Andres Oppenheimer---Listen carefully to Latin America's response to Cuba's repression: silence

''Where is Latin America?'' screamed a Herald editorial earlier this week. Where are the voices of democracy in the region now that Cuba is secretly sentencing 78 peaceful pro-democracy activists -- including 28 journalists -- to long prison terms for crimes such as having a tape recorder or -- God forbid -- a fax machine?

Since my job in this newspaper is trying to provide answers to difficult questions like these, I called the foreign ministers of key Latin American countries and asked them whether they will speak out on this issue.

Independent journalist Raul Rivero, for instance, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for violating a new law that prohibits Cubans from writing for foreign media, or possessing ''enemy propaganda'' articles, such as clippings from U.S. newspapers or copies of the U.N. Human Rights declaration.

''A search of the home of the defendant resulted in the seizure, among other things, of a Sony brand radio, a tape recorder, a digital battery charger, a type-writer, a Sony-brand personal laptop computer with all of its accessories -- and 18 envelopes containing journalistic articles,'' his indictment says.

Germany, Spain, Canada, human rights groups such as Amnesty International, and even France's Communist Party have issued statements ''strongly condemning'' Cuba's wave of repression, I told the foreign ministers and their top aides. Are you ''condemning'' these sentences as well, or are you reacting with blander statements ''lamenting'' these events, or -- even worse -- expressing ''concern'' about them?, I asked.

Before giving you my own opinion about their answers, let's hear what they had to say.

Reached in Madrid, Mexico's Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez told me through his spokesman that Mexico ''laments'' the prison sentences, and that it will take them into account in the April 16 vote on Cuba's human rights conditions at the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, whose country had not said anything about the Cuban crackdown on peaceful dissidents, responded, ``We are always worried about the human rights situation in any country, but the most strident actions are not always the most effective ones.''

Foreign Minister Allan Wagner of Peru, whose country is cosponsoring a mild resolution at the U.N. Human Rights Commission asking that Cuba allow a human rights monitor to visit the island, told me that his country ''expresses its concern'' over the fate of the jailed dissidents, intellectuals and independent journalists in Cuba.

Argentine Foreign Minister Carlos Ruckauf told me that ''the Cuban dictatorship has committed another crime against freedom of expression.'' But his boss, President Eduardo Duhalde, was at the same time evading any strong criticism of Cuba.

Insiders say Duhalde is under pressure from his hand-picked presidential candidate, Néstor Kirchner, to vote in support of Cuba at the United Nations, as part of his efforts to capitalize on Argentina's escalating anti-American sentiment in the wake of the war in Iraq.

What irony! The democratic leaders of Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Chile were themselves peaceful opponents until recently, forced to knock on the doors of foreign governments, international human rights organizations -- and journalists -- to demand solidarity against their countries' authoritarian governments.

Compared to Cuba's Rivero, they had it easy. Most of them were never imprisoned for having a typewriter, foreign newspapers, or for contacting foreign diplomats to explain their struggle for democracy. How can they remain silent in the face of such an outrage?

There are three things Latin American presidents should do. First, they should follow Germany, Spain and Canada's examples, and freeze cooperation plans with Cuba. Second, they should issue a strong condemnation of Cuba at the U.N. in Geneva. And they should block Cuba's reelection to a new term on the Human Rights Commission. The vote comes up in late April.

''It's unconceivable that Cuba could be reelected once again, as if it had a right to be in that commission, when it systematically ignores the resolutions of the very commission it belongs to,'' says Jose Miguel Vivanco, Latin American director for Human Rights Watch. ``Latin American governments have a historic opportunity to stop this.''

''Lamenting,'' ''expressing concern'' or remaining silent -- like Brazil -- about the massive sentencing of peaceful activists is a pathetic response to Cuba's wave of repression. It will be hard to see Latin America's presidents as true democrats if they are quick to condemn rightist dictatorships but don't say a word about leftist dictatorships.

It is VERY conceivable, look at their membership. The U.S. was OFF the commission in 2002. With Libya voted in by a block of African nations (where they go for loans) as chair of this commission, how does the U.N. have any purpose? It's a distraction and deterrent to progress and peace.

Aligned with Castro and Gaddafi - Mugabe Vows to Defend Zimbabwe from Western 'Bullies'***"Our sovereignty is constantly under attack from the bullying states ... which seek to use their political and economic prowess to achieve global hegemony," Mugabe said. At 78, Mugabe is a left-winger who counts Cuba's Fidel Castro and Libya's Muammar Gaddafi among his foreign allies.

Monday, the European Union extended a blacklist of Zimbabwean officials subjected to a visa ban and asset freeze. The move is aimed at piling more pressure on the country whose human rights record it says has deteriorated since Mugabe's re-election in March. The EU imposed so-called "smart sanctions" against Mugabe's government in February ahead of the poll he won amid widespread allegations of election malpractice.*** Libya wins Central African resource deal*** The Central African Republic (CAR) has signed a 99-year treaty giving Libya the right to exploit its oil, uranium and other mineral resources. CAR mines minister Andre Nalke Dorogo told Reuters that the deal was signed in June and covered all mineral resources. "It's a normal accord between one sovereign country and another. The agreement concerns all resources, notably diamonds, gold, copper, iron and - if possible - oil," Mr Dorogo said. "It covers the entire country," he added.***

Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba resuming in August - Libya studying Cuba's oil refinery*** Rodriguez added that Cuba and Venezuela had studied the possibility of modernizing Cuba's Cienfuegos refinery but decided the project isn't feasible. He said OPEC member Libya is conducting a similar study and that Venezuela is sharing information on Cienfuegos with Libya.***

Group Faults Libya's Nomination to Head U.N. Commission on Human RightsUNITED NATIONS, Aug 8 (IPS) - A leading human rights organization has appealed to African nations to reverse their decision to nominate Libya as the next chairman of the Geneva-based U.N. Commission on Human Rights. "Countries with dreadful rights records should never be in charge of chairing the Commission on Human Rights," Rory Mungoven, global advocacy director for New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), said Thursday. "Libya's long record of human rights abuses clearly does not merit such a reward," he added.

But a spokesman for the Libyan Mission to the United Nations refuted the charges made by HRW. "They are entitled to their opinion," he told IPS. "Ours is an open society. We have nothing to hide and we are not in violation of human rights," he added. Moreover, he said, Libya's nomination had been endorsed at the highest levels of government - at a summit meeting of more than 50 African leaders in Durban, South Africa last month. "Human Rights Watch has no right to interfere in a decision taken by sovereign nation states," he added.

Under a time-honored system of geographical rotation, Africa has the right to nominate its candidate to chair the commission when it begins its next session in Geneva in March next year. Since this informal arrangement is respected by all member states, Libya is expected to be elected by acclamation and without a vote.

The original decision to nominate Libya was taken by the U.N.'s African regional group, comprising all 54 African members. It was reaffirmed by heads of state attending the recently concluded inaugural summit of the new African Union (AU), the successor to the now-defunct Organisation of African Unity (OAU). Joanna Weschler of HRW told IPS that the African group could change its mind on the nomination. "It is 100 percent in the hands of the African group, and if they so wish, they can reverse the decision." ***

Castro has no enemies in this hemisphere outside the United States.

Bush ought to rescind Executive Order 12333 of 1981, an update of Ford's 1976 order that was issued by President Reagan. It states: "No person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States government shall engage in, or conspire to engage in, assassination."

Castro should have been killed forty years and 100,000 murders ago.

The obscenity of Carter's visit and Rather's embrace are now joined by the CNN treatment.

CNN: The Castro News Network

Megaphone for a Dictator

The imprisonment of the 78 is an outrage, a subject requiring live firing exercises, not lamentations.

The UN is pathetic, the rulers of Mexico, Peru and Brazil are pathetic.

Chavez is a bloody usurper yet no where in this hemisphere--outside of the United States--is objection raised to his demagoguery.

I am amazed that Germany, Spain and Canada are freezing cooperation plans with Cuba.

I had certainly thought Germany and Canada so far over the edge on anti-Americanism they'd chew off their hands rather than raise them in agreement with us.

I am not in a diplomatic mood this instant, and believe a JDAM in Papa's beard is the appropriate measure.

But if there's something to be done to raise the issue, let us do it.

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