As it has often been said here on Babalú, the only reason Cuba’s communist Castro dictatorship has survived for 63 years with near total impunity for its crimes against humanity is because the free world allows it. Without the financial aid and political support of Canada and Europe, the Cuban regime would quickly tumble. But for ideological and economic reasons, these democratic nations would rather see the Cuban people continue to suffer under the yoke of tyranny than see their communist friends in Havana fall out of power.
It is a sentiment not only held by the Cuban exile community, but also by Cubans on the island, who see their oppressors being fed and taken care of by democratic nations.
‘Coco’ Fariñas: ‘We have been betrayed by the democratic world’
Just a few days after the eighth anniversary of the diplomatic thaw pushed by the Obama administration with Raul Castro’s regime, renowned Cuban opposition leader, Guillermo “Coco” Fari?as — the 2010 Sakharov Prize winner for freedom of conscience — has affirmed that the Cuban dissidence has been betrayed by the democratic world.
His criticism is largely shared by the opposition both on and off the island that has rejected rapprochement between the U.S. government and the Castro regime, which today is led, at least nominally, by Miguel Diaz-Canel.
That “clean slate” policy promoted by Obama has been brought back by the Biden administration without much fanfare, but with clear steps towards normalization of relations between both countries. This despite Cuban prisons holding more than 1,000 political prisoners. For its part, the Communist Party continues its hostile and defamatory rhetoric against the U.S. and Cuba’s stance on the war in Ukraine is considered shameful and diametrically opposed to the interests of nations that on several occasions have rescued the longest-lasing dictatorship in the west, forgiving debt and restructuring loan payments.
Fariñas declares the survival of communism on the island is due to betrayal by the democratic and civilized world, that calls on the regime to respect human rights in public, but behind the scenes sends it money and support to continue its repression.
In November and December, several congressmen and Biden administration officials traveled to the island to meet with representatives of communist leadership. Democrat congressman James McGovern, a declared admirer of Fidel Castro and one of the most energetic voices against U.S. sanctions, met with Diaz-Canel, who was the one responsible for the oppression unleashed during the uprising on July 11, 2021.
Coco Fariñas has long defended the position of not making any concessions to the Castro regime. And on several occasions he has declared hunger strikes to protest the repression of the regime and demand respect for human rights.
Well, yes, but like “His Holiness” said about something or other, who are we to judge? Our betters, like the New York Times and the rest of the usual suspects, are the real Cuba experts, you see.
Obviously, Castro, Inc. has also been helped by the non-democratic world, but that was to be expected and, in a sense, more honest and less contemptible than ostensibly “good” countries being such hypocrites.
What makes you think the US government wants to help Cuba? They are just giving Cuba enough rope to hang itself. Why try to change Cuba? It is better that they continue to suffer and die as punishment for their lack of vision during the Bay of Pigs Invasion. (Cursed to the third and fourth generation.) Also, the longer communism last the more talented people will leave Cuba. Eventually when the Cuban population has been totally exterminated by Dengue Fever the US can turn Cuba into the 51st state. Fidel was correct all along, “Patria o muerte”, is indeed a good slogan and much to the benefit of US interests in the Caribbean.
The most valuable and talented people have been leaving Cuba since 1959, and will keep doing so.
As they say in Cuba: Be sure that the last one to leave turns off the light (if any light remains).