What a remarkable Christmas present the cautious steps toward renewed diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States has proved to be. For more than fifty years the States has maintained an embargo on Cuba that made little sense and wasn't very effective. It actually threatened world stability because the Cuban communists got into bed with the Russians, to the peril of us all. The irony is that the Castro brothers hold on to power in Cuba after all these decades while ten presidents have come and gone.
Cuba does have a questionable and even brutal human rights record, but so does China, and that hasn't stopped trade or diplomatic relations with the US. In fact, a number of human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, are applauding this initiative:
President Barack Obama’s historic decision to overhaul US policy toward Cuba is a crucial step toward removing a major obstacle to progress on human rights on the island, Human Rights Watch said today.
Obama announced that the US would normalize diplomatic relations with Cuba and ease restrictions on travel and commerce with the island. The president called on Congress to consider lifting the economic embargo that has been in place for more than 50 years.
“It’s been clear for years that US efforts to promote change in Cuba through bans on trade and travel have been a costly and misguided failure,” said José Miguel Vivanco Americas director at Human Rights Watch. “Rather than isolating Cuba, the embargo has isolated the United States, alienating governments that might otherwise speak out about the human rights situation on the island.”
Of course Canada has maintained a relationship with Cuba through all these years, much to the annoyance of the Americans, although Fidel Castro and former President Jimmy Carter were in the same pew at PM Pierre Trudeau's funeral in 2000.
It's important to note the United Church of Canada has been a partner with Christian denominations in Cuba for decades. Restrictions on religious expression have been eased in recent years, but this partnership required restraint and diplomacy along the way. There is a seminary in the city of Matanzas that we have visited as a couple, as has our son Isaac, also a United Church minister. A couple of the congregations I have served have hosted Cuban pastors for speaking engagements. http://unitedchurch.smugmug.com/Cuba/set-matanzas/16154753_t6t6wp#!i=1212976166&k=mwfpjTb
I will be interested to hear how the churches of Cuba respond to this news. It may open up a considerable source of support for Cuban Christian denominations from the churches of the United States. We're told that the Vatican was instrumental in supporting the talks which led to the announcement this week, and there is a strong Cuban ex-pat population in America which is probably predominately Roman Catholic.
What do you know about Cuba, other than it's so-so resort food and wonderful beaches? Does this initiative sound worthwhile to you? Do you know much about the churches of Cuba?
I think this is a great thing for both the US and Cuba, and it's way overdue.
ReplyDeleteI have vacationed in Havana, and while it is an interesting city, there were some parts that really displayed the abject poverty that exists there.
More than once I was propositioned by prostitutes who also claimed to be doctors!(I found out later that many doctors prostitute themselves because they earn so little).
There could be some excellent trade between the two countries - they're so close geographically. I think it would be a good thing for the Cuban economy.
Maybe they could even begin replacing some of the many crumbling buildings in Havana. I went to a baseball game there, and a foul ball that went over my head and hit the metal overhang, resulted in an incredible amount of rust raining down on us fans!
Unfortunately it means we Canadians would have to share the beaches with Americans, but I guess that's a small sacrifice!