(Published in Spanish in) LA VANGUARDIA, MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2006
                     

OP-ED

“THE FUTURE OF CUBA AND THE UNITED STATES”

By Eduardo Aguirre, U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Andorra

I know the expectations many of you will have to find this article about Cuba, by an Ambassador of the United States who is of Cuban heritage, at a time when the dictator’s health is uncertain. And we all know the suspicions some people may try to plant about U.S. intentions or the efforts to twist what I write into some nefarious imperialist plot.

So in order to be clear, let me be blunt. The future of Cuba will be determined by the Cuban people on the island. That’s my personal view, and it’s the official policy of the United States government. Let there be no misunderstanding on this point – Cuba’s future belongs to Cubans.

Now, for obvious reasons, I have more than a passing interest in what happens in Cuba, as do many Cuban exiles living in the U.S., Mexico, Spain and many other countries. And I hope, and I expect, that Cuba’s future will embrace liberty and democracy, since nearly half a century of Castro’s dictatorship should be more than enough for anybody. Many of us outside, whether Cuban exiles or with no family ties to the island, may wish to contribute resources, expertise and assistance. But it will be up to the Cubans on the island to decide how to respond to those offers.

The United States has no intention of imposing its will on a Cuban people freed from the current repressive regime. We hope a free Cuba will want to re-establish normal diplomatic, commercial and personal ties with the U.S. – but that’s a decision that corresponds to Cubans. We hope a democratic Cuba will rejoin the inter-American community and add its tremendous vitality and its extraordinarily rich human and material resources to promoting freedom and prosperity around the region and the world. And we stand ready to offer support to a transitional government in Cuba that is committed to democracy – but this offer, too, is up to Cubans to accept or decline.

Unfortunately, I see no sign that those people currently ensconced in power are eager to do anything other than prolong the existing regime’s grip on power. Raul’s apparent ascension denies Cubans the right to choose their own government. And, just as the United States has not wanted to be an economic enabler of Castro’s repression during these long decades, neither are we interested in working with a mere continuation or succession of the dictatorship. But, when Cuba does move away from the communist regime, its people can count on assistance from the United States to make such a transition easier.

What would be the indications that such a transitional government committed to a democratic future for Cuba had indeed arisen? Freeing political prisoners would be an important early step. So would dismantling the state’s many instruments of repression; respecting internationally-recognized human rights and personal freedoms; and preparing for free and fair elections within a reasonable period.

And what’s the assistance the U.S. could provide? Concrete aid for immediate humanitarian needs such as food and water, sanitation and health, shelter and energy. Financial and other resources to provide market-based economic opportunities for Cubans to build a more prosperous life, to cite another example.

But I repeat, in hopes my words will not be misunderstood by those who imagine malicious motives – it’s an offer. We will provide aid only if asked to do so by a Cuban transitional government – and if our offer is not accepted, we’ll take no offense.

While the dictatorship remains, the United States will continue to offer humanitarian aid to the Cuban people. We will continue to support the strengthening of democratic movements on the island and provide plural and uncensored news sources to help break the regime’s rigid information blockade. (Imagine the life of a journalist or a scholar there – in one of the world’s very few countries that still don’t even allow open internet access!) And we’ll continue to encourage all democratic nations to unite in support of Cubans’ right to define a democratic future for their country.

Our hope is a free, independent and democratic Cuba. I hope that day comes very soon, not just as an American with roots in Cuba, but as a believer in democracy. I believe that Cubans, like all other people in the world, have the fundamental human right to determine their own lives and their own destiny. But it’s a future that Cubans must build.

The sovereignty of Cuba is not the property of Castro’s regime or any other country. It belongs to the Cuban people. It is high time that they had it back.

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