Reaction of dissidents in Cuba to President Bush’s speech
The
opinions of these dissidents were expressed to the bureaus of
international news agencies and media established in Cuba: EFE, BBC,
ANSA, El País, Progreso Weekly/Semanal.
Martha
Beatriz Roque, economist and former prisoner: The
lifting of the "embargo by the Cuban government against the
Cuban people" must precede the lifting of the U.S. embargo
against Cuba. "The speech shows that Bush knows perfectly well
what is happening in Cuba at this time; it is something visible."
(ANSA, Oct. 25, 2007.)
Óscar
Espinosa Chepe, economist and former prisoner:
"Instead of encouraging the changes that at this moment are
debated within the government, changes that are possible though not
certain, [Washington] reinforces the sectors that don’t want any
reform." In his opinion, Bush should have authorized travel to
Cuba by the exiles, instead of maintaining and tightening the embargo
because of the upcoming elections. "It seems there is a Holy
Alliance between those who — in Cuba and the U.S. — don’t want
anything to change." (Newspaper El País of Spain, "Bush
hallucinates," by
Mauricio Vicent, Oct. 26.)
Oswaldo
Payá, leader of the Christian Liberation Movement: "The
definition of the changes in Cuba is up to the Cuban people; the
design for the transition is also up to the Cuban people." (EFE,
Oct. 25.) "Whoever wishes to support the Cubans must always
support this civic and peaceful road." (BBC, Oct. 25.)
Vladimiro
Roca, former prisoner, member of the All United Movement:
Washington’s strategy "has failed" and the blockade against
the island "has no further importance, nor does it represent a
fundamental issue in [U.S.] policy." To Roca, Bush and the
Republicans "are trying not to lose Florida," a possibility
that the polls have raised. (EFE, Oct. 25.)
Miriam
Leyva, of the Ladies in White:
Leyva told CNN that Bush’s words have an important election-year
component, although she opined that the vote in Florida, where most
of the anti-Castro exiles live, "has changed much" in
recent years. "What is important in Florida are not necessarily
the hardest positions," said Leyva, who added that "it
would be positive if the U.S. government were not as aggressive"
as it is. "More aperture and flexibility would be timely,"
she said, because "a Bush speech with these characteristics will
be used by the hardest sectors" in the Cuban government and
"could create difficulties for reformist elements inside Cuba."
Eloy
Gutiérrez Menoyo, former Comandante of the Rebel Army, who
served 22 years in prison and currently heads the Cuban Change
Movement: "As usual,
U.S. policy toward Cuba has been kidnapped by elitist groups that are
a minority in exile, and this means that President Bush will persist
on his clumsy and meddlesome policy toward Cuba, never understanding
that a good-neighbor policy would be the right way to achieve
democratization inside Cuba." (Statement to Radio Progreso and
Progreso Semanal/Weekly, on Oct. 27.)
Manuel
Cuesta Morúa, leader of Progressive Arc:
"In the first place, we are in total disagreement with the
meddlesome policy President Bush has again designed. Covertly, he is
not only performing an act of interference but also calling for
violence among Cubans, and that is totally unacceptable. It is us
Cubans who must design a transition to democracy in Cuba; just us
Cubans, no one else. The international community must support
whatever we define and decide. Cuba is not a captive state of the
U.S. (Statement made to Radio Progreso Alternativa and Progreso
Semanal/Weekly, Oct. 28.)
