Press Release
Your October 5 edition carried a number of reports relating to U.S. policy on Cuba, the case of Jose Posada Carriles, and five Cubans incarcerated in the United States on espionage charges. These reports contained inaccuracies that might mislead readers. Please allow me to set the record straight.
President Obama has called for a "new beginning" to the U.S.-Cuba relationship and has already taken a number of steps to establish a more constructive bilateral relationship, including lifting restrictions on family visits and remittances, starting negotiations on the re-establishment of direct mail service, and resuming bilateral talks on safe, legal, and orderly migration of Cubans to the United States.
These measures are intended to support the desire of the Cuban people to live in freedom and we have encouraged the Cuban government to ease conditions in Cuba, for example by releasing political prisoners and removing restrictions on the exercise of fundamental freedoms. We are committed to building relationships in the Americas based on dialogue and collaboration, and we look forward to the day when a free and democratic Cuba is able to rejoin the inter-American system.
With regards to the Cubana airline tragedy, your reports raised questions about U.S. policy on terrorism, suggesting that the alleged perpetrator of this act was living in "full freedom" in the U.S. This is untrue. The United States condemns all acts of terrorism, including the Cubana tragedy. The alleged perpetrator of the attack on that airliner, Luis Posada Carriles, entered the United States illegally in early 2005. An immigration judge ordered that Posada be removed from the United States on September 27, 2005. This order remains in effect. The immigration judge also determined that Posada could not be removed to either Cuba or Venezuela because it was more likely than not that he would be tortured if sent to those countries.
Since then, my government has been seeking to implement the removal order consistent with its terms and our obligations under the U.N. Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Meanwhile, Posada remains subject to an Order of Supervision from the Department of Homeland Security, which imposes certain restrictions and monitoring requirements. In addition, on April 8, 2009, the U.S. government brought new criminal charges against Posada, accusing him of lying about his involvement in certain terrorist bombings in Havana, Cuba. The case is scheduled for trial early in 2010.
The October 5 article edition also mentioned five individuals currently incarcerated in the United States, referred to as the "Cuban 5," who your article claimed were "unjustly incarcerated." The facts are that these five individuals were openly tried and convicted of having committed crimes in the United States as part of an espionage network for the Cuban regime and for acting as agents of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General. Three of the five were also convicted of conspiring to obtain protected national defense information from U.S. military installations. Another was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue shoot down. These individuals were all tried in U.S. Federal Court and received all the guarantees, procedural rights, and protections of due process afforded by the U.S. criminal justice system, including the right of appeal. The Court of Appeals determined that the defendants received a fair trial and upheld their convictions. On June 15, 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case, leaving the convictions in place. The Court of Appeals did conclude that errors had been made in sentencing three of the defendants, and so the trial court will re-evaluate their sentences this fall.
Finally, contrary to the claim that "the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States for 50 years is the main obstacle to Cuba's development and the well being of the Cuban people," there is no "blockade" on Cuba. The United States trade embargo applies only to individuals subject to U.S. jurisdiction and U.S.-owned or controlled firms. United States sanctions have not prevented Cuba from doing business with other countries. Nor has the embargo prevented the United States from becoming the largest source of food to Cuba (more that $700 million in sales in 2008) and an important provider of medicine and medical equipment. After 50 years, it is clear that it is the Cuban government's oppressive economic policies that have prevented the Cuban people from owning land, developing new businesses, and prospering from their ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit. This remains the main obstacle to Cuba's development. We are confident that when the people of Cuba enjoy the same basic civil and human rights and economic freedoms as the rest of the Caribbean, Cuba will once again be able to develop and prosper.
We hope these clarifications help set the record straight for the people of Barbados.
Sincerely,
D. Brent Hardt
Chargé d'Affaires, a.i.
Embassy of the United States of America