Commentary

The Cuban People Have Every Right to Defend Their Sovereignty

The Western media, as well as a number of governments, have recently condemned Cuba for sentencing 75 American agents to long prison sentences and for the execution of three terrorists. The impression is being given that these individuals are guilty only of opposing the government of Cuba and that they are, therefore, "prisoners of conscience". Nothing could be further from the truth.

The executed terrorists were found guilty of hijacking a passenger ferry and brutalizing its passengers in a failed attempt to go to the United States. Eight of their fellow conspirators were sentenced to lengthy prison terms. The rest of those sentenced to various lengths of prison terms were found guilty of accepting money from the U.S. government in return for plotting the overthrow of the legal government of Cuba.

Those who are condemning Cuba are well aware that these individuals are guilty of the charges against them, because the U.S. State Department has published the lists of those in Cuba receiving money to do the bidding of the American government. In the past year, over eight million dollars was paid to these agents who were openly organized by James Cason, the head of the U.S. Interest Section in Havana, to undermine the Cuban government and organize an "opposition" party. It is also clear that both the Cuban agents and their American handlers were well aware that their activities contravened Cuban law. These individuals do not represent any legitimate Cuban political movement; rather, they represent only the interests of the U.S. and their guilt is beyond doubt.

No state would accept anti-government activities being organized by paid agents of a foreign state, and most countries have very severe penalties for such behaviour. Agents who are citizens of the country against which they are plotting are normally charged with treason. In the United States the ultimate penalty for treason is execution and during the Cold War at least two American citizens were executed for treason. In addition, over the years, hundreds of American citizens have been murdered by the police and FBI, without benefit of trial, because they were organizing opposition to the policies of the U.S. government. Furthermore, the Miami Five - five Cubans who were trying to stop terrorist activities against Cuba being organized from Miami - received far lengthier sentences than any of the American agents caught in Cuba, and they were not even organizing against the American government.

The U.S. government is further complicit in these illegal acts through its violation of international law and various treaties to which it is a signatory. For example, it has signed a treaty with Cuba permitting 20,000 Cubans to emigrate to the U.S. each year. However, during the past six months only 505 visas have been authorized. In this way, the U.S. has created an situation in which some people feel that the only way to emigrate from Cuba to the U.S. is by hijacking boats or airplanes. Furthermore, when Cubans commit such acts of terrorism, instead of living up to its legal obligations under various international treaties, the U.S. not only refuses to prosecute the terrorists, but receives them as heroes. The recent hijacking of a Cuban DC3 airliner is a case in point. The hijackers have been released and the U.S. refuses to return the plane to its rightful owners in Cuba, contrary to international law. In addition, tens of millions of dollars per year are funnelled to the Miami mafia to organize and commit acts of terror against the Cuban people. Many of these terrorists openly brag about their crimes in the streets of Miami, including Orlando Bosch who was convicted of bombing a Cuban airliner and killing over 70 civilians.

Despite its claim to be waging a "war on terrorism", the United States is very selective in which terrorists it pursues. While it refuses to shut down its own terrorist activities against Cuba, it is quite prepared to mete out harsh treatment to those it considers "terrorists". These include the Afghans being held illegally at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay and those in Yemen it executed without trial. Thus, the U.S. condemnation of the sentences given to its agents in Cuba is, to say the least, hypocritical.

Meanwhile, the Bush administration has been very open about the fact that it wants a "regime change" in Cuba. To this end, it has labelled Cuba as not only a "dictatorship", but also a sponsor of terrorism. It has also falsely suggested that Cuba has programs to produce chemical and biological weapons. Such charges were the justification for its illegal aggression against Iraq and it appears that it may use the same claim to justify attacking Syria in the near future. There is no doubt that the U.S. is also actively seeking to overthrow the Cuban government and replace it with one which will do its bidding. The Cuban government and people have the right to defend their sovereignty and the gains of their revolution with whatever means they deem necessary.