Washington's provocations heighten tensions with Cuba soc culture african
Jakob Sackman
from http://www.themilitant.com
BY SAM MANUEL
U.S. officials have announced that staff of the Cuban Interests Section
in Washington will be restricted to the Beltway, a section of
interstate highway which roughly corresponds to the boundaries of the
U.S. capitol. The move was one of a string of U.S. actions and
statements that have increased tensions between the two countries.
The Cuban government stated on March 18 that it has restricted the
movement of U.S. diplomats on the island "in response to measures
adopted...against our personnel in Washington."
The Cuban statement emphasized that Havana "goes to great lengths to
comply with the norms and principles regulating diplomatic relations
between states." After U.S. actions, however, it "now finds itself
obliged to curtail the...movements" of U.S. representatives.
Staff of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana will now have to receive
approval for travel beyond Havana province.
Before Washington imposed the restrictions on Cuban diplomats, they
only needed to inform U.S. authorities of any travel plans. Cuban
personnel at the United Nations, on the other hand, have always been
required to receive permission to travel outside of the Manhattan area.
Washington broke diplomatic relations with Havana in 1961. Their
diplomats function out of interests sections hosted by third countries.
The Cuban statement also denounced the "repeated provocations by the
head of the U.S. Interest Section in Cuba.... No country has the right
to turn its diplomatic representation into a...general quarters in
order to...subvert constitutional order," it read.
Section head James Cason has invited "dissidents" to use his official
residence to hold press conferences opposing the revolutionary
government. According to U.S. officials, he has traveled 6,200 miles
since his arrival last summer.
U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that Cason has
"visited with Cuban people in their homes. He’s visited independent
libraries. He’s visited other independent voices."
Havana has announced the arrests of dozens of individuals in connection
with Cason’s "conspiratorial activities."
Boucher called on the UN Commission on Human Rights, of which Cuba is a
member, to condemn the arrests "in the strongest terms." Over the years
Washington has consistently pressed the commission to issue such
condemnations of the revolutionary government.
At the same time, Cuban officials explain that Washington has increased
funding for "independent" groups of self-professed unionists,
journalists, librarians, media, and human rights associations on the
island.
U.S. diplomatic staff in Havana have handed out propaganda and free
shortwave radios to enable people to listen to Radio Martí. The
U.S.-funded radio station in Miami broadcasts news and commentary by
opponents of the Cuban revolution.
On March 3 U.S. federal prison authorities ordered five Cuban
revolutionaries held in U.S. jails to be placed in solitary
confinement. The Cuban statement called the action "cowardly" and
"vengeful." The five Cubans were in the United States gathering
information on groups who have committed violent acts against the
revolution, using U.S. soil as a base. They were framed up and
convicted in a U.S. court on "conspiracy" charges, including conspiracy
to commit espionage.
The day following the Cuban statement six people hijacked a Cuban
airliner headed from the Isle of Youth to Havana and forced the pilot
to land in Key West, Florida. Cuba demanded the immediate return of the
plane, its crew, passengers and the highjackers. Sixteen of the Cubans
returned to Havana March 22. The six highjackers have been arrested on
charges of federal air piracy. If convicted, they face a minimum of 20
years in prison.
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