– Bernd Debusmann is a Reuters columnist. The opinions expressed are his own –
The U.S. case for isolating Cuba and keeping it out of international meetings such as this week’s Summit of the Americas sounds simple: the country doesn’t have democratically elected leaders, it holds political prisoners, it violates human rights and its citizens can’t travel freely. All perfectly true.
But if the logic used for isolating Cuba were applied consistently, neither China nor Saudi Arabia, for example, should have taken part in the London G20 summit. The U.S. State Department estimates China has “tens of thousands” of political prisoners and describes it as “an authoritarian state in which the Chinese Communist Party … is the paramount source of power.”
That has made little difference to the close relationship of mutual dependence between the U.S. and China, the largest creditor of the United States. During U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s February visit to China, pragmatism triumphed over human rights concerns as she urged the Chinese to keep buying U.S. treasury bonds.
In comparison to China’s “tens of thousands,” the State Department’s latest human rights report quotes a Cuban human rights group as saying the government there held at least 205 political prisoners at the end of 2008, down from 240 at the end of 2007.
The Saudi monarchy, according to the State Department report, denies its citizens the right to change the government peacefully, holds political prisoners, curbs free speech, restricts religious freedom, tolerates violence against women, and sanctions corporal punishment. The list goes on and includes lack of due process in the judicial system.
If the logic applied to Cuba were consistent, U.S. citizens should be banned from traveling to North Korea, an “absolute dictatorship” where the State Department noted extrajudicial killings, disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and political prisoners. Instead, the only country to which the U.S. government restricts travel by its citizens is Cuba.
In advance of making his first appearance at a Hemispheric summit this week, U.S. President Barack Obama eased restrictions his predecessor, George W. Bush, had imposed to make it more difficult for Cuban-Americans with relatives on the island to travel and send money there. Obama also allowed U.S. telecommunications companies to bid for Cuban licenses.
These are small steps that fall far short of lifting the 47-year-old U.S. trade embargo on Cuba, a Cold War measure that demonstrably failed in its aim to bring down the communist government of Fidel Castro, who defied 10 successive U.S. presidents, both Democrats and Republicans, before he formally handed power to his brother Raul last February due to a long illness.
HAVANA-WASHINGTON THAW?
Raul Castro, who is 77 and was Cuba’s defense minister for almost five decades, has since made several key changes in the leadership. They included firing foreign minister Felipe Perez Roque, one of a group of young officials whose dedication to Fidel Castro was so fierce they earned the nickname “tropical Taliban.” He was replaced by Bruno Rodriguez, a less doctrinaire foreign service veteran.
Some Cuba watchers saw this change as a move to facilitate efforts to thaw relations between Havana and Washington. How far and how fast Obama will go is certain to be a topic at the summit in Trinidad and Tobago where Cuba is the only country in all the Americas not invited.
Advocates of lifting the embargo, a policy change that would finally bring the United States in line with the rest of the world, see light at the end of the long tunnel. “This is the beginning of the end of the worst, least successful foreign policy experiment in the history of the United States,” in the words of David Rothkopf, head of a consultancy who blogs at Foreign Policy magazine.
Wishful thinking? Lifting the embargo would require repealing legislation — including the controversial 1996 Helms-Burton law - that penalizes companies doing business with Cuba. In one of its more bizarre interpretations, U.S. pressure resulted in Mexico City’s Sheraton hotel expelling a 16-strong Cuban delegation attending an energy conference there a few years ago.
The beginning-of-the-end school of thought points to legislation now pending - The Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act - which would allow all Americans, not only Cuban-Americans with family on the island, to visit. If that act were passed, a study for the International Monetary Fund estimates that up to 3.5 million Americans could visit annually.
Cuba is not on the official agenda of the Trinidad summit (the fifth in a series that began in Miami in 1994) but Venezuela’s left-wing, anti-American president, Hugo Chavez, is certain to bring it up, along with a demand that the 34-member Organization of American States readmit Cuba. Its membership was suspended in 1962.
The guideline that only democratically-elected leaders can take part in summit meetings dates from the 1994 gathering - and even then, the logic was flawed. The Miami meeting’s participants included then Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, a leader of dubious democratic credentials whose acts in office included dissolving Congress and closing the country’s courts.
He then won elections boycotted by the opposition. This month, a Peruvian court sentenced Fujimori to 25 years in jail for human rights abuses and involvement in two military massacres during a campaign against left-wing guerrillas.
Obama campaigned for president on a platform of “change we can believe in.” His moves on Cuba will provide a good indicator of how much of a change agent he really is.
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It appears that Obama may be about tearing down walls; sort of “Reaganish”. If national security is maintained, this certainly will be compassionate and humane. If walls also come down for illegal immigrants and amnesty allowed, millions who have jobs already could soon become taxpayers. You already know the strong reasons for a path to citizenship. However, most importantly, the fear, inhumane treatment and hiding would end and millions of tax dollars would be generated. This is something all Americans should be demanding from this Presidency.
it is interesting to see views of some readers and there comments. you can almost feel the hatered that some have for the cubans. this is similar to the same type of hatred comments seen in articles about the arab/muslim countries, chinese countries, other latin american countries and anyone else who chooses not to become a “yes man” for the U.S. my fellow americans and the american media like to talk about how people in these countries hate america and how they support bringing down america. yet, looking at the actions of our country over the last several decades: dropping the atomic bombs, supporting ruthless dictators and terroris nations like sadaam,pinochet,marco,saudia arabia, pakistan, israel, etc. it makes me one wonder what the real problem has been all the time.
Come to Caracas, Venezuela and see how the close union with Cuba and their politics can turn to shambles a democratic country and make a communist dictatorship, out of a poor population, turning to worst from best, in economy, freedom, human rights, etc….Best thing USA could do was to isolate them and they should keep it up, opening is a simbol of weakness for cuban Commmunist Party leaders, and God help USA if their oppening starts the silent invasion we have here.
I wonder how much Hugo Chavez has to do with this? Or Canada? Well, not Canada.
“We should have lifted the embargo years ago, and smothered Cuba with trade goods, foreign aid and affection. Castro would have withered away long ago.”
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“(moan) I like vacationing in Cuba. Cheap, good food, pretty ladies, no crime, drugs or Americans. Obama, please keep the embargo!”
I agree with the second comment.
if i leave this country for a vacation, it’s not to go to mcdonalds, starbucks or shop at a “mall”, all VERY american concepts. some friends of mine were just there and said it was amazing. just the way it was.
(moan) I like vacationing in Cuba. Cheap, good food, pretty ladies, no crime, drugs or Americans. Obama, please keep the embargo!
The author distorts the reason for the embargo: the Castro Cuba confiscated American property without compensation to the owners.
The Saudis have oil. The Chinese have a crapload of Treasury bills. A few miles of beaches? The vacationers can go elsewhere in the Caribbean. Cigars? Smoking kills; besides smokers can buy PR/Dominican/whatever cigars instead. In other words, Cuba has nothing that can make it an entity to reckon with.
Batista was Son Of a Bitch, but he was our SOB, as some other Banana republic heads of state were or still are. Castro dared to overthrow our SOB; worse yet - he decided to be Khrushchev’s SOB, didn’t he deserve to be punished for it, with all other Cubans? Now that USSR is gone, the young (if this term is applicable to a septuagenarian) Castro looks like SOB of his own (how dares he? Cuba doesn’t have the heft for him to assume that!). But seems like Washington still keeps the grudge. Isn’t it time to face the reality? JFK the darling of the liberals screwed it up very badly, and now is the time to admit it.
As for letting the Cuban-Americans to visit, this is plain wrong because it is discriminatory. Open it for everyone - or no one. I for one would be glad to spend my next vacation there, but I have no Cuban roots so I can’t. Mr. Obama, please get at least this one thing right and open travel for everyone. It will only prop up our travel industry when it suffers because of the recession. It will not cost the tax payers a dime, will not threaten homeland security. Oh, it will dash the hopes of some Cuban exiles in Miami to get back their farms, hotels, and other properties expropriated by Castro, but America should not be held hostage of their ambitions, all while letting them to travel freely.
If Cuba had either a huge economy or lots of oil, it would be in the G3 - - let alone G20. Money talks in the G20 world……..
China and Saudi Arabia are not located 50 miles off the coast of Florida. You are so logical. Look at a map.
to Gwendolyn: Believe me, few Cubans want to come to America to live. And they do not want your particular system of government & openly say so. However, they do want more economic freedom & the ability to travel to visit other countries - the U.S. included. But they passionately love their own country and want to continue to live there. The ideas that most Americans have about Cuba have been corrupted by 50 years of propaganda coming out of the “old guard” Cubans who fled Cuba after the U.S.-sponsored exploitation of Cuban resources & people. As has been pointed out in other comments, they don’t want to destroy your freedom. They just don’t want to be punished by your government any longer. You are the ones that also lose by not having access to this beautiful country & it’s amazing people.
The name of the game is called business, big, big business. China is a huge market for U.S amd also its biggest creditor. Cuba is a tiny island that no lomger poses any threat to the U.S. The trade embargo will eventually be lifted but it will only benefit Florida or better still Miami.
Some of your comments are inappropiate and extremely ignorant. Many of the people that do care about Cuba do it because they were either born there and/or they have family residing there. By the way Mr. George Abruzzese,Cuba is a poor island, yet it still has much to offer. We aren’t only known for sugar and tabacco. Educate yourself before criticizing.
Countries like North Korea are a lot worth than Cuba, yet U.S. citizens are NOT banned from traveling over there. China is run by Communist Party, but the US is still making business with them.
It seems to me. If Americans are discouraged to go to Cuba, Why wouldn’t the same emphasis be put on Saudi Aradia and Northern Korea? It should be the same. Countries that are dictaorships don’t hold the same values that free countries do. (like the United States) The American people deserve to be protected from countries and people who wish to destory their freedom. It is not OK that those dictatorships are welcomed in America. If their people want to come to America they can wait in line and do it HONESTLY.
Consistency has never been a hallmark of U.S. foreign policy, but for the past 35 years pathologically anti-Castro Cuban-American irredentists have succeeded in distorting what policy we have. They have also significantly distorted U.S. regional and national politics to our detriment.
We should have lifted the embargo years ago, and smothered Cuba with trade goods, foreign aid and affection. Castro would have withered away long ago.
Everything is a matter of perspective. The U.S. theoretically does not have political prisoners. Instead, the U.S. labels some prisoners as terrorists and tortures them in facilities without legal representation. The U.S. has outspent any other nation on the planet to spy on its own citizens. However, it is true that we can freely enter the U.S. - with proper identification - and leave - unless you happen to be on a black list of names.
At least we don’t have a history of supporting dictators like Marcos, Saddam or the Shah of Iran. The corporate structure and capitalism have done us well. That is why we are in such strong economic shape. How dare a Cuban leader want to bring universal health care to his people. What a ridiculous concept.
Let’s see,. Fidel over threw corrupted government that was TOTALLY supported by USA fruit-gambling (Mafia?) interests as the expense of the Cuban people. Castro at first asked USA for assistance, but USA special interests ($’s) told their Congress to not go along, wanted to go back to previous ways. We then tried to sponsor “return of patriots” invasion which was disaster, since then we, pretty much ONLY USA, has catered to the special interests of a very few in Miami to keep some sort of harassment going.
Article night better reflect truths had “logic” replaced with “decades of hypocrisy” to actually present real issues, but then almost any story or history of USA last 30 years or so would require same “edit”, so to speak.
Yep ole Cuba is just one of nearly daily truths on the “logic” of how our more then corrupted government has responded to special interests and money, Cuba, bail outs, WMD’s, ABU, taxes,health care, educations, fair trade etc. You name it, USA has what is best called “hypocriticalized” it, so to speak. How kind to refer to “logic”, kind of like calling all of those in Congress “the Honorable etc, etc etc”.
Summation might be that the “The man condemned (it would seem) to strolling about with the fabled lantern to find a honest man”, if stranded in DC or any USA political or related gathering place “logically” might ask? “how come in a free nation, i find there seems no honest representatives of the people?” He would fully understand the “Logic” of the USA, be it for Cuba or whatever.. and he might note,.. seems to be oil drilling off Cuba by China.. hmmmm he would say.. “oil”… again?
Only the the thickest offspring of the village idiot and the guy singing on the off-ramp wouldn’t say that the embargo has failed. We screwed up on the Bay of Pigs, and can’t bring ourselves to admit it. This is the equivalent of a 3 year old’s tantrum lasting for half a century. Come on America, let’s grow up now.
Ending the embargo is inevitable. It’s possible that it could happen during an Obama administration. It would probably require some horse trading with the political prisoners. Maybe something like, asylum in the US for some, convert some to house arrest in Cuba, and shortened sentences for the remainder. Probably doable. But then again, I’m speaking from outside the beltway…
Why do people care so much about Cuba? It is filthy little country with very little to offer except sugar and cigar tobacco. The only reason to make such a fuss over Cuba is because it provides an opportunity to criticize the US. Countries do not use or need logic to determine their relationships with other countries. Since 1962 it has been very simple. Castro chose to ally Cuba with enemies of the U.S. His choice has made Cuba an economic basketcase. It is not the fault of the U.S.