Shifts in America-Cuba Diplomatic Spat – Cuban ‘5’ freed!
President Barack Obama has done something that 10 American presidents before him have either refused or been unable to do – he has taken concrete steps to restore diplomatic relations with Havana. In so doing, he has started the process of reversing over 50 years of unjustifiable economic blockade against the good people of Cuba.
"Today the US is changing its relationship with the people of Cuba. We'll begin to normalise relations between our two nations. Through these changes, we intend to create more opportunities for the American and Cuban people and begin a new chapter," Obama said.
It would appear that agreement on a breakthrough prisoner exchange was key. While Havana released two Americans, the United States (US) released the last three of the famous ‘Cuban Five.’ The ‘Cuban five’ refers to five Cuban intelligence officials incarcerated in the US for 16 years for spying for Havana through collection of intelligence on Cuban dissidents plotting acts of terrorism against Cuba from Florida. In many ways, it would appear that the angst of the international campaign that was mobilised upon the incarceration of the famous Cuban five had been fuelled by two main things; the insistence of the five on their innocence — in that they were legitimately gathering intelligence to fight terror and sabotage — and subsequently, the indisputable evidence on actual acts of terrorism being plotted and in some cases, executed by anti-Castro elements based in Florida.
In fact, to support the latter, a three-judge appellate panel that later released the five on appeal, noted on one of the dissidents, “Bosch has a long history of terrorist acts against Cuba, and prosecutions and convictions for terrorist-related activities in the United States and in other countries.” Also, declassified Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) documents later revealed that another exile, Posada Carriles, was the mastermind behind the bombing of a Cuban airliner. This appellate decision was of course immediately unanimously overturned by a higher court.
Significance
Those that have been closely following US-Cuba relations will not miss the significance of this prisoner exchange or rather the release of the final three Cubans with two having earlier completed their terms. They have long been celebrated as heroes of the Cuban revolution, real foot soldiers who had paid a heavy price for their political beliefs. Icons of the revolution, their predicament marshalled a somewhat unprecedented international campaign spearheaded by progressive forces all over the world. In Ghana, ripples of this campaign would be felt. Throughout American bully tactics – economic blockades, travel restrictions, violent military invasions at the Bay of Pigs, spurious propaganda—the flag of Havana has continued to fly unwavering and undiminished!
Cuban Solidarity Campaign
Ghana clearly occupied a pride of place in the international campaign that ensued. Back home, we recall the searching call made by President Mahama in his first address to the United Nations for the release of the ‘Cuban Five.’ This was after he had launched the Cuban Solidarity Campaign in 2011. Back then, the campaign mobilised 1000+ Ghanaians to sign a petition in respect of similar demands while calling for a lifting of the trade embargoes. President John Mills (God bless his soul) reportedly wrote to President Obama, urging him to take the path of justice in the cause of the Cuban five.
Today, on this historic occasion, and the attainment of the objectives of what Mr Kwasi Pratt Jnr called a “worthy cause,” I wish to salute leaders of the campaign, like Mr Kofi Attoh the convener, Mr Kyeretwie Opoku, Mr Kwasi Pratt Jnr, and visible signatories like Prof. Kofi Awoonor (God rest his soul), Prof. Akilagpa Sawyer, immediate past Chairman and former member of the Council of State respectively and Mr Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress. The various ministers of state, parliamentarians, members of the diplomatic corps, trade unionists, academicians, musicians, artists, students and workers who contributed to the campaign are all deserving of mention.
Effective leadership
The second important leverage on this issue pertains to the effective leadership of President Obama. From the beginnings of his presidency, he took steps to ensure a thawing of frosty relations with Havana, the political fall-outs notwithstanding. There are those Republicans that are reportedly mad at the President with House Speaker, John Boehner, quoted as saying, “Relations with the Castro regime should not be revisited, let alone normalised, until the Cuban people enjoy freedom - and not one second sooner.” As it turns out, the still existing trade sanctions, which have cost Cuba over one trillion dollars, can only be lifted by the US Congress, unfortunately dominated by President Obama’s opponents.
Obama courageously spoke out against the hypocrisy of America recognising Communist China and North Korea while viewing Cuba as pariah. He called the policy of President Dwight D. Eisenhower initiated in 1960 a failure. Failure in this instance referred to a strategy of pursuing “a line of action that makes the greatest inroads in denying money and supplies to Cuba, to decrease monetary and real wages, to bring about hunger, desperation and the overthrow of the Castro government.” Further, he stated his commitment to working with Congress to lift the blockade.
Obama has taken these historic measures, the strategic importance of Florida in US elections, regardless. This fact had ostensibly prevented previous American Presidents from normalising relations with Cuba. By not toeing the line of political expediency, Obama has indeed shown courageous and principled leadership and for this, we must commend him.
The key facilitating role played by the People’s Pope, Pope Francis, cannot be ignored. Both Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro have applauded him. I am inclined to believe that the Holy Father’s South American roots have served him well, giving him an uncommon appreciation of the harsh realities of the unjust American actions against Cuba.
In conclusion, I wish to mention the names of the Cuban Five; Gerardo Henandez, Ramon Labanino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez and Rene Gonzalez!
Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey
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Sodzi_tettey@hotmail.com