DATE=03/25/98
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-10633
TITLE=U-S RELAXES A LITTLE TOWARD CUBA
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: LAST WEEK, PRESIDENT CLINTON RESTORED A POLICY OF LIMITED
CONTACT WITH CUBA, CAUSING A GOOD DEAL OF COMMENT SINCE THEN IN
THE NATION'S PRESS. WE GET A SAMPLING NOW FROM _____________ IN
TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: THE PRESIDENT SUSPENDED SOME OF THE CONTACTS IN 1994, AND
OTHERS IN 1996, AFTER THE CUBAN AIR FORCE SHOT DOWN TWO "BROTHERS
TO THE RESCUE" LIGHT CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT. THE UNARMED PLANES HAD
ALLEGEDLY STRAYED INTO CUBAN AIR SPACE AS THEY SEARCHED FOR BOAT
PEOPLE IN TROUBLE. BOTH PILOTS AND TWO OBSERVERS WERE KILLED,
OUTRAGING FLORIDA'S HUGE CUBAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
THE CONTACTS SUSPENDED INCLUDED DIRECT HUMANITARIAN AID CHARTER
FLIGHTS TO CUBA FROM THIS COUNTRY. THE SENDING OF MONEY OR FOOD
PACKAGES DIRECTLY TO CUBA ALSO BECAME ILLEGAL. THAT FORCED
FLORIDA'S LARGE CUBAN EXPATRIATE COMMUNITY TO SEND THOSE THINGS
ILLICITLY THROUGH THIRD PARTIES.
IT IS BEING WIDELY INTERPRETED IN THE NATION'S PRESS THAT THESE
CONCESSIONS COME AS A DIRECT RESULT OF POPE JOHN PAUL'S RECENT
VISIT TO CUBA, DURING WHICH HE CRITICIZED THIS COUNTRY'S ECONOMIC
EMBARGO THAT HAS EXISTED FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES.
ANTI-CASTRO CUBANS BOTH IN CONGRESS AND IN THE GENERAL COMMUNITY
WERE QUICK TO CRITICIZE THE PRESIDENT'S ACTION, BUT SOME
CUBAN-AMERICAN LEADERS SEEKING DIALOGUE WITH THE ISLAND
GOVERNMENT, AND MANY PAPERS, PRAISED THE STEPS. FROM FLORIDA,
HERE'S SOME OF WHAT "THE MIAMI HERALD" HAD TO SAY.
VOICE: HEEDING POPE JOHN PAUL ['S] ... URGINGS TO HELP THE
CUBAN PEOPLE AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH'S EFFORTS ON THE
ISLAND, PRESIDENT CLINTON YESTERDAY [3/20] COMMENDABLY
ADVANCED BOTH GOALS.... THE PRESIDENT ACTED ON
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE
ALBRIGHT. BEFORE ADVISING HIM, SHE CAME TO MIAMI TO
SOUND OUT CUBAN EXILES, THEN WENT TO ROME TO SEE THE
POPE. SECRETARY ALBRIGHT'S ADVICE, AND THE PRESIDENT'S
USE OF IT, BOTH WERE SOUND. IN FACT, THESE MOVES CHANGE
MAINLY THE FORM, NOT THE SUBSTANCE, OF CONTACT WITH
CUBA. EXILES HAVE BEEN VISITING CUBA REGULARLY, VIA
THIRD COUNTRIES. THEY'VE CONTINUED TO SEND MONEY TO
CUBA, ALBEIT ILLEGALLY. SO RENEWING DIRECT FLIGHTS AND
REMITTANCES SIMPLY MAKES EASIER WHAT EXILES HAVE BEEN
DOING THE HARD WAY ANYWAY.
TEXT: THE NATION'S LARGEST TABLOID DAILY, "THE [NEW YORK] DAILY
NEWS" ALSO WELCOMED THE STEPS, CALLING THEM "A STEP IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION," ADDING:
VOICE: NOW CONGRESS MUST GET IN STEP WITH COMMON SENSE AND END
THE CUBAN EMBARGO. THIS POLITICAL BOYCOTT ONLY HURTS
THE PEOPLE AND PROLONGS FIDEL CASTRO'S TIGHT GRIP ON THE
ISLAND. [MR.] CLINTON ACTED ON A PLEA FROM POPE JOHN
PAUL, PERHAPS THE MOST EFFECTIVE ANTI-COMMUNIST OF OUR
TIME. THE PRESIDENT'S ORDER, WHICH ALSO ALLOWS
FAMILY-TO-FAMILY CASH TRANSFERS, IS THE SECOND TANGIBLE
SIGN THAT JOHN PAUL'S VISIT TO CUBA IS HAVING THE SAME
RESULTS HE INSPIRED IN SOVIET-DOMINATED EASTERN EUROPE.
.... NONE OF THIS MEANS THE U-S SHOULD EMBRACE [MR.]
CASTRO. ENDING HIS RULE IS THE GOAL. BUT GIVEN THE
ISLAND'S PROXIMITY TO THE U-S AND THE LARGE CUBAN
IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY IN AMERICA, THE BEST WAY TO
INFLUENCE CUBANS IS TO LET THEM TASTE AMERICAN-STYLE
FREEDOMS. AND THERE IS NO BETTER WAY TO DO THAT THAN
THROUGH COMMERCE AND TOURISM, BOTH OF WHICH ARE STILL,
FOOLISHLY, OFF-LIMITS.
TEXT: HERE'S THE VIEW OF "THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER," WHICH
ALSO STRONGLY SUPPORTS ENDING THE BOYCOTT ALTOGETHER.
VOICE: WAGING ECONOMIC WAR AGAINST FIDEL CASTRO'S CUBA HURTS
ORDINARY FOLKS WITHOUT HASTENING THE END OF ONE-MAN RULE
THERE. THAT'S WHY POPE JOHN PAUL ... DENOUNCED
AMERICA'S ECONOMIC SQUEEZE AGAINST THE WOEBEGONE
[DILAPIDATED] ISLAND. AND IT'S WHY PRESIDENT CLINTON
HAS JUST BRAVED THE WRATH OF [POWERFUL NORTH CAROLINA
REPUBLICAN SENATOR] JESSE HELMS & COMPANY BY ENDING SOME
TOUGH-GUY FOOLISHNESS TOWARD CUBA. .... [HOWEVER] IF
THE UNITED STATES WERE COMMITTED TO HELPING THE CUBAN
PEOPLE, IT WOULD HEED THE POPE'S CALL AND STOP HURTING
THE CUBAN ECONOMY. THE PRESIDENT'S HALF-MEASURES ARE
BETTER THAN THE COWARDLY STATUS QUO. BUT LET'S HOPE
THAT SOMEDAY THE THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF HAS THE
**COJONES** [ITALICS FOR A FOREIGN WORD] [SLANG MEANING
"TESTICLES" OR "COURAGE"] TO END AMERICA'S MACHO
CHOKE-HOLD ON CUBA.
TEXT: "THE ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH" SAYS OF THE MEASURES:
VOICE: THESE ARE ALL STEPS FORWARD. BUT THEY DO NOT
CHALLENGE THE EMBARGO, AN ANACHRONISTIC HOLDOVER FROM
THE COLD WAR. POLITICAL REALITY -- ARCH-CONSERVATIVE
SENATORS IN KEY COMMITTEE CHAIRMANSHIPS AND THE POWERFUL
CUBAN-AMERICAN LOBBY -- MAKES IT UNLIKELY THAT THE
EMBARGO WILL BE LIFTED ANYTIME SOON, HOWEVER OBSOLETE IT
MAY BE.
/// OPT ///
TEXT: ALSO INTERPRETING THESE CHANGES AS A DIRECT RESULT OF POPE
JOHN PAUL'S ISLAND VISIT IS "THE LOS ANGELES TIMES."
VOICE: AS THE RECENT PAPAL VISIT TO CUBA CONTINUES TO
REVERBERATE IN WASHINGTON, THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION
HAS TAKEN A FEW MODEST BUT POSITIVE STEPS TO REVERSE
ISOLATIONIST POLICIES THAT BENEFIT NO ONE. THE MEASURES
PROPOSED FRIDAY BY THE PRESIDENT WOULD STREAMLINE
MEDICAL AID TO CUBA, AUTHORIZE DIRECT HUMANITARIAN
FLIGHTS .... AND LEGALIZE LIMITED REMITTANCES FROM CUBAN
AMERICANS TO RELATIVES IN CUBA. ANOTHER MEASURE WOULD
SEEK WAYS TO EASE RESTRICTIONS ON FOOD SHIPMENTS TO
CUBA. ..... PREDICTABLY, THE PRESIDENTIAL MOVE HAS
ANGERED THE REMAINING CLIQUE OF COLD WAR WARRIORS IN
CONGRESS ..... THESE MEASURES ARE MEANT TO BENEFIT THE
PEOPLE OF CUBA, NOT THE CASTRO REGIME. ..... MORE
IMPORTANT, THEY SIGNAL A RECOGNITION THAT THINGS ARE
CHANGING IN CUBA AND THAT THE UNITED STATES IS MOVING TO
PAVE THE WAY FOR AN EVENTUAL TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY.
/// END OPT ///
TEXT: "THE SUN" IN BALTIMORE HAS AN INTERESTING VIEW, TAKING
INTO ACCOUNT THE BITTER OPPOSITION FROM THE LATE JORGE MAS
CANOSA, THAT TENDED TO INHIBIT ANY RELAXATION OF RELATIONS WITH
CUBA.
VOICE: .... PRESIDENT CLINTON [HAS] RESTORED THE RELATIONSHIP
TO WHAT HE FOUND ON TAKING OFFICE IN 1993. THE
EMBARGOES HE REPEALED ARE THOSE HE INSTITUTED IN 1994 IN
RESPONSE TO A FORCED EXODUS OF BOAT PEOPLE, AND IN 1996
WHEN CUBA SHOT DOWN TWO FLORIDA-BASED CIVILIAN PLANES.
MR. CLINTON DID NOT RELAX THESE MEASURES DURING THE
LIFETIME OF JORGE MAS CANOSA, THE HARD-NOSED [TOUGH]
FLORIDIAN WHO TOOK OVER U-S POLICY ON HIS HOMELAND.
AFTER HIS DEATH LAST YEAR, HIS CUBAN AMERICAN NATIONAL
FOUNDATION RETRACTED NOTHING, BUT OTHER CUBAN-AMERICAN
VOICES WERE HEARD. ..... MR. CLINTON['S] ... ACTIONS
REPRESENTED A HUMANITARIAN IMPROVEMENT AND A MODEST
MODERATION OF FAILED POLICIES.
TEXT: THAT CONCLUDES THIS SAMPLING OF COMMENT REGARDING THE
RECENT RELAXATION OF REGULATIONS REGARDING U-S CONTACT WITH CUBA.
NEB/ANG/MMK
25-Mar-98 1:56 PM EST (1856 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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