2 opinions about Bush’s speech

Compiled
by Progreso Weekly                                    Read Spanish Version

Wayne
Smith, of the Center for International Policy (CIP) in Washington and
former head of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana: "There
is nothing new" in the speech, which "obviously is directed
at the handful of hard-line Cuban-Americans here." Bush’s
rejection of a transition from Fidel to Raúl Castro is absurd,
Smith said, "unless he’s still unaware of what happened."
Besides, "what can Bush do about it?" Smith said the speech
was merely a reaffirmation of Washington’s ineffective policy.
"Although it might seem that the target of his verbal attack was
Havana, the message in fact was aimed 250 kilometers closer to
Washington: to Miami." (La Jornada of Mexico, Oct. 25.)

Senator
Barack Obama, Democratic candidate:
"After more than a year of sitting on the sidelines, President
Bush has finally recognized that this is a moment of great potential
for Cuban freedom. But the cause of freedom will not be advanced by
counter-productive threats or conventional thinking. We need to
provide the Cuban people with more uncensored access to the outside
world. Unfortunately, the President chose not to deploy the most
effective messengers of freedom and democratic change:
Cuban-Americans. To help advance democratic change in Cuba, we need
to grant Cuban-Americans the unfettered ability to visit family on
the island and to send them remittances. It’s time to break from
George Bush’s status quo." (Statement released in Washington on
Oct. 24.)