The Castros Beg to Uncle Sam - Last Ditch Effort by Cuba to Keep Regime from Falling Apart

The Castros Beg to Uncle Sam: Last Ditch Effort by Cuba to Keep Regime
from Falling Apart
Huber Matos Garsault Calls Out Chamber of Commerce Visit as "Publicity
Stunt"
Marcela Estrada May 30, 2014 at 10:32 am

EspañolThis week, a delegation from the US Chamber of Commerce, visited
Havana to explore the results of the much-heralded economic reforms
announced by the Castro brothers' regime.+

"I am here due to the evidence that we are seeing in Cuba of an
extraordinary expansion of private enterprise, a reduction of government
jobs, and more private hiring, all of which is moving in the right
direction," said Thomas J. Donahue, president of the USCC.+

As I prepared a news story on this matter, for the PanAm Post, I was
able to talk with journalist Karel Becerra and Huber Matos Garsault,
both leaders of political dissent in Cuba and members of the advocacy
organization An Independent and Democratic Cuba (CID). They went into
greater detail with what this meeting means for relations between the
United States and Cuba, and, ultimately, for the survival of the Castro
regime.+

Karel Becerra

"Promises, they are only mere promises," Becerra said regarding the
economic polices advertised as a radical change by Raúl Castro's regime.
According to him, "the promises are the same as those made in 1959, when
they promised that Cuba would have an even higher standard living than
the United States. Real changes have not been made, only a few changes
at the margin with the purpose of showing something to the rest of the
world while gaining time in order to solidify the successor of the regime."+

Then is this visit from the US delegation a pat on the back for the
Castros' regime? Becerra, who is CID's secretary of international
relations, responds:+

"The visit is without a doubt a form of support for the regime,
outwardly and above all, inwardly. Raúl Castro would like to show
results to his discontent followers; the plan 'to lift the embargo' has
been a promise in inner circles, because it is the only exit available
to them. But the visit also shows that the plan of [bringing together
relations with the Obama administration] is high risk and has also come
to an end. Thus, we see various gestures, such as this visit, a letter
that has come out publicly a few days ago, and 'high-level' meetings.
The desperation of the Cuban regime has two catalysts, the crisis in
Venezuela and the Obama's presidential term coming to an end, with whom
they have lived on friendly terms with."+

In relation to the eventual end of the embargo and the beginning of
another form of relationship between the United States and Cuba, Becerra
responded bluntly "They are not even close at all." In Becerra's view,
"the causes that brought about the embargo to begin with remain unchanged."+

The Cuban embargo has been a polemic topic inside of the US government,
and its eventual suspension should be approved by the US congress. "It
is a blessing for the Cuban opposition to have in Congress true
defenders of liberty for Cuba and the Cuban people; they are the
Cuban-American legislators who have kept that wall standing, a wall that
the regime will never be able to take down, even with Obama's efforts to
do so right now.".+

"Barack Obama's government undoubtedly has wanted to take trophy, but
they have not only chosen the wrong policy, but they have had on the
other side a gerontocracy that has believed in having all of the time in
the world. Perhaps the Castros have thought, in a state of delusion,
that Barack Obama could possibly hold third, forth, or possibly
unlimited terms like themselves. This "calculation" is what takes us to
the current point of seeing so many signs of "approach". But it is
evident that there have been so many in such a short period of time,
that only one idea can be inferred: "The death is near for the regime in
Havana". This could come about by the absolute collapse of its ally and
counterpart in Venezuela, or by the interior deterioration of Cuba
itself, something we as opponents of the regime know all too well."+

Huber Matos Garsault

Matos, a Cuban freedom activist and the grandson of political dissident
Huber Matos, says that "If the purpose of Thomas J. Donohue's visit was
to explore the economic transformations promised by Raúl Castro, he
would have had to first interview two or three of the most brilliant
Cuban-American economists of the Association for the Study of the Cuban
Economy. He didn't do it. He also should have gone to Cuba for a few
days with the objective of interviewing, with absolute liberty, the
self-employed workers, the people, and some independent economists. He
also didn't do it."+

Matos believes the objective of the Chamber of Commerce's visit to the
island as a total "publicity stunt" that only looks to "put more
pressure on the Obama government to lift more restrictions on commerce
between US businessmen and the Castro regime."+

For the Cuban dissident, the embargo can function, and this is reflected
in other cases. "We just saw how Vladimir Putin has halted his ambition
in Ukraine for the moment, and how Iran became willing to negotiate its
atomic project with its economy facing deterioration through sanctions.
Also, the example of Burma (Myanmar) is telling, the measures taken
against its dictatorship had very long-term results and when the
internal and external conditions obliged the military government to
concede power."+

In this way, Matos views the so-called reforms conceded by Raúl Castro
with skepticism and does not conceive of talking about economic liberty
in Cuba when political liberty does not exist.+

"The changes in Cuba have a clearly defined purpose defined by Raúl
Castro: 'They are to perfect socialism,' not to initiate political
change. Socialism in Cuba is understood by the Castro regime that does
not face any authentic opposition, does not hold elections, and does not
respect public liberties."+

So, why is there an emphasis on heightening relations with the United
States?+

"Without the Venezuelan subsidy to finance the Castro regime, the Cuban
economy will crumble and the last form of salvation is the lifting of
the US tourist travel prohibition to Cuba. The economic and political
situation of Venezuela is unstable and Havana can't always count on that
subsidy forever," Matos noted.+



Source: The Castros Beg to Uncle Sam: Last Ditch Effort by Cuba to Keep
Regime from Falling Apart -
http://blog.panampost.com/marcela-estrada/2014/05/30/the-castros-beg-to-uncle-sam-last-ditch-effort-by-cuba-to-keep-regime-from-falling-apart/