U.S. Senator from Florida Marco Rubio: His
comments aboutCuba not
being permitted to attend the
Americas Summit havesome support, in
of all places, the Nicaragua
press.
Why do Latin America Leaders Want to Follow Fidel Castro? (La Prensa, Nicaragua)
“Senator Marco Rubio called on Latin American govermments to commit themselves to democracy and not support tyrannies or dictatorships. ... None of them will listen to his plea, first because not
all of them are democratic. Election by popular vote does not turn autocratic
rulers into democrats; even less so if the election was a fraud, as in the case
of President Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua.”
According to U.S. Republican Senator Marco Rubio, the failure
of the Sixth Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia last weekend was due
to a mistaken intent to “contaminate a summit of democrats with a dictatorship.”
In Cartagena, Rubio gave this explanation to the Voice of America, citing
the pressure exerted by almost all Latin American and Caribbean governments for
totalitarian Cuba to be invited to the Summit of the Americas, even if the meeting
is reserved for democratic governments elected by the people.
The U.S. senator of Cuban descent said that his country has
“the greatest respect” for the governments advocating Cuba’s inclusion at Americas
Summits, but he reiterated that the U.S. would not abandon its, “commitment to
democracy in this region and the world,” and instead called upon all Latin
American and Caribbean governments to, “commit themselves to democracy and not
to support tyrannies or dictatorships.”
Posted by Worldmeets.US
Of course, none of the governments will listen to Rubio’s
plea, first because not all of them are democratic. Election by popular vote
does not turn autocratic rulers into democrats; even less so if the election was
a fraud as in the case of Daniel
Ortega in Nicaragua. Furthermore, to be democratic, a ruler must not only
be elected by the people in a free and fair election, but must govern according
to the rules established in the Inter-American
Democratic Charter of the Organization of American States.
Regrettably, more and more Latin American presidents don’t
care about complying with the Charter, although it was adopted in 2001 with commitments
from all governments. In this regard, the comments of Colombian President Juan
Manuel Santos to journalist Andrés Oppenheimer take on added significance:
“Washington and the countries of Latin America should discuss and perhaps
reevaluate their definitions on subjects like freedom of press, free elections
and democracy.” This was mentioned in the global journalist’s column last
Saturday in the pages of La Prensa.
Is this just a cynical interim position, or deep down, do
these governments view “democracy” covetously, wishing to have the absolute
power that the dictators in Cuba hold in their hands? Or perhaps, giving them
the benefit of doubt, is this a strategy to move Cuba’s communist dictatorship,
little-by-little, toward freedom and democracy?
But communism is incompatible with democracy and is
therefore beyond reform. This is something enlightened right-of-center
“democrats” who govern several Latin American countries, and who shamelessly
propose “reevaluating” and relativizing the
institutions, norms and values of democracy and freedom, should know.
