Saturday, February 20, 2010

Cuba and the US--Cold War Dialogue Masking Growing Interactions?

In a news story given little attention in this country, the United States and Cuba continue to cooperate behind a smokescreen of the usual Cold War rhetoric that seems to have become de rigeur in communicatons between the two governments.  Maurico Vincent, Cuba y EE UU vuelven al discurso de la guerra fría, El País, Feb. 20, 2010.

On the one hand, the Obama Administration continues its dialogue with Cuban state officials over migration policy, a matter characterized as tinged with national securtity concerns.
La Habana fue escenario este viernes viernes de la segunda ronda de conversaciones migratorias Cuba-Estados Unidos de la era Obama. Los encuentros entre ambos países para hablar sobre temas migratorios, un asunto que Washington considera de seguridad nacional, se reanudaron en Nueva York el verano pasado después de cinco años de interrupción durante el Gobierno de George W. Bush. EE.UU envió ahora a La Habana al subsecretario de Estado adjunto para Asuntos del Hemisferio Occidental, 
Mauricio Vincent, Cuba y EE UU se reúnen para hablar sobre temas migratorios, El País, February 19, 2010.  Negotiations centered on a deal under which the United States would make about 20,000 entry visas available to Cubans and promise to return immigrants undocumented for that purpose by either the Cuban or American governments encountered in international borders.  Cuban for its part would promise to more aggressively police its own bordes against undocumented immigration.
El convenio vigente establece la obligación de EEUU de conceder un mínimo de 20.000 visados anuales a inmigrantes cubanos, así como de repatriar a los balseros interceptados en alta mar. Cuba, por su parte, se compromete a tomar medidas para impedir las salidas ilegales. Ambas naciones expresaron entonces su voluntad de promover una emigración "segura, legal y ordenada", y establecieron un mecanismo de reuniones periódicas para asegurar el cumplimiento de los acuerdos.
Id.

But the U.S. delegation could not resist a bit of aggressive Cold War tactics.  In the course of its talks in Cuba, it invited a group of dissidents to a recption held by the Cuban Interest Section.  This was viewed as a provocation (Cold War style) and produced the necessary response form the Cubans.
hoy sábado la cancillería cubana ha acusado a EE UU de traicionar el "espíritu de cooperación y entendimiento" bilateral y de fomentar la "subversión" en la isla. ¿La razón del cambio? La reunión sostenida anoche por la delegación norteamericana con una treintena de disidentes y miembros de la sociedad civil, que La Habana considera "mercenarios" al servicio de Washington. 
Es el viejo guión de siempre. Según las autoridades cubanas, el subsecretario de la Oficina de Asuntos Hemisféricos del departamento de Estado, Craig Kelly, jefe de la delegación estadounidense, fue advertido de que no realizara "eventos provocadores" aprovechando su visita. Kelly es el funcionario de más nivel que ha visitado la isla desde que Obama llegó a la Casa Blanca, y a juicio de La Habana, su encuentro con los opositores ha demostrado que para Washington es más importante "el apoyo a la contrarrevolución y la promoción de la subversión para derrocar la revolución cubana" que "la creación de un clima conducente a la solución real de los problemas bilaterales".
Los disidentes habían sido invitados hace días a la recepción con Kelly en la residencia del jefe de la Sección de Intereses de EE UU en La Habana, por lo que las autoridades de la isla estaban al tanto de la celebración del encuentro.
Maurico Vincent, Cuba y EE UU vuelven al discurso de la guerra fría, El País, Feb. 20, 2010. SStill, the intensity of the rhetoric appeared somewhat muted, and it has thus far not affected the talks on immigration.  Id.  Talks have also been held on the resumption of direct mail service.  "En septiembre, la entonces responsable para Cuba del departamento de Estado, Bisa Williams, viajó a La Habana con la misión de iniciar un diálogo con vistas a un posible restablecimiento del correo directo entre ambos países, suspendido desde 1963."  Id.

This suggests a slow move toward greater cooperation between the two states.  But it also suggests that the interests of neither is yet to a point where their respective rhetorical positions can profitably be changed.  This isn't merely an "American" problem; rather it suggests the extent to which both states are locked inot rhetorical boxes of their own making.  In the meantime, both countries continue significant police cooperation with respect to drug interdiction.  M. Ziegler, "Forming a New Habit: US-Cuba Cooperation with Drug Interdiction" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Studies Association, Town & Country Resort and Convention Center, San Diego, California, USA Online March 22, 2006 Military cooperation also continues.  "Although U.S. forces at this remote base have been engaging in the annual rite with the Cuban Frontier Brigade for more than a decade, this is the first time that the Southern Command acknowledge the fact.About 150 U.S. and Cuban troops worked side by side last week, testing collaboration across a minefield that has long divided the Cold War adversaries." U.S.-Cuban Military Cooperation Goes Public, July 20, 2009. And despite the embargo, U.S. agricultural sales to Cuba are strong, strong enough in 2008 to "made Cuba the United States' 29th largest agricultural export market." U.S. food sales to Cuba soar 61 percent in 2008, Reuters, Feb. 11, 2009 ("a record amount since American producers began exporting to Cuba under a 2001 amendment to the U.S. trade embargo against the communist-run island" Id.). 

The differences between praxis and rhetoric will likely widen during this year.  It will be interesting to see the way that this gulf between word and deed continues to distort relations between these states.  It will also be interesting to understand the value to both of these disjunctional stances.

  

1 comment:

  1. I wonder what this development means for the exile community in Miami and how this development may affect future national elections in the key state of Florida.

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