These sorts of terms sound like something President Obama will endorse. In her Dec. 22 Americas column “Who Benefits if the Embargo is Lifted?” Mary Anastasia O’Grady is right—the Cuban economy is currently on the ropes, and the Venezuelan life support is at ris wsj/articles/mine-is-mine-yours-is-negotiable-letters-to-the-editor-1419631855 Dec. 26, 2014 5:10 p.m. ET In her Dec. 22 Americas column “Who Benefits if the Embargo is Lifted?” Mary Anastasia O’Grady is right—the Cuban economy is currently on the ropes, and the Venezuelan life support is at risk. Hence the interest of Raúl Castro in pursuing the normalization of relations with Washington, but following the old Soviet guideline: mine is mine, and yours is negotiable. Mr. Castro, vowing to maintain the Communist regime basically intact, expects President Obama to deliver on his promises—unconditional diplomatic relations; removal of Cuba from the list of terrorist states, despite smuggling arms to North Korea, providing refuge to dozens of U.S., Latin American and European terrorists, drug traffickers and other criminals; controlling Venezuela’s repressive system and maintaining strong links to anti-U.S. rogue states. Mr. Castro also expects Mr. Obama to press Congress to lift what is left of the embargo, thereby allowing the flow of U.S. capital, technology and bank credits to the military in charge of most of the Cuban economy. Foreign investors are barred from partnering with private Cuban citizens and can only hire employees selected by state agencies, which collect the dollars and pay the employees in virtually worthless pesos. It’s not even a semblance of China or Vietnam. Amid constant harassment, beatings and arrests of peaceful dissidents, and iron-clad censorship, Raúl Castro has not given any assurances concerning human rights, other than to discuss the issue. Engagement along these lines would result in the third bailout of the failed and oppressive Castro regime: first Moscow, second Venezuela and third Washington? How lucky can the Castro brothers be? Nestor Carbonell Key Biscayne, Fla.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 08:38:36 +0000
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