Posted: January 21, 2010 - 12:11am
By Pete Montes de Oca
Editor: I am writing in response to the letter published recently,
"Cubans suffer many forms of starvation," written by Kristy Weeks, a
member of an organization that travels often to Cuba for humanitarian
and educational purposes.
I haven't been to Cuba since 1960. I fled as a refugee when Fidel Castro
seized power to become the world's longest-ruling dictator. Implementing
his own brand of communism, he basically governs the country and its
people at whim.
I cannot begin to comprehend how Weeks can lay the blame of the Cuban
suffering on the U.S. embargo. Granted, it does limit their level of
imports from the U.S., but Cuba is able to trade freely with every other
nation in the world. To imply that the embargo is the sole cause of
their suffering is ludicrous. The reality is that the suffering,
repression, lack of creativity, and freedom, is generated and controlled
by one person in Cuba -- Fidel Castro. When he dies, his brother Raul
Castro will call the shots. He is the sole reason that the Cubans'
passion for life is squelched, not the U.S. embargo, He starves the
nation artistically, spiritually, economically and physically by
imposing every form of censorship, and food rationing.
I can only speculate, but perhaps the organization have been "won over"
or fooled by the propaganda of Fidel Castro, or perhaps they fear that
if they acknowledge the reality, even in the U.S., where there is
freedom of expression, it will filter back to Cuba where they will be
labeled as an anti-Castro organization, and not be allowed back in the
country.
It is honorable that their organization is trying to help this deprived,
suffering nation, but please keep in mind that it is Fidel Castro that
controls the fate of 12 million people, and not the U.S. embargo.
Letter: Blame Cuban starvation on Castro | StAugustine.com (21 January 2010)
http://staugustine.com/opinions/2010-01-21/letter-blame-cuban-starvation-castro
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