership with the Cuban tyrant, and that includes being part of slave labor practices, for which those entrepreneurs and multinationals, sooner or later, will pay dearly just as it happened with the companies involved in slave labor during the Nazi era. Any foreign company investing in Cuba must pay Castro between 8 to 9 thousands dollars a year for each worker they hire, Castro on the other hand, pays the worker in Cuban pesos the equivalent of $180 per year, an outrageous bribe without parallel in the world. In fact, you know quite well that the American companies are prohibited by our laws to be involved in any kind of bribe when dealing with other countries.

You had your days of glory with the Camp Davis Peace Accord, but Sadat was a patriot, a man of extraordinary courage and strong moral and religious principles. I know Castro, and Castro is not Sadat.

You also had great failures during your presidency, skyrocketing inflation, the highest interest rates and of unemployment in decades and even worse, the steep decline of U.S.’ prestige in the world.

I wonder, where you had been living for the last 43 years? Cuba is a country with state of the art chemical, biological and cyber warfare capabilities aimed against the U.S. Fidel Castro has been all his life a declared mortal enemy of the U.S. and the values it represents. This is the same dictator who urged Soviet Prime Minister, Nikita Khrushchev, to nuke our cities during the Missile Crisis, and whose henchmen took special delight in brutally torturing our P.O.W.’s during the Vietnam War. Have you forgotten the Americans taken as hostages by the Iranian hoodlums, and the Mariel boatlift?

Who do you want to emulate, the Duke of Windsor, or the English former Socialist Prime Minister of England, Loyd George, who called Hitler the “greatest living German” during a visit to Berlin in 1935? Or do you want to dethrone Prime Minister Chamberlain’s record as the greatest appeaser in history? What is the purpose of your trip to Cuba, to reward Castro with the American taxpayers largesse for all his crimes against humanity?

Mr. Carter, you were a failure as a president, but everybody acknowledges that you are a man with a good heart, please, do not destroy your good name, you are not the President of the U.S. anymore, leave it to President Bush and his most able team of foreign affairs experts to deal with Castro.

Sincerely yours.

Jesús J. Chao

carterweb@emory.edu

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