Miami Herald - Important editorial on US policy towards Cuba
Miami Herald
Posted on Sun, Nov. 19, 2006
U.S. plan ineffective by design
OUR OPINION: REVAMP CUBA PROGRAMS AND LIFT TRAVEL, REMITTANCE
RESTRICTIONS
U.S. government programs to promote democracy in Cuba have squandered
too much money with too little oversight or results. The programs need
to be retooled to be more strategic and effective. More important,
lifting U.S. restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba would do
far more to promote democracy in Cuba than any U.S. aid program. Cuban
Americans and private U.S. organizations should be free to directly
support Cuba's civil society.
With visits and material support, exiles and pro-democracy groups will
reduce the fear of change and demonstrate the benefits of free markets
among Cubans on the island. Such contacts with the outside world show
goodwill and break the regime's information blockade. These are the
best ways to increase the chances of a peaceful transition to
democracy.
Promoting democracy in Cuba should be a U.S. priority. Unfortunately,
the U.S. government's execution has faltered: The bulk of $70
million-plus spent in 10 years has ended up in Miami and Washington,
D.C., paying academics, shippers and for trips to international
conferences. Only a fraction actually helped democracy activists in
Cuba. Those are the findings of last week's Miami Herald investigative
series Promoting Democracy in Cuba.
Spread the money
Worse, it appears these programs were designed to be ineffective. Since
the 1980s, no administration has wanted to risk another Mariel boatlift
by destabilizing Cuba. The Clinton and current Bush administrations,
under which these Cuba-democracy programs grew, were no different.
Better to spread the money among vote-rich Cuban constituencies than to
rock the boat by sending cash directly to dissidents. Some of the
projects and groups funded by the U.S. Agency for International
Development and other U.S. agencies are clearly worthwhile. CubaNet
(www.CubaNet. org), for example, posts news and opinion items phoned in
by independent journalists from Cuba. The website distributes
nongovernmental news from Cuba and publishes outside news to those in
Cuba. Thus, CubaNet breaks the regime's information blockade and
promotes a free press.
Other recipients have not been as productive. With USAID funds,
Miami-based Acción Democrática Cubana bought Nintendo Game Boys,
leather jackets, cashmere sweaters and Godiva chocolates -- all sent to
Cuba, says the group's executive director.
Some problems result from USAID's lax management and oversight, as
described by a Government Accountability Office report released last
week. USAID doesn't effectively monitor whether the goods and services
it funds actually promote democracy in Cuba. The GAO referred three
USAID-funded agencies for further scrutiny.
USAID also has had dubious selection criteria: 95 percent, or $62
million, of awards from 1996 to 2005 were granted without competitive
bidding to ''unsolicited proposals.'' In one case of apparent
competitive bidding, USAID gave $750,000 to the Creighton University
law school to study property restitution in Cuba -- although the school
had no expertise in Cuba studies. Coincidentally, Adolfo Franco,
director of USAID Caribbean programs, re ceived his degree from
Creighton's law school.
The greatest difficulty is Cuba's totalitarian regime. The regime
blocks mailings, prevents Cuban students from using U.S. scholarships
and makes it tough for independent journalists to complete
correspondence courses offered by Florida International University. Yet
USAID prohibits using its funds to send cash to anyone on the island
when dissidents can often, and more cost-effectively, find what they
need on the black market.
A peaceful transition
The $80 million that President Bush wants for Cuba-democracy programs
over the next two years is a small price to pay for promoting change in
Cuba, but the programs must be completely revamped. Any aid should
strengthen Cuba's democrats and promote a peaceful transition. The
programs should be strategic, accountable, competitively bid and
critically evaluated.
Lifting limits on travel and remittances would give more money and aid
to dissidents and ordinary Cubans, helping to break dependence on the
dictatorship. Whatever money trickles into regime coffers will be
minimal compared to what Cubans suffer and how much isolation
strengthens the regime.
Posted on Sun, Nov. 19, 2006
U.S. plan ineffective by design
OUR OPINION: REVAMP CUBA PROGRAMS AND LIFT TRAVEL, REMITTANCE
RESTRICTIONS
U.S. government programs to promote democracy in Cuba have squandered
too much money with too little oversight or results. The programs need
to be retooled to be more strategic and effective. More important,
lifting U.S. restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba would do
far more to promote democracy in Cuba than any U.S. aid program. Cuban
Americans and private U.S. organizations should be free to directly
support Cuba's civil society.
With visits and material support, exiles and pro-democracy groups will
reduce the fear of change and demonstrate the benefits of free markets
among Cubans on the island. Such contacts with the outside world show
goodwill and break the regime's information blockade. These are the
best ways to increase the chances of a peaceful transition to
democracy.
Promoting democracy in Cuba should be a U.S. priority. Unfortunately,
the U.S. government's execution has faltered: The bulk of $70
million-plus spent in 10 years has ended up in Miami and Washington,
D.C., paying academics, shippers and for trips to international
conferences. Only a fraction actually helped democracy activists in
Cuba. Those are the findings of last week's Miami Herald investigative
series Promoting Democracy in Cuba.
Spread the money
Worse, it appears these programs were designed to be ineffective. Since
the 1980s, no administration has wanted to risk another Mariel boatlift
by destabilizing Cuba. The Clinton and current Bush administrations,
under which these Cuba-democracy programs grew, were no different.
Better to spread the money among vote-rich Cuban constituencies than to
rock the boat by sending cash directly to dissidents. Some of the
projects and groups funded by the U.S. Agency for International
Development and other U.S. agencies are clearly worthwhile. CubaNet
(www.CubaNet. org), for example, posts news and opinion items phoned in
by independent journalists from Cuba. The website distributes
nongovernmental news from Cuba and publishes outside news to those in
Cuba. Thus, CubaNet breaks the regime's information blockade and
promotes a free press.
Other recipients have not been as productive. With USAID funds,
Miami-based Acción Democrática Cubana bought Nintendo Game Boys,
leather jackets, cashmere sweaters and Godiva chocolates -- all sent to
Cuba, says the group's executive director.
Some problems result from USAID's lax management and oversight, as
described by a Government Accountability Office report released last
week. USAID doesn't effectively monitor whether the goods and services
it funds actually promote democracy in Cuba. The GAO referred three
USAID-funded agencies for further scrutiny.
USAID also has had dubious selection criteria: 95 percent, or $62
million, of awards from 1996 to 2005 were granted without competitive
bidding to ''unsolicited proposals.'' In one case of apparent
competitive bidding, USAID gave $750,000 to the Creighton University
law school to study property restitution in Cuba -- although the school
had no expertise in Cuba studies. Coincidentally, Adolfo Franco,
director of USAID Caribbean programs, re ceived his degree from
Creighton's law school.
The greatest difficulty is Cuba's totalitarian regime. The regime
blocks mailings, prevents Cuban students from using U.S. scholarships
and makes it tough for independent journalists to complete
correspondence courses offered by Florida International University. Yet
USAID prohibits using its funds to send cash to anyone on the island
when dissidents can often, and more cost-effectively, find what they
need on the black market.
A peaceful transition
The $80 million that President Bush wants for Cuba-democracy programs
over the next two years is a small price to pay for promoting change in
Cuba, but the programs must be completely revamped. Any aid should
strengthen Cuba's democrats and promote a peaceful transition. The
programs should be strategic, accountable, competitively bid and
critically evaluated.
Lifting limits on travel and remittances would give more money and aid
to dissidents and ordinary Cubans, helping to break dependence on the
dictatorship. Whatever money trickles into regime coffers will be
minimal compared to what Cubans suffer and how much isolation
strengthens the regime.
posted by peaceandjustice2005 at 11:30 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home