“President Obama’s remarks about human rights to President Castro are best appreciated in the context of the US’s longest-running vacation camp on the island, where visitors get to wear orange jump suits and funky metal jewellery while listening to rock music. So select are the premises that not even top-ranking US citizens are seen residing there.”
Peter Scott, Elora, Ontario, Canada
The use of irony will not be appreciated by those who don’t understand irony (most of the deadly serious policy wonks in Washington). The writer nonetheless raises two excellent points, not lost on those with a passing knowledge of the contents of the US Constitution, not to mention historic American opposition to colonialism. If Americans genuinely want to restore healthy relations with Cuba they could start by opening negotiations with a view to handing over the penal colony called Guantanamo Bay to Cuba, and actually trying the captives there in a constitutional court of law. Even if the inmates were totally innocent, after years of such penal treatment you can guarantee that, once released, they are or will be dedicated terrorists. Has Guantanamo been a public relations disaster? Well, yes.
I’m all in favour of normalising relations with Cuba. Yes it’s a horrible dictatorship but so are lots of countries that we trade with. Also, our record isn’t exactly perfect as you quite rightly point out. I’m just concerned that however much prosperity trade will bring, Cuba will lose a lot of what makes it special. Witness the likely proliferation of American chain stores, Chinese electronics and German cars. The inner conservative in me thinks this change will be a tragedy. We ought to preserve the exisiting Cuban culture, while improving human rights and reforming its government.