Cuban dictator Raul Castro and Venezuela President Hugo
Chavez: How will they field the unexpected pitches thrown
at them by President Obama?
Estadao, Brazil
Raul Castro's
'Singular' Reaction to President Obama
"Cuban
leaders are certainly not prepared to discuss with the United States things
which, in the final analysis, are the essence of their dictatorial regime. But
the mere pronouncement of the rights and freedoms that have been suppressed in the country and
of the repression of opponents of Castroism, in addition to breaking a taboo,
is a political response to Obama, an oblique way of engaging the White
House."
EDITORIAL
Translated By Brandi
Miller
April 18, 2009
Brazil
- Estadao - Original Article (Portuguese)
If the president of
the United States weren't Barack Obama, the Fifth Summit of the Americas would have
been little more than a meeting about undoubtedly grave matters, squandered by
the propensity of a majority of participants to use the usual waffling language.
Or it would also have served as an opportunity, as occurred four years ago in
Mar del Plata, for Hugo Chávez to state his usual anti-American sentiments. In
any case, what is of interest above all - troubled relations between the United
States and Latin America - would continue in the same fashion of disinterest on
the one side, and resentment on the other. But there was the White House leader
announcing that "times have changed" - and for the first time in
decades, that worn-out expression descended on Latin American ears as a new watchword
in the search for an effective continental partnership.
The problem is the mismatch of expectations that surround an issue that,
as they say in the United States, ended up hijacking the event in the Port of
Spain: the end of the 1962 economic embargo against Cuba. The urgency with
which Latin America wants to see this counter-productive vestige of the Cold War
removed is shared by its partner to the north. On this side [south of the U.S.
border], the blockade and exclusion of Cuba from the inter-American system is
seen, appropriately, as an anachronism. And a distraction that obstructs a
multilateral agenda weighed down with issues of evident seriousness: trade,
investment, energy, immigration, cooperation in combating narco-trafficking - and
all in the middle of the greatest economic crisis in eighty years. In
Washington, however, even sectors that advocate a turning of the page on relations
with Havana admit that the almost half century dispute will likely only be
overcome little by little, "on the margins."
Posted by
WORLDMEETS.US
The first step was taken
by President Obama, with the elimination of restrictions on travel and the
remittance of funds from Cuban-Americans to the island. But he seems to have
chosen to fulfill this campaign promise on the eve of the Summit of the
Americas less to indicate to the hemisphere that a new policy for Cuba has
crystallized - which would be completely premature - but to keep the issue of
the embargo from becoming the central focus of attention for the 34 heads of
government gathered in Trinidad and Tobago. Incidentally, according to official
Brazilian sources, Obama mentioned this concern in a telephone call with
President Lula the day before yesterday, who took the initiative to call the
U.S. president in order to "refine positions" and suggest new
gestures for reaching out to Havana. But making the first move in the
diplomatic chess game was Obama, who asked for a gesture of reciprocity from
the Castro government - for example, by allowing Cubans to travel abroad, as he
said in an interview with CNN
En Español.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
Cuban dictator Raul Castro has responded by saying Cuba is
willing to discuss anything and everything with the U.S. - as
long as talks come 'without precondition' in a spirit of equality.
CLICK
PHOTO OR CLICK
HERE TO WATCH FROM BBC 
The reaction from
President Raúl Castro was singular. Just a few hours later, from where he was
in Cumaná, Venezuela, he sent word "publicly and privately" that
"we are open to discussing everything - human rights, freedom of the press
and political prisoners." These words should not be taken literally: Cuban
leaders are certainly not prepared to discuss with the United States things
which, in the final analysis, are the essence of their dictatorial regime. But
the mere pronouncement of the rights and freedoms that have been suppressed in the country and
of the repression of opponents of Castroism, in addition to breaking a taboo,
is a political response to Obama, an oblique way of engaging the White House in
a continuing dialogue. Naturally, it's hard to imagine the American president
rushing into a "thaw" of bilateral relations without any change in
Cuba - and Raúl must to be aware of that.
SEE ALSO ON THIS:
Gazeta, Russia:
Castro and Chavez Split Over Obama
El Mundo, Colombia:
Obama: A Man Who Takes His Promises Seriously
La Razon, Bolivia:
President Morales Suspects U.S. Behind Attempt on His Life
Granma, Cuba:
Castro: Easing of Cuba Restrictions 'Positive', But Not Nearly Enough
Granma, Cuba:
Bay of Pigs Led 'Inexperienced Kennedy' to Make 'Misguided Decisions' …
El Espectador, Colombia:
Cuba in Obama's Sights
Merco Press, Uruguay:
Lula Vows Not to Embarrass Obama Over Cuba Embargo
This doesn't prevent
him from appointing a special representative - a "facilitator" in
diplomatic language - to give continuity to the dialogue with Havana, as Obama
proposed in a letter to Republican Senator Richard Lugar (and now, in the
telephone with President Lula). In any case, it is undeniable that a wheel was
put in motion in what will necessarily be a lengthy journey - prone to mishaps
- toward that which participants at the Latin American summit in the Port of
Spain would like to see.
CLICK
HERE FOR PORTUGUESE VERSION
[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US April 22, 2:19am]
