The fallout from such an action will be devastating to the Bahamian economy, in particular, our number one industry tourism. Just last week, a Miami Herald story indicated that at least one million Americans will visit Cuba within a year after the embargo is lifted. Prominent Bahamian economist/ leaders have long been voicing their concerns as to what will happen when the doors of Cuba are opened to US trade. Then any reasonable person must ask the million dollar question. If the lifting of this embargo is so detrimental to the Bahamian economy, then why is the Bahamas government supporting such a resolution, knowing fully well of its adverse effects on the Bahamas.
However, before one can make an opinion on this resolution, they must be aware as to why the embargo was imposed in the first place. This U.S. sponsored embargo against Cuba was imposed over 40 years ago when President Fidel Castro came into power after a bloody revolution that overthrew President Bautista. Introducing his socialist/communist style of government, President Castro confiscated and nationalized a number of private properties and businesses belonging to American citizens without any compensation to them. US President John F. Kennedy’s position was to punish President Castro’s action with this embargo until those persons who lost their property were confiscated. So far this has not happened. To the contrary, as a couple of years ago, in a desperate attempt for foreign exchange, President Castro placed some of this properties for sale on the world market. President Bush advised potential buyers that to do so would be at their own risk as the U.S. is still seeking compensation of the properties to the rightful owners. In other communist countries such as China and Vietnam that had a conflict with the U.S. no such acquisitions took place and so no embargo was imposed.
The embargo was a windfall for the Bahamas as businesses such as casinos, rum-makers, etc. that exited Cuba were able to reestablish themselves in the Bahamas hence tremendously advancing the Bahamian tourism industry. By 1968 the Bahamas for the first time entertained over 1 million visitors for the year. Clearly, the Bahamian tourism industry’s development accelerated only after the Bahamian embargo was imposed on Cuba.
Initially the embargo was unsuccessful as Cuba was being heavily subsidized by the Soviet Union and its east block allies at the tune of $ 13 million dollars a day or $ 2 billion dollars a year. Therefore, any economic prohibition by the United States was ineffective. It was not until 1990 that the East block could no longer subsidize Cuba and hence Cuba began to feel the pinch. That is why every year since then they have been appealing to the United Nations to support their resolution to lift this embargo. Unfortunately for Cuba, in recent years, lifting of the embargo also became tied in to improving their abominable human rights record and lack of a democratic process. Amnesty International has continuously labeled Cuba as one of the worst human rights violators in the region. This position was also consistent with statements made by Foreign Minister Mitchell when he indicated this same concerns about the lack of transparency and justice under the Cuban system. Just this year, world opinion condemned the almost immediate execution of three men accused of hijacking a boat to freedom. Also the mass arrest / detention of dozens of human rights activist/journalist to lengthy prison terms is unacceptable. Cuba maintains a zero tolerance policy for opposing and contrasting points of view. Until August 1992 Cuba and the Bahamas were the only two countries in the Western Hemisphere where there was only one government, controlled and totally censored radio/television station. Today Cuba is the only country with such a distinction.
Cuba is indeed guilty of violating the most fundamental United Nations resolution. This is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Now it wants the United Nations to come to its assistance after it showed no respect for previous U.N. resolutions. Lifting of the embargo should only be used as a reward for Cuba to clean up its act with democratic reform. Instead the world is seeing nothing but defiance as Cuba is making a mockery of world opinion. A previous referendum that was almost unanimously supported provided for Cuba to forever remain a socialist state with this Castro style government. Elections are a sham even though President Castro indicated, “The last election in Cuba was democracy at a higher level.” There is usually only one candidate on the ballot.
Cuban Counsel General, Felix Wilson Hernandez, stated at his press conference that despite the adverse effect that the embargo has had on the social and economic development of Cuba, the embargo has failed because “the U.S. does not have any idea of the values we support and stand for.” He further stated that “none of these measures are going to stop us from doing what we seek to do.” In other words, Cuba intends to maintain its evil system of oppression of its people. The vast improvement in education, health care, etc. cited by Counsel General Hernandez is still no excuse to justify Cuba’s lack of democracy.
Furthermore, Bahamians must never forget the tragic events of twenty years ago when our Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) officers while in the execution of their constitutional and legislative duty protecting the borders and sovereignty of Bahamian territory were viciously attacked by Cuban MIGs without warning. This resulted in death of four officers and injury among others. This barbaric act was further exercised when the good people of Ragged Island whowere terrorized and intimidated by Cuban troops one day after the sinking of the Flamingo. By the way, wasn’t it the Cuban’s who fought along side Bernard Cord and his group of murderers who murdered Prime Minister Maurice Bishop along with others in Grenada that resulted in the invasion of Grenada by US and Caribbean troops?
Despite past support of the lifting of this embargo, Foreign Minister Mitchell must make it absolutely clear that any support to lift the embargo must be conditional to democratic reform and transparency. The provisions to the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights must be observed. They must be reminded that the Bahamas is a nation of Christian values. But, under President Castro’s government, the practice of religion, including Christianity, has been severely restricted if not eliminated. Only just recently, Cubans were permitted to observe Christmas, a time when Christians acknowledge the birth of Christ. Bahamians have long anticipated the economic fall-out that will result when the US embargo against Cuba is lifted. However, with the FTAA coming into place in the very near future along with the lifting of the Cuban Embargo, this could be a double jeopardy for Bahamians and the Bahamian economy.
Dr. Leatendore Percentie
D.D.S Secretary G.B. Human Rights Assoc. Freeport, Bahamas
