EU RECALLS CUBAN ATROCITIES; WHAT ABOUT OAS?

By J. Grant Swank, Jr.
Jun 11, 2003, 00:11 

Don't say EU isn't noting. It is. And it's taking some moral positions worth the civilized world's applause. In recent days, the EU concluded to diminish alliances with Fidel's politic as a moral pronouncement against jailing, particularly unreal prison consignments, meted out to 75 political opponents as well as independent thinking journalists. Moral weight has its own unique dynamic. Therefore, the European Union is upfront when confronting Castro's atrocities. Would that more global communities would follow suit, especially Western Hemisphere nations.

For forty-three years Castro has held sway. During that time numberless innocent human beings have been tortured, imprisoned and slain. Yet his bearded mug shots continue to pepper the island as the saint of political highness. US Secretary of State Colin L. Powell is attempting to prompt our own hemisphere neighbors to align themselves with the moral position of the EU, then proceed further.

The rationale is obvious: countries surrounding Cuba either choose to be cowards or courageous in overlooking or denouncing the Castro grip.  The Organization of American States was Powell's audience. He presented the hope of the United States that Cuba will become a democracy. He spoke to OAS foreign ministers at their yearly conclave. To me it appears as day care logic to urge the OAS to do more than sit idly by as Castro grows older and moves meaner against his own citizens. How can the hemisphere look silently at an island overrun with a continuing despotic regime? Just this spring Castro upped his madness against political opponents. That in itself, according to Powell, should be stimulus basic to do something -- act as a body. In 1962 OAS banished Cuba from its membership.

The 35-nation organization has backed the US trade embargo; but more must be done. An update is in order. Before this time next year, the OAS should implement its moral weight by pressing recent Castro atrocities provide just the time frame for the OAS to push from shore. Will they accept the challenge? The US representative has at least voiced the need at an otherwise lackluster annual meeting. While some at the OAS complained that United States President George W. Bush is not giving it enough attention during his presidency, the President's spokesman Colin Powell reminded the nations that they have a moral responsibility of their own to move forward.

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