Reflections by Comrade Fidel
http://www.cuba.cu/gobierno/reflexiones/2009/ing/f060409i.htmlThe Seven Members OF Congress Who are Visiting Us
An important US political delegation is visiting us right now. Its
members belong to the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) which, in
practice, has worked as the most progressive wing within the Democrat
Party.
The Congressional Black Caucus was founded in January 1969 by the
twelve Afro-American legislators who belonged to the US Congress at
that moment. During the first 50 years of the 20th century only four
Afro-Americans were elected to Congress.
At present, as a result of the struggles they have waged, the CBC is
made up by 42 members. Several of its representatives have maintained
very active and constructive positions on topics related to Cuba.
The first Caucus delegation that visited us came to Cuba on February
1999 and was presided over by Maxine Waters; the second came on
January, 2000.
Influential members of that Congressional group publicly expressed
their positions and carried out other positive actions during the
battle for the return of the child Elián to his homeland.
On May 2000, another Caucus delegation visited us. It was presided
over by James Clyburn, from North Carolina, who was then its main
leader, and was made up by Bennie Thompson, from Mississippi, and
Gregory Meeks, from New York. These congressmen were the first to
know through me about Cuba’s readiness to grant a number of
scholarships to low-income youths, who were to be selected by the
Congressional Black Caucus, so that they could come to Cuba and study
medicine. We made a similar offer to the “Pastors for Peace” NGO,
which is presided over by Reverend Lucius Walker, who sent the first
students to the Latin American Medicine School (ELAM).
When the Bush administration anti-Cuban pressures and actions against
travels and the presence in Cuba of persons under the US jurisdiction
became more severe, the Black Caucus legislators addressed Secretary
of State Colin Powell and managed to secure a license that legally
allowed American youths to continue their Medicine studies -which
they had already started- in Cuba.
Powell, a military chief of great authority and prestige, could have
been the first black President of the United States, but he refused
to be nominated out of respect for his family which, reminding
themselves of Martin Luther Kings’ assassination, tenaciously opposed
his being nominated.
The Black Caucus delegation visiting Cuba this time is presided over
by Barbara Lee, Representative from California. She first traveled to
Cuba accompanying the then black Congressman Ronald Dellums. She was
his assistant and afterwards occupied his seat when he retired. On
that occasion I had the honor of meeting her personally and admire
her combatant spirit and capacity for struggle.
The group she is presiding right now is made up by seven members of
Congress. The other members of the delegation are: Melvin Luther
Watt, from North Carolina; Michael Makoto Honda, from California;
Laura Richardson, also from California; Bobby Rush, from Illinois;
Marcia L. Fudge, from Ohio; and Emanuel Cleaver II, from Missouri.
Patrice Willoughby, Executive Assistant of the Congressional Black
Caucus, plus four military of the Congressional Liaison Office, under
the orders of lieutenant colonel Daniel Wolf, are accompanying the
delegation.
I highly assess the gesture of this lawmakers group. They have been
strictly complying with the visit program they asked for. The aureole
achieved by Luther King is accompanying them. Our press has given a
broad coverage to their visit. They have been exceptional witnesses
of the respect with which we always welcome Americans visiting our
homeland. Very hardly have they seen any face expressing hatred, and
maybe they admire the total absence of illiterate people or children
shining shoes on the streets. The swarms of children, teenagers and
youths attending schools and universities; the day-care-centers,
senior citizens homes, hospitals and polyclinics run by highly
skilled medical staff offering assistance to all citizens will not
escape from any critical eye. In the midst of this international
economic crisis there are no citizens queuing up to apply for a job.
Persons who move on the streets in an active and almost always happy
manner do not match with the stereotyped images that most of the
times are portrayed about Cuba abroad.
Our homeland is showing that a small Third World country, which has
been besieged, attacked and blockaded for tens of years, can put up
with its poverty with dignity. Many citizens in the richest nation of
the world do not receive the same treatment, and a considerable
number of them do not even vote. However, that right is exercised
quite often by more than 90 per cent of our population, which knows
how to read and write and has acquired a not inconsiderable culture
and political knowledge.
Among the visitors there are opinions which are shared by all; others
are personal points of view. In general, they believe that 68 per
cent of the American public opinion favors a change in the policy
towards Cuba.
One of them expressed that it was necessary to take advantage of this
historical moment, when the presence of a black President in the
White House coincides with a current of opinion that is in favor of
the normalization of relations.
When Alarcón explained that the removing Cuba from the list of
terrorist States –where it has been arbitrarily included- was a moral
duty, he was reminded that both Nelson Mandela and the African
National Congress were labeled as terrorist by the US Congress.
Another member of the delegation thanked the Cuban authorities and
the presidency of the Black Caucus for promoting the trip and
arranging for this type of exchange.
Another representative explained Obama’s great significance for the
United States and the need for him to be re-elected. He said that the
President believes himself a political leader who should govern for
all social sectors of the country. Nevertheless, he said he was sure
that Obama will change the policy towards Cuba, but Cuba should also
help him.
A fourth member of the Caucus said that despite Obama’s electoral
victory, American society continues to be racist. He added that
Obama represented the only opportunity that nation had to move on and
leave behind all the wrongdoings accumulated by former governments.
He said that the President can not go beyond liberalizing travel and
allowing remittances by Cuban-Americans, because proclaiming the
lifting of the blockade or the full normalization of bilateral
relations could mean the impossibility for him to be re-elected.
Besides, he reaffirmed that the anti-Cuban right wing still has
enough power to corner him and prevent his re-election.
Finally, another lawmaker frankly expressed at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs that the United States should not lose the
opportunity of recognizing that its policy towards Cuba has been an
absolute failure. He added that his government should apologize to
Cuba for all these years of hostility and for the blockade policy,
because only then will we be in the position to move on together
towards the solution of the bilateral differendum. He pointed out
that, from his position, he would do whatever is possible to
eliminate the blockade.
During their visit to the Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering
Center, one of them, expressing the feelings of the rest, described
as excellent the results achieved by Cuba in the field of
Biotechnology, and said that at this moment, the political atmosphere
was favorable to build bridges of understanding and communication
between the scientific communities of our respective countries. He
recommended that we should be careful and patent everything,
according to the international intellectual property standards, to
prevent our being robbed of the efforts that led to such a wonderful
work.
All of them expressed how greatly impressed they were during the
visit to the center, where the minister of Science, Technology and
the Environment, together with several scientific institutions
directors, explained to them about the work carried out by our
country in that field.
The main activity of April 4, a day that marked the 41st anniversary
of the death of the human rights martyr, was the visit to the park in
Cuba’s capital named after Martin Luther King, where there is a
black-veined dark green marble monolith, bearing the bronze embossed
image of the great black combatant who was assassinated by the
racist. Barbara Lee, Laura Richardson, Emanuel Cleaver II and Bobby
Rush took the floor at the gathering. The four of them publicly
emphasized the positive impact of the meetings they had held.
Yesterday Sunday, at 13:20 hours, Congresswoman Barbara Lee arrived
at the Ebenezer Church of the Martin Luther King Centre, where she
was welcomed by Raúl Suárez and other executives of Cuba’s National
Council of Churches. Also present there were Alarcón and other
officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Before that, Barbara had visited two other churches in Vedado. She
addressed the audience; she reiterated certain previous public
statements and expressed her intention to make certain coordinations
with the administration to promote a change of policy towards Cuba
and the reactivation of the exchanges between the churches of both
countries.
I have summarized as much as possible the exchanges that have taken
place. I have been careful enough not to disclose the names of those
who have made certain statements, because I do not know whether they
are interested in going public.
I only wanted to offer some necessary elements for judgment so that
our national public opinion could have as much information as
possible on the sensitive subject of the relations between Cuba and
the United States under Obama’s presidency and the visit of the Black
Caucus delegation to Cuba.
Fidel Castro Ruz
April 6, 2009
2:03 p.m.
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