Cuba no threat to the U.S.
To the editor:
Cuba has been held hostage under an embargo by the U.S.A. for more than 50 years.The reason given for this is the perception of them being a communist state. Cuba and its people are no danger to the U.S.
The U.S. considers Cuba vital to its defense and therefore considered it’s prerogative to do with it what it wants. Under The Platt amendment (U.S. legislation) allows intervention into Cuba at any time it is felt necessary to protect America, its business and financial interest.
Our government’s opinion of Cuba is disparaging. When there was consideration for annexation the following was a consensus of opinion: They are “savages,” corrupt and incapable of governing.
However since 1940, with our support, Cuba has been subjected to a parade of corrupt dictators. The constitutional government of 1940 was suspended. This parade of dictators Batista, Piro and Batista again ruined the country.
The dictators allowed looting of the country by U.S. companies, organized crime, corruption and drug running. Natural resources were depleted. Major portions of Cuba’s population did not benefit from this at all. In fact, there was widespread poverty and abuse of labor. This was all supported by our government. The general saying was “Batista is a bastard, but he is our bastard.”
After the revolution of 1959 Batista was evicted (January 1959).
In April 1959 Castro came to America to seek out help. He was rejected, demands were made which he could not deliver. He carried with him a manifesto stating his intent to support America against its enemies. When demands were made for elections and a democratically elected government, he replied “Help me end the hunger, unemployment and injustice, then perhaps we can establish a democratic government.”
He left the U.S. dejected with no alternative except seek help either from others.We label him a communist when he sought help from Russia.
We established our embargo and encouraged or persuaded other countries to deny him help. Torricelli legislation bans ships trading with Cuba from visiting U.S. ports for six months after its last visit to Cuba. It demanded that any U.S. president withhold assistance and debt relief from any Cuban aid donor.
President Kennedy’s opinion was our government’s handling its relationship with Cuba was a disgrace. At Castro’s request they had started talks to lift the embargo. The talks were in recess and scheduled to begin again when Kennedy returned from Dallas. The event in Dallas was a great tragedy.The tragic event that happened that November day in Dallas seems to point to institutions in our country (CIA, FBI, national crime syndicate, anti-Castro Cubans, rich oil barons in Texas). We will probably never get the truth.
In 1982 the Reagan Administration instituted the Haig plan. Their excuse, we need to secure Central America from communism. Countries included Guatemala ,El Salvador, and Nicaragua. We strong armed Cuba and executed a show of force (Ocean venture 82). At that time Raul Castro made several overtures to the administration for peace talks. They were never acted upon, and neither were the American people informed. We only showed force with no compassion and no sense.
During those years there had been many armed intrusions into Cuban space. There have been many disasters, airplane bombing, ship bombing, execution of two Cubans in Washington, D.C.There have been many missions of sabotage and hundreds of attempt to assassinate Castro.
In my opinion that Cuba exists today is remarkable. With the rebellion they evicted the gorilla from their tent. And they had existed despite the fact that we tried every way to destroy them or to starve them.
We must end the embargo. We must resend the Platt legislation and the Torricelli legislation. Ending the embargo has been discussed and voted upon at the United Nations at Cuba’s request and each time there was a vote the vote unanimously favoring Cuba.
We need to develop new policies which respects smaller nations and protects and respects their freedom. What happened to Cuba has unfortunately been repeated time and time again – Haiti with Duvalier (Papa Doc), Dominican Republic with Rafael Trujillo are just examples.
Fidel Castro states his position (doblegar). “This country will never be intimidated or humbled . Cuba will never be brought to its knees.”
I hope that the Cuban people are allowed to govern themselves and decide their fate without intervention and that we never allow ourselves to repeat what we did.
I would make two other requests – that a series showing what happened to Cuba is done by Public Broadcasting System and the world could see what happened. Second, I hope that the world can join together to help restore Cuba to its greatness. I would like to see that in my lifetime and in Castro’s lifetime . What a parade that could make.
Lewis Robinson
Fort Myers