Anyone hoping to see serious changes to Cuba’s ruling system was again disappointed on January 28 when Raul Castro spoke. In a speech marking a critical conference, the Cuban leader promised change, term limits, economic reform, and a willingness to move younger party members to a more elevated status. Yet, as Raul Castro made many promises to his people during his 48-minute address, one could not help but notice the disparity between his words and the reality of Cuban life and politics. At one point, he boasted that Cuba is …
Friends of improved relations with Cuba argue that citizen contact, people-to-people interaction, and lifting current impediments to travel and trade will pave the way for an improved U.S.–Cuba relationship and greater mutual understanding. Yet if the climate for change is as favorable as they suggest, in a moment of heightened international tensions and growing fear regarding Iran’s rush to a nuclear weapon, why do the Castro brothers choose to host Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with grand fanfare as part of his recent four-nation tour in Latin America? Why does its …
They call themselves “las Damas de Blanco” (“the Ladies in White”). They are a prominent group of courageous Cuban women, many of them wives of political prisoners. They have fought not just for the rights of the unjustly imprisoned but for the rights of all the Cuban people to have a voice in the way their country is governed. Their tactics are entirely peaceful: They take to the streets of Havana and Santiago de Cuba each Sunday and silently march in protest against human rights violations of the Castro regime …
The reaction of bloggers in two remaining communist dictatorships to the recent deaths of pro-freedom crusader Vaclav Havel and his polar opposite, North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Il, tells you all you need to know about why communists can’t hold elections. In the restricted cyberspace afforded to Chinese and Cubans Havel is being hailed as a hero while Kim is derided for the evil he represented. In a roundup on Chinese cyber reactions to the two deaths, the BBC observed that contrary to China’s official stance, comments by Chinese microbloggers …
On learning of the death of Kim Jong-il, Cuban authorities immediately declared three days of official mourning. Their action underscored longstanding ties of intimacy between two of the world’s most oppressive, most anti-American regimes. The death of North Korea’s tyrant also evoked a feeling that the Cuba of Fidel Castro, age 85, and reigning leader Raul Castro, age 80, will soon be overtaken by the passage of time, ushering in fresh and similar regime uncertainties. Independent-minded Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez sees deep parallels: “genealogy has been more determinate than ballot …
In this week’s Heritage in Focus, expert Ray Walser discusses the increasingly anti-U.S. policies in Latin America. PODCAST: Terrorism in Latin America Threatens U.S. In the past decade, Iran has increased its influence in Latin America. Considering Iran’s long history of bad actions, this increased activity in the Western Hemisphere should give Americans pause. This year alone, Iran refused to abandon its nuclear ambitions, its military sat idly by as Iranian students stormed a British embassy, it attempted to assassinate a Saudi ambassador in Washington, D.C., and now is aggressively expanding its …
Since the U.S. first enacted sanctions against Cuba in 1962, the island nation has been dependent on allies for support—from the U.S.S.R. to modern-day Venezuela. This outside aid has reduced the ability to press for meaningful reforms through sanctions on the Castro regime. Despite the recent emergence of a legal real estate market in Cuba, it is clear that the country is far from prepared to lift the heavy-handed policies that repress the Cuban people. Problems on the island still persist. In addition to the unjust imprisonment of Alan Gross, …
In recent weeks, representatives of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have complained of America’s “Cold War mentality.” The rhetoric is in reaction to President Obama’s recent swing through the Pacific and particularly his announcement in Australia of a sustained rotation of aircraft and up to 2,500 Marines through northern Australia. This rhetoric is nothing new. The Chinese often dismiss America’s system of alliances in Asia as “relics” of the Cold War. They have apparently found it a handy talking point in a region that is as dynamic as East …
On December 3, 2009, American citizen and contractor for the United States Agency for International Development Alan Gross of Maryland was arrested as he attempted to exit the airport in Havana. He had just finished delivering Internet equipment to isolated Jewish communities in eastern Cuba. In March of 2011, Gross was found guilty by a Cuban court on the ludicrous charge of “acts against the independence or territorial integrity” of Cuba and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Gross was and is no spy or agent of subversion. The purpose …
Foreign policy takes center stage in Washington this week as eight Republican presidential candidates gather tomorrow evening at DAR Constitution Hall for a debate hosted by The Heritage Foundation and American Enterprise Institute. It airs at 8 p.m. Tuesday on CNN. Last week Heritage hosted House Foreign Affairs Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) to discuss President Obama’s performance on matters beyond U.S. borders. We spoke to her about the Obama Doctrine, her concerns about U.S. policy toward Cuba and Israel, and why she is trying to reform the United Nations. “What …
