Because It Benefits A Few
If it were left up to these two women, the acute animosity that has existed between the United States and Cuba for decades could be ended by this time tomorrow. That's Roberta Jacobson on the left. She is the top U. S. diplomat in the State Department when it comes to Cuba and Latin America. That's Josefina Vidal on the right. She is Cuba's top diplomat when it comes to the United States and North America. Both of these brilliant ladies believe wholeheartedly that Cuba and the United States should be good neighbors and key trading partners, not bitter enemies. They talk frequently, sometimes face to face, and those are the sentiments they sincerely express to each other. Thursday of this week -- May 15th, 2014 -- Josefina Vidal flew from Havana to Washington to meet once again with Roberta Jacobson, this time for Cuba -- as it typically does -- to explain to the U. S. why it arrested four Miami residents on April 26th that Cuba believed were on the island to sabotage military bases. As with hostile airplanes from Miami flying over Havana, Cuba prefers that the U. S. itself be aware of terrorist threats against the island emanating from U. S. soil so, hopefully, the U. S. will do something about it. In addition to discussing the four newly arrested Miami visitors, Jacobson and Vidal again this week discussed the saga of Alan Gross, the American imprisoned in Cuba that both women would like to have back in his Maryland home instead of serving a 15-year sentence on the island after being charged and convicted of spying. Ms. Vidal believes the U. S. is unwilling to seriously negotiate Mr. Gross's predicament because such things as his continued imprisonment benefit a handful of anti-Castro elites in the U. S. who, through two generations, have thrived on U.S.-Cuban belligerence. The fact that Ms. Jacobson again this week invited Ms. Vidal to Washington indicates the two women are in concert with each other and share opinions regarding U.S.-Cuban relations.
Roberta Jacobson -- a Brown University graduate -- is a fine lady, a brilliant diplomat, and Western Hemisphere expert since 1982. As America's most important official regarding Cuban matters, she should be afforded the wherewithal to negotiate sanely and decently on issues that affect most Americans and most Cubans. But she can't because for six decades U. S. relations with Cuba have been dictated by a handful of miscreants who benefit economically, politically or revengefully from U.S.-Cuban hostility.
Josefina Vidal is a fine lady and a brilliant diplomat. As Cuba's most important official regarding U. S. matters, she should be afforded the wherewithal to negotiate sanely and decently on issues that adversely affect most Americans and most Cubans. But she can't because for six decades miscreants who benefit economically, politically or revengefully from U.S.-Cuban hostility have dictated that sanity and decency applied to U.S.-Cuban relations would not align with all the benefits they derive from the status quo.
Josefina Vidal is willing and anxious to fly to Washington on a moment's notice if she and Roberta Jacobson believe discussing Cuban and American issues will even slightly ease the belligerence between the two countries. But the ongoing tragedy for Cuba, the U. S. and the region is that a few self-serving war-mongering elites, not Vidal and Jacobson, have firm grips on America's Cuban policy. That accounts for perpetrating hostility between the two neighbors decade after decade, generation after generation.
Since 1959 U.S.-Cuban relations have been dictated solely by a handful of Cuban-exile elites and a handful of their influential and self-serving sycophants. Meanwhile, the majority that could have impacted that travesty has been either too unconcerned or too intimidated to weigh in on the issue.
These two women are trying to negotiate sanity and decency into U.S.-Cuban relations.
They should be allowed to proceed.
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