Cuba USA

US Arrogance and deliberate nastiness kills them

by Esteban Morales

translation Cuba-Network in Defense of Humanity

What message was the US Secretary of Commerce bringing to Cuba? It was possible to imagine. She said it when commenting the measures of September 18:

“The latest regulations are designed to support the emergent private sector in Cuba and place us closer to the historical objectives of the policy of President Obama?

The historic messianic and arrogance induces them to think we are fools. They are used to manipulating others and the end result is good. They sometimes use idiotic diplomacy. That is why their main challenge will be to continue negotiating with Cuba in a balanced manner and equality of conditions; with respect of her sovereignty and independence. Will they manage that?

That is why the Cuban Government has made it quite clear that there will be no reciprocity in negotiations with the United States until the blockade “explotes in pieces”.

In the midst of this situation Cuba has the right to check if, in truth, the United States Government, Obama in particular are going to fulfill the promises made. Because it was the US administrations that imposed the blockade against Cuba and have kept it until today, dividing in two parts what I have already said and perhaps using as an instrument of pressure for the Island to make concessions in the negotiations.

We can start to see what I have said. On the contrary, what are they doing when they appear with measures such as those announced January 16 and now those of September 18? Ask us to accept them and be happy

about them because Obama is attacking the blockade when in truth he has barely scratched the surface. Observing in them the clear intention of empowering those sectors of Cuban society that we know they think can accompany with an”internal political change” in Cuba.

It couldn’t be clearer when Obama said from the beginning “…we cannot continue the same methods of doing politics and expect different results”. What is this all about? What was the purpose of the visit of the Secretary of Commerce to change the forms of doing politics? Cuba is not risking little in these negotiations. It is risking its sovereignty and independence. That is why from the Director of the Special Zone of Development, Mariel, the General Director of the market technology of the Ministry of Tourism to the President of the Chamber of Commerce, all have the same discourse and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. What can be synthesized is saying there will be no negotiations of measures issued until the blockade is lifted.

To make it worst the Secretary of Commerce came with the prohibition of promoting United States exports and possible progress on trade were not expected.

Mr. John Kavulich who heads the US-Trade and Economic Council said the Ms Secretary’s visit to Cuba was premature. She should have waited for the Cuban Government to answer the regulations implanted by Obama recently.

I think that Mr.Kavulich is mistaken; Cuba did respond to the measures of September 18 in a critical article published in Granma newspaper a day after issuing the measures (The US broadens some modification to

the blockade but maintains the main obstacles (Granma September 19 2015m pg.3)

If the critical considerations made in the article are not the position of the Cuban Government, then whose are they? Mr. Kavulich seems to have forgotten that Granma newspaper is the Official Organ of

the Cuban Communist Party that publishes all the official opinions of the Cuban Government

Bu also Mr. Kavulich may appeal to the web, or Cubans blog, that often are ahead of the official press, because they do not have to request permission to publish anything, allowing them to repport rapidly what is being discussed in different moments

If Mr. Kavulich wants to tell the Secretary that she was premature regarding this issue. But whether she did move forward or not and I believe the same would occur; she left with empty hands.

In his article, Mr. Kavulich later says: “In September the Departments of the Treasury and Commerce authorized religious and educational organizations as well as companies of Telecommunications or travel agencies, that could open offices and bank accounts in the Island. Also eliminated were other obstacles for

ferries, cruise ships and airlines to establish regular services in Cuba”.

Further on the complains that the Cuban Government has not reacted to these measures that according to Mr. Kavulich do not weaken her positions and would be positive for the economy of the Island since a

large presence of US companies would help establish more credibility with the international creditors.

These declarations by Mr. Kavulish are a clear expression that he understands nothing of what is happening in the relations between both countries today.

In addition we respect the personal opinions of Mr. Kavulich that the measures do not weaken Cuban positions. But I don’t think he is right in this. Why does the Cuban Government have to accept such limited and unilateral measures allowing Obama to put in practice his executive prerogatives to soften the blockade Cuba continues to suffer if Obama has the right to do so?

In addition, Cuba until now has never enjoyed the credibility of the international creditors of the presence of US companies. Why should this credibility change now making concessions for Obama to accept the

measures of insufficient benefits?

Mr. Kavulich states that Cuba will not accept measures by the United States that are not directed directly to erode the blockade. That is not what it is about. No pleasures that are only “Band-Aids” that serve to alleviate anything of the blockade that has now lasted 55 years; now with embassies installed and Obama with many executive rights that make him seem less serious than the recent measures of September 18.

I'm going to say otherwise. While Obama did not take measures to be really seriously eroding the blockade, accelerated by others, Cuba, I am sure, will not pay attention, or react or face the so limited, unilateral measures, directed only to those sectors that Obama wants to empower. Which they are those that help them in their plan of political subversion, to speak more clearly. As are the measures of January and 18 September 2015.

Obama has “turned the screw” and has not been capable even of ending the leonine measures that have ruled the unique trade between these two countries as yet. Can Obama put in practice his good intentions when he is incapable of removing the trade we have been doing, without credits, paying in cash for the merchandise directed to Cuba that cannot be transported in Cuban ships and Cuba cannot sell anything in the United States? I don’t think, in all respect, that he is “naive” enough to explain why Cuba has reduced trade and I think will continue to do so until reaching zero, turning to other markets perhaps not so close but more logical, economically speaking.

If you think Cuba is using the reduction of trade as a mechanism of pressure, not against the business executives but against the United States Government, to demand that Congress eliminates the Blockade, however, (erase the euphemism) it has the power to do it. Or is it that we cannot defend ourselves? Well, like Igarza said “… it is not that we don’t want to buy in the United States is just that the measures imposed affect us too much”.

Cuba, at the same time, if it has accepted charter flights but what is willing to accept is that operations with the United States be direct and omit the Cuban channels established. That is why the Cuban officials reacted to the visit of the Secretary pointing out that ‘almost all measures to the private sector have softened”. On this issue Cuba is not in disagreement but Cuba will never accept that the channels established in its economy to make concessions to the United States. The same information Kavulich recognizes authorize certain exports from the self employed persons in Cuba.

However, any exports of Cuba can only be done through state companies that have prevented putting into practice the impact of this measure.

“These circumstances will not be modified in the near future, said the official adding that “as for telecommunications ETECSA has exclusive rights in this sector and reversing it would be to alter what we have approved for concessions to the United States”.

And for the United States do not believe that they have us in chains:

“Meanwhile companies from other countries continue to do business with ETECSA without fear of competition from United States companies.

Cuba will continue to manage these business alternatives that prevent the United States from believing that Cuban has not other alternatives of trade. As for the United States that continues with the same position, creating obstacles for Cuba preventing US business persons from approaching Cuba. How long with these business persons of the United States have to wait, sacrificing their economic interests due to the political interests of Obama?

Cuba has waited more than 50 years to negotiate relations with the United States but will accept no pressures to achieve good relations with the neighbor to the North. It never did, in the worst of circumstances. Why should it do so now?

They are not going to frighten Cuba that business will not be waiting; or that Obama has taken to large a political risk; that companies are going to tire to visit Cuba, having many other markets; that Obama has

little time left as president.

These are all pressures for Obama, not for Cuba that has always had to suffer. Can Obama suffer the pressures of capital to come to Cuba; is competition being felt in the Cuban market; the interest of capital

that is not in C uba with the competition of US capital; the pressures of Cuban American capital to not be left on the sidelines of opportunities in the Island; etc.

For his part, Ted Piccone, main researcher of the Brookings Institute and experienced observer of Cuba-US relations compared negotiations of both countries as a “dance of elephants”. He explained:

“The United States if finally moving towards the dance floor with agility to stimulate progress towards a soft landing in Cuba”, he observed. The Castro government, on the other hand is behaving like a timid dancer” and is moving slowly to prevent endangering its position at home while it continues to court other foreign candidates”.

I would say that the one dancing this dance and on the tightrope is the United States. Since Cuba has nothing forcing her to accept measures that are not in the direction of her interests.

Mr. Piccone should be in the Florida Strait to see the truth that Obama is moving with agility. This agility is not real only apparent, deceiving.

He isn’t doing it. Obama is not even moving slowly and firmly. Since, in truth he wants to move rapidly imposing more intelligent measures acceptable by Cuba since these last should comply with the demands of

eroding the blockade. Meanwhile what is observed is that Obama adopts very limited, unilateral measures chock full of a political baggage that Cuba cannot accept.

Truthfully Cuba is moving timidly but mostly due to the danger observed in the Obama measures that offer no confidence and real short term benefits for Cuba that are not seen as a whole, not how Obama wants to

see it.

I think there is a dance of elephants but also it is true that the increase of an internal and external boost of changing the policy towards Cuba. Obama is not acting in correspondence with this. It is acting to crush us. To hope US Investments in Cuba could see what happens.

To stop trying to move the “trash of the small and medium size private property” and finally put Cuba under the challenge of receiving United States capital. Why doesn’t he do it? He doesn’t do it because Obama

knows that Cuba does not fear US capital because he know that we don’t believe everything that comes from the United States, under the umbrella of its subversive Project. Because he knows that in the end

it would benefit the Cuban economy by receiving US Investments; those that would be received without making us paranoid. He doesn’t do it because Obama wants to distract us with short measures that really

benefit them to continue their subversive Project while preventing the Cuban economy to move forward.

Obama as the heavy elephant could impose a rhythm to negotiations that now they do not have but they don’t have that rhythm because Obama selects poorly the measures. If he truly adopts measures that would

reveal Obama’s interest to truly erode the blockade, rapidly and not unilaterally, mutually advantageous. As we say in Cuba “that would be a different story”. And what more can be done to us to doubt what the

real intentions of the President is that Obama counts on the necessary prerogatives to do things a different way and does not do so.

That his Holiness Pope Francisco forgive me but Obama seems to come with the same deceit of a “Joint Resolution”, the “Platt Ammendment,” the Policy of the Ripe Fruit”, the imposition of unilateral measures.

And we Cuban don’t forget that at the end of the 20th century when the independence was stolen from us after fighting for more than thirty years. We had to fight for it seventy years later to recover it in

1959. Now we are not willing to lose our independence or our sovereignty whether they like it or not.

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