Among the 80 people arrested over the past month are some of Cuba's most respected voices: political activists Hector Palacios and Osvaldo Alfonso Valdes; economist Marta Beatriz Roque; physician Oscar Elias Biscet; human rights activist Elizardo Sanchez; journalist Ricardo Gonzalez. From all evidence, they and the other defendants are guilty of nothing more than espousing political ideas that the Castro dictatorship considers dangerous.
On Friday, Castro's crackdown continued. Three men charged with terrorism for hijacking a passenger ferry earlier this month were executed after short trials. At least they were accused of real crimes, but their trial violated all standards of due process and their death sentences were notably harsh.
After more than 40 years of oppressive rule, Castro isn't likely to change his stripes, but the timing of this crackdown is especially unfortunate. The Cuban people have suffered the brunt of cultural and economic sanctions that have failed to weaken Castro's grip on power. Recently, U.S. and Cuban officials have made tentative progress toward new ties that would allow for increased American aid to Cubans in need and increased contact among families divided between the two countries. Cuban-American communities in South Florida and elsewhere in the country have been increasingly supportive of those efforts.
But Castro doesn't appear to be capable of moving past the perverse agenda that has defined his teetering revolution. Instead of taking steps to encourage a political thaw that would improve the lot of his own people, he has reverted to old habits, punishing those who have the courage to speak the truth about Cuba's tyranny. In his vain effort to bottle up the pressure for reform, he has increased the odds that the overdue end of his regime will come with a bang, not a whimper. [End]