| Written by Maria Elena Salinas |
| Monday, June 23 2003 |
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| I've walked down the cobblestone streets of Old Havana and felt as if I were in a European city. It's not just the Old World architecture or the cafes serving piping-hot espresso; it's also the tourists speaking Italian, German or Castilian Spanish. Europeans make up the largest tourist contingency to Cuba; they're willing to overlook the excesses of the communist regime and the oppression of the Cuban people. Europeans are also Cuba's principal trading partners. But all that could change, and the only one to blame will be the defiant Fidel Castro.
The confrontation between the European Union and the Cuban government began when European foreign ministers decided it was about time to give their friend Mr. Castro a good slap on the wrist for his treatment of political opponents. His regime jailed more than 75 dissidents, sentencing them to long prison terms, and executed three men a week after they tried to hijack a ferry to escape to the United States. The European Union responded by imposing a few diplomatic sanctions.
The 15-nation bloc voted to limit visits to the island by high-level government officials. It also said it would invite dissidents to the celebration of each country's national holidays. Doesn't sound too severe, does it? But from Castro's response, you would think the European Union vowed to invade the island and launch a campaign promoting regime change.
Activities normally reserved for Cuba's main foe, the United States, were directed at the Spanish and Italian governments. Massive protests were held in front of their embassies, and Castro himself lashed out at Spanish and Italian leaders in a four-hour speech. He called the Spanish head of government, Jose Maria Aznar, the "little fuehrer with a mustache" and accused him of being a key player in a U.S. Nazi-fascist plot to dominate the world. He was a little softer on Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, calling him a "fascist" and a "clown."
Conventional wisdom would tell you that Castro should probably want to downplay the European Union's hardening position, since countries like Italy and Spain have helped keep the Cuban economy afloat since the fall of the Soviet Union. But no - Castro will stop at nothing when it comes to defending his revolution's evil ways.
Since taking power in 1959, Castro has gotten away with murder. Most of the world has turned a blind eye to the atrocities committed in the name of the revolution. His achievements in medicine and education have paled in comparison with his excesses. Castro has ruled by executing opponents, holding summary trials, jailing dissidents and curtailing basic freedoms. Yet he's treated like a hero when he travels abroad. Latin American countries in particular have been unwilling to criticize the aging dictator - seen by many as a valiant warrior who dared to confront the evil Yankee imperialists, who have imposed a four-decade-old embargo opposed by most of the world.
Secretary of State Colin Powell's call for a speedy democratic transition in Cuba got a tepid response from the Organization of American States, which refuses to take up the issue since Cuba has not been an OAS member since 1962. The United States seems to be alone in its policy toward the Cuban dictator, who has outlasted nine American presidents, all of whom have delivered the same speech over and over again, asking for a free Cuba. Once the presidential campaign starts up, you can expect to hear it again.
You can also expect U.S. policy toward Cuba to continue being a rallying cry for Castro. Now he also has his former European friends as verbal punching bags. The fact is, Castro needs enemies. He needs to keep his people on a war footing, blaming all the problems of his failed economic system on someone else. For four decades, the United States has been a convenient scapegoat, and U.S. policy has played right into Castro's hands. Every once in a while, the Cuban dictator needs another enemy to rail against. Last year it was Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda. Now it is the Italians and the Spanish. |
