US - Cuba relations:

Light at the end of the tunnel?

On April 17-19, 2009 President of the United States and Heads of State of 34 of the 35 nations in Latin America and the Caribbean met at the Summit of the Americas convened by the Organization of American States in Trinidad and Tobago.

The only exception was Cuba whose membership of the OAS was suspended since 1962, following the triumph of the Cuban Revolution.

Ironically it was on the same dates April 17-19 in 1961 that a US instigated Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba was launched and suffered a humiliating defeat, the first defeat of America in the Americas.

Though excluded, it was Cuba that dominated the OAS Summit. All Latin American and Caribbean states were unanimous in their desire to lift the suspension of Cuba.

It was only a few days ago that the 27 member states of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) declared in favour of the lifting of the 50-year-old US blockade on Cuba.

SELA was soon joined by the six member Bolivarian Alternative for Latin America (ALBA) on April 17.

Once it was clear that the fulcrum on which US-Latin American relations hinged was Cuba, all eyes were on US President Obama and how he would react. President Obama was voted to power on a mandate of Change.

Change he promised and Change he has to deliver. But will it encompass foreign policy, especially in relation to Latin America? The United States has considered Latin America as its backyard and consistently pursued a policy of dominance in the region.

The infamous Monroe Doctrine called for an end to outside involvement in the affairs of the region.

As regards Cuba, its interests were much more. It not only frustrated the victory of the Second War of Independence initiated by Cuban Apostle Jose Marti by landing its troops in Santiago and preventing a rout of the Spanish army which was about to capitulate before the Mambi fighters, but also imposed a humiliating Platt Amendment to the Constitution of Cuba under which gave the US the right to intervene in Cuba at will.

Attempts were even made to buy the island from the Spaniards even earlier.

It was the loss of their “traditional” right of dominance, the assertion of its sovereignty by Cuba following the victory of the Cuban Revolution of January 1, 1959 that made the United States to go all out to destroy the independence and sovereignty of Cuba and subject it to her will.

It refrained from nothing in its effort to crush the Cuban Revolution. Covert and overt aggression including armed invasion, conspiracies to assassinate leaders of the Cuban Government and state leaders (there were over 600 attempts on the life of Fidel Castro), use of biological warfare, most heinous terrorism and above all, an encompassing economic blockade that virtually amounted to genocide by denied essential foods and medicine to the population were all advocated and implemented to the letter. The economic blockade alone cost Cuba over US $93 billion in damages.

The blockade has no been able to weaken the resolve of the Cubans to defend their sovereignty or their social system.

On the other hand, it has cost the United States too in lost economic and trade opportunities. At present, large sections of the US population, including the Cuban American exiles and their dependents favour the lifting of the blockade.

According to the Foreign Affairs magazine published by the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations, Three panels of experts who forwarded their proposals on the development of US-Latin American relations have recommended the lifting of the blockade.

In Trinidad and Tobago, President Barack Obama said: “I know there is a longer journey that must be travelled in overcoming decades of mistrust, but there are critical steps we can take toward a new day, ..I am prepared to have my administration engage with the Cuban Government on a wide range of issues - from human rights, free speech, and democratic reform to drugs, migration and economic issues.”

The reply from President Raul Castro was also in similar vein. He said: “We are willing to discuss everything, human rights, freedom of press, political prisoners, everything, everything, everything they want to talk about, but as equals, without the smallest shadow cast on our sovereignty, and without the slightest violation of the Cuban people’s right to self-determination.”

On the eve of the Trinidad and Tobago Summit, President Obama eased restrictions on Cuban-Americans’ freedom to visit and send money to relatives in Cuba. This was an election pledge.

This is a little step in the right direction. It is not enough and has come far too late. The decision to engage in talks is more positive, if pursued sincerely.

One thing, however, has to be underlined. The talks should be on the basis of respect for each other’s sovereignty.

There cannot be any conditions or admonitions to “behave”. It is not only whimsical to expect “regime change” but also anti-democratic. Cuban people should be allowed to decide their own fate.

There is no going back to pre-revolutionary US dominance. The blockade has to be lifted. One should keep in mind that 185 of 192 members of the United Nations have asked for its removal. The illegally held Guantanamo Base should be returned to Cuba.

Five Cuban patriots who are unjustly held in US prisons for fighting against terrorism should be released. Posada Cariles, the number one terrorist in Latin America who blew up a Cuban civilian airplane with 70 odd passengers on board (according to his own boast, in addition to evidence gathered) should be tried in the United States or extradited to Nicaragua to stand trial for crimes committed in that country. Then only the “New direction” sought by President Obama could materialize.