CUBA
Getting away from polarized politics
BY MARIFELI PEREZ-STABLE
mps_opinion@comcast.net
Getting there from here won't be quick or easy. In 1948, Cubans last
voted in a free and fair presidential election. Six decades later, we're
trapped in the vicious circle of polarized politics, which preempts
dialogue and compromise, the indispensable building blocks of a
democratic Cuba. Nine months ago, Raúl Castro assumed interim power upon
his brother's illness. Slight hints of change and, unfortunately, the
usual intransigence are in evidence. Still, we are now in the realm of
opportunities, which might be seized -- here and there -- or missed
altogether.
Two recent developments underscore the jagged terrain of Cuban politics.
• In early April, Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos
visited Cuba and restored normal relations. Though the outcome included
an agreement to discuss human rights, Moratinos did not meet with the
opposition. In June, the European Union will likely follow Spain and
reopen diplomatic channels.
• Also in April, Vitral -- a magazine published by the Catholic Center
for Civic and Religious Education in the diocese of Pinar del Río --
suspended publication for lack of resources. For 13 years, Bishop José
Siro González Bacallao blessed the magazine and its director, Dagoberto
Valdés Hernández. But the bishop retired in December, and his successor
wasted no time in leaving his mark.
Diplomacy stalled
The dark spring of 2003 prompted a strong European reaction. When 75
peaceful opponents were jailed and three men summarily executed for
hijacking a ferry, the European Union downgraded relations. Havana
immediately upped the ante by barring European diplomats from all
official contacts. Diplomacy -- which is most needed when governments
don't see eye to eye -- came to a halt.
Moratinos' visit culminated the thawing that began after the Socialists
won the 2004 election. Other European governments welcomed the Spanish
lead as an opportunity to regain official contacts in Havana. While
harshly critical of Spain, the Czech Republic and other new European
democracies also dislike U.S. policy towards Cuba.
I deeply regret that Moratinos snubbed the opposition. Realpolitik,
however, left him no choice, though I suspect he assumed it gladly. The
opposition rightly lashed out at Spain. In May, a Spanish-Cuban
commission -- the venue for the newly minted political dialogue -- will
hold its first meeting. We'll soon get an inkling of Spain's willingness
to put some bite into the defense of human rights in Cuba. At a minimum,
Madrid has serious fence-mending to do with the Cuban opposition.
Vitral, the new bishop tells us, will go on. Only its spirit -- under
Valdés' able leadership and Bishop González's generous gaze -- has been
snuffed. The church's pastoral mission is at issue: Is it mainly one of
faith or one that includes the worldly context of our souls? Jaime
Cardinal Ortega and Pinar del Río's new bishop mostly see a faith-based
mission. Bishop González and Pedro Meurice Estiú -- the recently retired
archbishop of Santiago de Cuba -- embrace a more-holistic understanding,
which has just been dealt a harsh blow. Hard-line Cuban officials must
be smiling.
Focus on human rights
Cuba has been adamant about making the slightest concession on human
rights. In contrast, China has allowed the United Nations to visit its
prisons while Vietnam has given the European Union some room to
criticize violations. Might Spain succeed in nudging Havana in a similar
direction? Even if not in the short term, the diplomatic renewal is
better than the alternative that Washington offers.
The Pinar del Río fracas saddens me deeply. Two pastoral views long
coexisted within Cuban Catholicism. Vitral's light for all Cubans --
Catholic or not -- has been shut. Clearly, raw power struggles also
weighed in the decision. Might the hierarchy reconsider a more-inclusive
mission in the future? Faith alone -- powerful as it is -- cannot
sustain our humanity. Let's not forget that nearly half of those
imprisoned in 2003 were Catholic.
Ultimately, the central issue is the Cuban government. Having ruled by
fiat for so long, its leaders can't imagine any other way. But there is,
and we -- Moratinos and Pinar del Río's new bishop included -- know it.
A democratic Cuba will embrace us all, which is why opportunities for
dialogue and compromise must now be seized. We're certainly not going to
get there from today's polarized politics.
Marifeli Pérez-Stable is vice president for democratic governance at the
Inter-American Dialogue in Washington, D.C., and a professor at Florida
International University.
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