Marifeli Perez-Stable

Published in The Miami Herald
April 26, 2007

Getting there from here won’t be quick or easy. In 1948, Cubans last voted in a free and fair presidential election. Six decades later, we’re trapped in the vicious circle of polarized politics, which preempts dialogue and compromise, the indispensable building blocks of a democratic Cuba. Nine months ago, Raúl Castro assumed interim power upon his brother’s illness. Slight hints of change and, unfortunately, the usual intransigence are in evidence. Still, we are now in the realm of opportunities, which might be seized — here and there — or missed altogether.

Two recent developments underscore the jagged terrain of Cuban politics.
In early April, Spain’s Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos visited Cuba and restored normal relations. Though the outcome included an agreement to discuss human rights, Moratinos did not meet with the opposition. In June, the European Union will likely follow Spain and reopen diplomatic channels.

Also in April, Vitral — a magazine published by the Catholic Center for Civic and Religious Education in the diocese of Pinar del Río — suspended publication for lack of resources. For 13 years, Bishop José Siro González Bacallao blessed the magazine and its director, Dagoberto Valdés Hernández. But the bishop retired in December, and his successor wasted no time in leaving his mark.

Diplomacy stalled

The dark spring of 2003 prompted a strong European reaction. When 75 peaceful opponents were jailed and three men summarily executed for hijacking a ferry, the European Union downgraded relations. Havana immediately upped the ante by barring European diplomats from all official contacts. Diplomacy — which is most needed when governments don’t see eye to eye — came to a halt.

Moratinos’ visit culminated the thawing that began after the Socialists won the 2004 election. Other European governments welcomed the Spanish lead as an opportunity to regain official contacts in Havana. While harshly critical of Spain, the Czech Republic and other new European democracies also dislike U.S. policy towards Cuba.

I deeply regret that Moratinos snubbed the opposition. Realpolitik, however, left him no choice, though I suspect he assumed it gladly. The opposition rightly lashed out at Spain. In May, a Spanish-Cuban commission — the venue for the newly minted political dialogue — will hold its first meeting. We’ll soon get an inkling of Spain’s willingness to put some bite into the defense of human rights in Cuba. At a minimum, Madrid has serious fence-mending to do with the Cuban opposition.

Vitral, the new bishop tells us, will go on. Only its spirit — under Valdés’ able leadership and Bishop González’s generous gaze — has been snuffed. The church’s pastoral mission is at issue: Is it mainly one of faith or one that includes the worldly context of our souls? Jaime Cardinal Ortega and Pinar del Río’s new bishop mostly see a faith-based mission. Bishop González and Pedro Meurice Estiú — the recently retired archbishop of Santiago de Cuba — embrace a more-holistic understanding, which has just been dealt a harsh blow. Hard-line Cuban officials must be smiling.

Focus on human rights

Cuba has been adamant about making the slightest concession on human rights. In contrast, China has allowed the United Nations to visit its prisons while Vietnam has given the European Union some room to criticize violations. Might Spain succeed in nudging Havana in a similar direction? Even if not in the short term, the diplomatic renewal is better than the alternative that Washington offers.

The Pinar del Río fracas saddens me deeply. Two pastoral views long coexisted within Cuban Catholicism. Vitral’s light for all Cubans — Catholic or not — has been shut. Clearly, raw power struggles also weighed in the decision. Might the hierarchy reconsider a more-inclusive mission in the future? Faith alone — powerful as it is — cannot sustain our humanity. Let’s not forget that nearly half of those imprisoned in 2003 were Catholic.

Ultimately, the central issue is the Cuban government. Having ruled by fiat for so long, its leaders can’t imagine any other way. But there is, and we — Moratinos and Pinar del Río’s new bishop included — know it. A democratic Cuba will embrace us all, which is why opportunities for dialogue and compromise must now be seized. We’re certainly not going to get there from today’s polarized politics..