Posted on 05/19/2002 4:31:04 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
MADRID - Former President Jimmy Carter's historic speech in Cuba supporting a referendum on the island's political future is likely to generate a wave of diplomatic support from European and Latin American countries for the island's fledgling opposition movement.
Several presidents and foreign ministers participating at a 48-country European-Latin American summit here this weekend were clearly excited about Carter's 20-minute televised address to the Cuban people last week.
The speech allowed millions of Cubans to learn for the first time about an 11,020-signature petition by the island's opposition to hold a referendum on whether Cubans should enjoy freedom of speech and free elections.
Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Piquet -- who is also serving as head of the 15-member European Union council of foreign ministers -- told me in an interview that he will propose -- in coming days -- a formal European Union declaration in support of the proposed referendum, which is known in Cuba as the Varela Project.
''We see the Varela Project as a very interesting political project, which deserves our support and our sympathy,'' Piquet said. ``We will have to discuss this with the other EU member countries, but we believe the Varela Project deserves an extra show of support.''
Mexican President Vicente Fox and Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, two of the most influential leaders in an area where several other presidents are overwhelmed by economic and political troubles, also expressed interest in the internal opposition's peaceful effort to change the totalitarian system from within.
''We will have to see how the situation evolves, and act accordingly,'' Lagos told me in a separate interview. 'It's hard to offer your support when you are not asked to do so, because it could be interpreted as an intrusion. But we can say, `Look, we are at your disposal if we can be of any help.' ''
The Carter speech, which apparently was not expected by the Cuban regime to speak as openly about the Varela Project as it did, marked the first time in four decades that the Cuban people could hear through the state-controlled media about a peaceful roadmap for democracy.
The dissidents presented the signatures to the National Assembly on May 10, two days before Carter's arrival in Havana. Under Cuba's law, citizens can ask for a referendum if more than 10,000 people sign a petition to that effect. But because of fear or lack of information, it was the first such effort.
By publicly supporting the petition drive and drawing world attention to it, Carter may have paved the way for an unprecedented international drive in support of Cuba's opposition.
Why? Because until now, Cuba's president for life Fidel Castro had managed to convince many countries that the Cuban conflict was with the United States, or with Miami Cuban exiles, rather than with his own people. The Varela Project, by contrast, puts the spotlight on Castro's denial of fundamental freedoms to peaceful oppositionists, who are willing to seek political changes through the island's Socialist laws.
''This changes the conflict from a U.S.-versus-Cuba issue, to a democracy-versus-dictatorship issue,'' says Carlos Alberto Montaner, a Madrid-based Cuban exile leader. ``It is bound to lead to joint measures by democratic countries to bring to an end the last communist dictatorship in the West.''
In addition, the Varela Project petition is the first initiative of its kind that has the support of the Cuban internal opposition, a majority of Cuban exiles in Miami, the United States, Europe and most Latin American countries. A poll by Bendixen and Associates released last week showed that, in sharp contrast with their past opposition to a negotiated solution to the Cuban drama, 54 percent of Miami-Dade's Cuban exiles support the Varela Project.
In the past, European and Latin American reservations to the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba -- and their active opposition to the U.S. Helms-Burton law that imposes sanctions on foreign companies that trade with Cuba -- had prevented the creation of an effective international front to push for fundamental freedoms in Cuba.
This may change now, because most democratic countries agree on the Cuban opposition's right under Cuba's law to seek the referendum.
Of course, the Castro regime will seek to discredit the Varela Project, saying that its organizers are puppets of the United States. But it so happens that most Cuban dissident leaders are against the U.S. embargo and many of them are former Communist Party members, which makes Castro's claims difficult to take seriously.
In fact, the Europeans and Latin Americans embraced these dissidents long before the United States.
For the first time, I see a growing international consensus that the solution to Cuba's crisis has to come from within Cuba, has to be peaceful, and may finally have found in the Varela Project a concrete plan within the Cuban Constitution to make it happen.
An Agenda for The Americas: Otto Reich Takes the Reins of U. S. Policy***Now assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, Mr. Reich must hit the ground running. The region is in turmoil, and his plentiful critics are poised to see him fail. But the issues and U.S. interests at stake are far too important to be derailed by partisan games. Freedom, democracy and human rights will triumph only after corruption, tyranny and grinding poverty are tamed.
Mr. Reich has the full confidence of President Bush. Congress must respect the president's choice and work in good faith with the new appointee to strengthen democratic governments and build stability and prosperity across the Americas -- a region that remains a top priority, Sept. 11 notwithstanding. The president made that clear in a speech to the Organization of the American States last week.***
"This hemisphere is on the path of reform, and our nations travel it together. We share a vision -- a partnership of strong and equal and prosperous countries, living and trading in freedom. Together, we will defend that vision against lawlessness and violence. We will assert it against terrorism and protectionism. Especially in times of adversity, we'll maintain our vision, because it unleashes the possibilities of every society and recognizes the dignity of every person. Together -- and I mean together -- we will build and defend this hemisphere of liberty."***-President George W. Bush's remarks
Miamian will help Bush administration oversee Cuba policy-Emilio Gonzalez***Gonzalez's family left Havana in 1961 when he was 4 years old and settled in Tampa, where he graduated from Tampa Catholic High School and later the University of South Florida. He earned a master's degree from Tulane University in 1986, studied at the Navy War College in 1994 and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Miami in 1997, writing his thesis on civilian-military relations in El Salvador during and after its civil war in the 1980s. Gonzalez served as assistant U.S. Army attache at the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador in the early 1980s, when Marxist guerrillas were waging a bloody battle to topple the authoritarian government.***
Don't be misled, President Bush is not soft on Cuba***Bush made emphatically clear that he would have none of this. He told Batlle it is absolutely necessary to continue "what you call the blockade" - actually, the long-standing U.S. trade sanctions against Cuba - so long as "that tyrant" continues his present anti-democratic, anti-human rights rule. That tyrant is Fidel Castro. The American President's outburst sets right some misconceptions in Havana, at the U.S. State Department and on Capitol Hill. The word has been spread that under Secretary of State Colin Powell's tutelage, Bush was going to seek normalization with Castro's dictatorial regime. While the trade embargo may be modified, it will continue and will no longer be the only instrument deployed by Washington to democratize Cuba. What's more, Powell is fully on board with an expanded anti-Castro strategy.
The Castro regime is so out of touch with this reality that Ambassador Vicki Huddleston, head of the U.S. Interests Section (in lieu of an embassy) in Havana, was called into the Cuban Foreign Ministry the first week of February and given a dressing down. She was informed that she misrepresented the U.S. government a few days earlier when she said U.S.-Cuban relations will never improve unless and until Castro's harsh dictatorship softens.***
****[After being told the Bush administration, not the Clinton administration was setting policy Huddleston enthusiastically fell into line:]****
Democracy, rights must be embraced, U.S. envoy tells Cubans (speaks of dissidents)***HAVANA -- Characterizing Cuba's current friendliness toward Americans as a "charm offensive" aimed at changing U.S. policy, the top U.S. diplomat in Havana said Thursday that the communist island must also embrace democracy and human rights if it expects restrictions on trade and travel to end. "What happens if you give a lot of money to the Cuban government and it doesn't change?" asked Vicki Huddleston, chief of the U.S. Interests Section, the American mission here. "Then you find out you are just supporting Fidelismo," said Huddleston, using a term that signifies support for President Fidel Castro. "Is there a better relationship? No," Huddleston told reporters. "The relationship is not improving because we are still concerned about human rights, democracy, the free flow of information."
……..On another issue, Huddleston said members of Cuba's political opposition should not be underestimated. "The human rights activists represent those people who would like to be part of the world," Huddleston said. "The independent journalists represent all the people who want to speak out." Seven dissidents met briefly with Mexican President Vicente Fox during his visit to Cuba Monday. The meeting, Huddleston said, was "very, very important" because it provided the dissidents with recognition. "Those dissidents represent the Cuban people and their hopes," she said.***
Vicki Huddleston Q&A: Veteran leader speaks about dissidents, Castro and the U.S. role
U.S. Pressure on Cuba May Increase: Otto Reich views Castro as menace ***U.S. Pressure on Cuba May Increase: Otto Reich views Castro as menace--[Excerpt] One even said President Bush's first year in office was little more than an extension of Clinton era policies toward the island. It turns out, however, that the Bush team is just getting warmed up. One reason a more assertive policy may be in the offing was the installation in January of Cuban-born Otto J. Reich as the State Department's top official for Latin America. He joins other Cuban-Americans in key positions who, like Reich, have viewed Castro as a menace for years. Shortly after Reich took office, the administration began a policy review of Cuba with a view toward determining Cuba's potential for damaging U.S. interests.
One issue under study, according to a senior official, is the role Washington says Cuba plays in international terrorism. Cuba is on the State Department terrorist country list, a designation based on ties Cuba maintains with other countries on the list, including Iraq, and the haven Cuba provides for foreigners linked to alleged terrorist organizations. At a time when the administration is poised to tighten up on Cuba, many in Congress want to back off. Farm state lawmakers want to be able to sell their products to Cuba on credit. They believe this would lead to a significant expansion of the of the cash-only trade that has been legal since 2000 and has netted only about $40 million in sales thus far. More worrisome to the administration is a proposal before Congress to lift restrictions on travel to Cuba. This would give Castro an economic shot in the arm at a time when his country has been reeling from the effects of Hurricane Michelle, which struck last November.
In an apparent attempt to swell the ranks of congressional dissenters, top Cuban officials have spoken optimistically of a "mutually beneficial rapprochement" between the two countries. But the senior official warns of a possible presidential veto if travel restrictions are eased. Bush himself has said he will oppose "any effort to weaken sanctions against the Cuban government until it respects Cubans' basic human rights and civil rights, frees political prisoners and holds free and democratic elections."***
Reich vows to defend Cuba embargo: 'Murderous regime' criticized in wide-ranging policy statement- Miami Herald *** WASHINGTON - The State Department's new point man for Latin America pledged Tuesday to stave off any attempt to relax a U.S. trade embargo that would throw ''a lifeline to a failed, corrupt, dictatorial, murderous regime'' in Cuba. Striking a new chord in U.S. policy toward the Americas, Reich said Washington views corruption as a major obstacle to progress, and has mounted an aggressive campaign to yank U.S. visas of corrupt officials.
While touching on a variety of regional issues, Reich, who was born in Cuba and fled the island for the United States shortly after the 1959 revolution, was most emphatic about retaining the U.S. embargo of Cuba. ''We're not going to help Fidel Castro stay in power by opening up our markets to Cuba,'' he said. ``We're not going to do it.'' Reich said the Bush administration goal is ''a free and democratic Cuba as rapidly and peacefully as possible.'' Relaxing trade restrictions and ''providing economic succor'' to the Castro government would only delay achieving the goal, he said.
''Cuban people are no different than other people in Latin America. They just want to be free,'' Reich said. Reich said the Castro regime ''makes a mockery of freedom and imposes tyranny on its people.'' He noted that a broad review of U.S. policy toward Cuba is under way, and said the Bush administration wants to bolster ``the growing pro-freedom movement inside Cuba.''***
Bush Calls Cuba A Repressive Regime*** President Bush said the Cuban people have suffered because of Castro's dictatorship. "They put people in prison if they don't agree with you. There's no rule of law there. It's the rule of one person. He's been there for a long period of time and, unfortunately, the people of that country are suffering as a result of him," he said. ***
Cuba (Castro) Protests 'Subversive' U.S. Radio Handouts*** *Alonso and other state commentators on the "Round Table" program said American diplomats had for several months been carrying out a more aggressive policy toward Cuba at the behest of President Bush's government. The diplomats, Alonso said, had been "going around various provinces to organize, finance and instruct little counter-revolutionary groups, and hand out clandestine publications and contraband items.****
Anti-Castro forces mount petition drive ***Anti-Castro Forces Mount Petition Drive [Excerpts] "The Varela Project is the blooming of the Cuban human rights movement," Huddleston said. "Project Varela is the voice of over 10,000 Cubans using nonviolent and legal means to make their lives better through gaining a voice in how they are governed." For Idelfonso Brooks, 59, a retired Cuban naval officer, working against the government he once supported has resulted in harassment from the state security police. Brooks, a member of Paya's Christian Liberation Movement who collected signatures for the project, said his problems started in February 2001, when police left a citation on his front door, summoning him for questioning. He said when he arrived, police chastised him for being involved with Paya and the Varela Project. He said they asked how a man who had spent almost 30 years in the navy, then more than a decade working in another government department, could "turn [his] back on the revolution." ***
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The Varela Project has been collecting signatures for about a decade. I don't believe it would have been submitted to Castro if Gore had won the election. The Cuban dissidents needed a U.S. president willing to stand against Castro's repressive regime in the White House. They needed George W. Bush.
This Monday President Bush will be making a statement in Florida about the administration's Cuban Policy.
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