DON'T END EMBARGO ON CUBA TRADE

By John J. Suarez Guest Columnist

There is a tragic sham that harms Americans, but it is not the trade embargo  on communist Cuba. Rather, it is the cliche that "to pull down barriers," by  ending trade sanctions on a ruthless communist dictatorship and provide it  with subsidies would bring political reforms.

The sham seen today in China is proof that such a policy would also be a  disaster in Cuba, and only serve multinational interests and Cuba's  communist regime.

America normalized relations with Beijing in 1979. The belief then was that  normal relations would lead to more human rights and a peaceful transition  to democracy. The opposite has been the case.

In the Soviet Union, confrontation and economic isolation led to a  relatively peaceful implosion of the regime. In China, the policy of trade  and political engagement has led to a thriving economic system under  communist control, and modernization and expansion of the military and state  security apparatus.

In Cuba today, political opposition is growing, and human-rights abuses  although systematic and pervasive have in practice declined in numbers. This  is not due to the good will of Fidel Castro's regime, but a lack of  resources.

The 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre revealed the failure of engagement.  Still, economic engagement was not suspended but intensified afterward.

Amnesty International said in 2001 that, "thousands of people (in China)  were arbitrarily detained for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom  of expression, association or religion. Torture and ill treatment of  prisoners continued to be widespread. The limited and incomplete records  available showed that at least 1,511 people were sentenced to death and  1,000 executed; the true figures were believed to be far higher."

Chinese pro-democracy leader Wei Jingsheng describes the result of current  U.S. policy in China: "There is active cooperation with the Chinese  oppressors, extending aid to the tune of tens of millions of dollars; on the  other hand, assistance to the democracy movement in China is very limited. .  . . It does seem to be fashionable now to assist the henchmen who are  engaged in butchering the people."

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, describes how American taxpayers subsidize  China's dictatorship: "China . . . receives the largest amount of money from  the Export-Import Bank. There is $5.9 billion that has been granted to the  Chinese."

According to Paul, China has used export-import funds to build nuclear power  plants, expand its airline and build steel factories. U.S. taxpayer money is  being used to modernize the Chinese military and its apparatus of  repression. Castro is broke. Subsidized trade is what the majority of the  anti-embargo lobby is after.

Chinese human rights activist Harry Wu announced his support for the Cuban  embargo Dec. 10,2002 at Florida International University, while denouncing  the  lack of such a policy toward China. According to Wu, the majority of the  profits have been funneled directly to "dying Communist institutions," thus  prolonging their lives, he said.

Increasing trade with China has not and will not improve human rights. Cuba  is no different.

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Suarez is the coordinator of the Free Cuba Foundation based at Florida  International University in Miami.

http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/opedstoryA43665A.htm

Fanaticism consists in redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your  aim.Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it

George Santayana (1863 - 1962)

FREE CUBA Foundation http://www.fiu.edu/~fcf/

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