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National
Updated
14/04/09
Time
09:03 |
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Reflections by comrade Fidel: Not a word about the blockade |
The U.S. administration announced through CNN that Obama
would be visiting Mexico this week, in the first part of
a trip that will take him to Port of Spain, Trinidad and
Tobago, where he will be within four days taking part in
the Summit of the Americas. He has announced the relief
of some hateful restrictions imposed by Bush to Cubans
living in the United States regarding their visits to
relatives in Cuba. When questions were raised on whether
such prerogatives extended to other American citizens
the response was that the latter were not authorized.
But not a word was said about the harshest of measures:
the blockade. This is the way a truly genocidal measure
is piously called, one whose damage cannot be calculated
only on the basis of its economic effects, for it
constantly takes human lives and brings painful
suffering to our people.
Numerous diagnostic equipment and crucial medicines
--made in Europe, Japan or any other country-- are not
available to our patients if they carry U.S. components
or software.
The U.S. companies producing goods or offering services
anywhere in the world should apply these restrictions to
Cuba, since they are extraterritorial measures.
An influential Republican Senator, Richard Lugar, and
some others from his same party in Congress, as well as
a significant number of his Democratic peers, favor the
removal of the blockade. The conditions exist for Obama
to use his talents in a constructive policy that could
put an end to the one that has failed for almost half a
century.
On the other hand, our country, which has resisted and
is willing to resist whatever it takes, neither blames
Obama for the atrocities of other U.S. administrations
nor doubts his sincerity and his wishes to change the
United States policy and image. We understand that he
waged a very difficult battle to be elected, despite
centuries-old prejudices.
Taking note of this reality, the President of the State
Council of Cuba has expressed his willingness to have a
dialogue with Obama and to normalize relations with the
United States, on the basis of the strictest respect for
the sovereignty of our country.
At 2:30 p.m., the head of the Interests Section of Cuba
in Washington, Jorge Bolaños, was summoned to the State
Department by Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Shannon.
He did not say anything different from what had been
indicated by the CNN.
At 3:15 p.m. a lengthy press conference started. The
substance of what was said there is reflected in the
words of Dan Restrepo, Presidential Adviser for Latin
America.
He said that today President Obama had instructed to
take certain measures, certain steps, to reach out to
the Cuban people in support of their wishes to live with
respect for human rights and to determine their own
destiny and that of the country.
He added that the president had instructed the
secretaries of State, Commerce and Treasury to undertake
the necessary actions to remove all restrictions
preventing persons to visit their relatives in the
Island and sending remittances. He also said that the
president had issued instructions for steps to be taken
allowing the free flow of information in Cuba, and
between those living in Cuba and the rest of the world,
and to facilitate delivering humanitarian resources
directly to the Cuban people.
He also said that with these measures, aimed at closing
the gap between divided Cuban families and promoting the
free flow of information and humanitarian assistance to
the Cuban people, President Obama was making an effort
to fulfill the objectives he set out during his campaign
and after taking on his position.
Finally, he indicated that all those who believe in the
basic democratic values hope for a Cuba where the human,
political, economic and basic rights of the entire
people are respected. And he added that President Obama
feels that these measures will help to make this
objective a reality. The president, he said, encourages
everyone who shares these wishes to continue to
decidedly support the Cuban people.
At the end of the press conference, the adviser candidly
confessed that ‘all of this is for Cuba’s freedom.’
Cuba does not applaud the ill-named Summits of the
Americas, where our nations do not debate on equal
footing. If they were of any use, it would be to make
critical analyses of policies that divide our peoples,
plunder our resources and hinder our development.
Now, the only thing left is for Obama to try to persuade
all of the Latin American presidents attending the
conference that the blockade is harmless.
Cuba has resisted and it will continue to resist; it
will never beg for alms. It will go on forward holding
its head up high and cooperating with the fraternal
peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean; with or
without Summits of the Americas; whether or not the
president of the United States is Obama, a man or a
woman, a black or a white citizen.
Fidel Castro Ruz
April 13, 2009
6:12 p.m. |
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