Fidel's fit at former friends
UNITED NATIONS Ñ Fidel Castro, the maximum leader and caudillo of communist Cuba has had a fit of fury with some of his past diplomatic companeros. During his annual May Day speech in Havana before the dutiful masses, Castro rhetorically slammed Mexico and Peru among others, for being weaklings and taking their orders from the U.S.
Castro earlier denounced the European Union too for serving as WashingtonÕs ÒTrojan horseÓ for condemning HavanaÕs human rights abuses.
The cause for CastroÕs May Day rant was the recent UN Human Rights Commission resolution condemning political abuses in communist Cuba. Given that the Castro regime has wantonly cracked down on dissidents and journalists, this condemnations is richly deserved and not really unexpected.
But thereÕs a unique political dynamic this year far overshadowing the Geneva censure.
The fact that the committee narrowly passed the resolution was less the story than the strong rebuke from many Latin American states who joined in the condemnation. ThereÕs always been the political rationalization that while many Latin nations donÕt support CastroÕs totalitarian policies, they have at least grudgingly backed Cuba out of a sense of solidarity, and as a side slap at the gringos of the USA.
Mexican foreign policy has long boasted an Òopen mindÓ towards communist Cuba. Under both PRI rule and the current administration of President Vicente Fox, Mexico usually cut Cuba political slack on many political issues.
But after Fidel went rhetorically ballistic at the May Day rally chastising both Mexico and Peru, both countries withdrew their ambassadors from Havana. The Foreign Ministry in Lima stated that PeruÕs government Òenergetically rejects offensive remarks made by the Cuban Head of State with regard to Peru,Ó and described his speech as Òoffensive.Ó
The Lima newspaper Expreso opines "The vote against the Cuban dictatorship at the UN for violating human rights is historic, because in the past, Peru, wrongly, always sought to avoid condemning Cuba, although it deserved it." Yet the paper adds, "Peru does not need to vote against Cuba to ingratiate itself with the empire. It must do so because of its universal belief in the defense of life and liberty,"
MexicoÕs Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez added that besides the speech, Cuban officials had made a number of allegations regarding the Mayor of Mexico City.
Both Mexico and Peru have long ideologically coddled Cuba out of solidarity but now seem fed up with this dinosaur dictator of the Americas. Will this mean a formal break in diplomatic relations? Highly unlikely as much of the political class in Mexico still holds to the chimera of CubaÕs romanticized socialist revolution.
And at the same time, letÕs not forget that VenezuelaÕs President Chavez Ñ acting increasingly in the Castro mould ø is more than willing to genuflect before Fidel. So Castro is not entirely out of favor.
Still things are changing even for CubaÕs ossified system. The French media watchdog group Reporters Without Borders in its annual survey of press freedoms presented a scathing assessment of media rights in Cuba. The annual report presented on World Press Freedom Day states ÒCuba is the worldÕs biggest prison for journalists.Ó They stress that some 30 journalists are enduring harsh prison conditions since a crackdown in March 2003 where 80 journalists and dissidents were arrested on trumped up charges.
The report adds ÒThe Castro regime stops at nothing in its efforts to discourage the independent press.Ó
Now the Bush Administration has announced new efforts to pressure Castro Ñ beyond enforcing the forty year long trade embargo. Stressing the importance of broadcasting, especially Radio Marti, Washington will step up efforts to widen information, support dissidents, and diplomatically isolate the regime.
President Bush stressed, ÒWe believe the people of Cuba should be free from tyrannyÉ. WeÕre not waiting for the day of Cuban freedom, we are working for the day of freedom.Ó
John J. Metzler is a U.N. correspondent covering diplomatic and defense
issues. He writes weekly for World Tribune.com.  |
