Wrong Message at the Wrong Time

Today, December 10th, 2008 on the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Castro regime reaffirms its commitment to continue its, almost half-century, violation of every single chapter of the Declaration. Nothing has changed since the first days of the Castro revolution. It is wrong to expect that any change in United States policy toward the Castro government will make it change its ways as long as Raul and Fidel Castro continue to hold absolute power over the Cuban people. It is a sad reality that can only be changed by the Cuban people themselves.
It is unfortunate that, on this day, the Cuba Study Group, an organization with whom CANF has agreed on a number of issues in the past, has decided to join efforts with those who blame the United States first by calling for the unilateral lifting of all travel restrictions of all American citizens and residents to Cuba.
It is the wrong message, at the wrong time. What the United States and the coming Obama Administration need are recommendations as to how it can help the Cuban people find hope on their own island instead of risking their lives to find it across the Florida Straits and how to empower the Cuban people by becoming independent of the Castro regime, rather than solidifying the regime’s hold by sending it tourists to spend money in government hotels and resorts.
Unilateral concessions will be seen by the Castro regime and its allies clearly for what they are, unconditional surrender of a weak Administration. The CANF has repeatedly said that it is time for the United States to challenge the Cuban government to, in the words of former Spanish President José María Aznar, “mover ficha” – to show their desire to improve bilateral relations with United States by behaving in a way that is not inimical to the concerns and interests of the United States. But the United States would commit a great disservice to its own interests and those of the Cuban people by conceding its only “ficha” on the first move.
We call on the Cuba Study Group, the Brookings Institution and all those sincerely interested in improving the realities of life in Cuba as well as advancing the interests of the United States to realize that despite the undeniable mistakes made by successive US Administrations, the real victims here are the Cuban people and the real culprit is the Castro regime.
# #