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Cuba and Amnesty International

By Dave Silver, 6 September 1997

All anti-imperialists and particularly those who are in solidarity with SOCIALIST CUBA, should be aware of the unwarranted and politically motivated accusations by Amnesty International for alleged human rights violations.

Their newsletter Urgent Action Appeal dated 26th of August, 1997 is an appeal in behalf of Prisoner of Conscience Roberto Gonzalez Tibanear. According to the newsletter Mr. Gonzalez told two Spanish journalists outside the embassy where some Cubams tried to gain asylum, that the only person who should leave Cuba is Fidel Castro. Amnesty tries to justify its position when it states that Those who attempt to ...FORM ORGANIZATIONS THAT CONFLICT WITH GOVERNMENT POLICY AND/OR THE AIMS OF THE SOCIALIST State can be subject to punitive measures such as harrassment, intimidation and often imprisonment.

Amnesty throws a political curveball here in essence saying that just as we tolerate and allow Nazi groups to rally and march so too Cuba should adhere to the bourgeois concept of democracy and allow incipient counterevolutionary expressions and actions, even as Cuba is under counterevolutionary terrorist bombings in Havana.

Another entry in the same newsletter dated July 17, 1997 announces Cuba arrests follow government crackdowns on peaceful government critics. When we look to see who these peaceful critics are what do we find? The report refers to an organized group called and get this;

Internal Dissidents Working Group for the Analysis of the CUBAN SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION. This is Aesopian language to cover its real intent; to bring a little perestroika and glasnost to Cuba so that the people can reap the benefits of the free market just like the Russians. They are the ideological kinsman of the stratum of Soviet intellectuals that gave us the new thinking which abolished class struggle for universal human values. Vladimir Roca Antunes, for whom Amnesty sheds crocodile tears is not only a member of the Working Group but also Partido Social Democrata Cubano (many former communists who have rejected socialism have turned to social-democracy). The others detained were Maria Cabello of the unofficial Instituto Cubano de Economistas Independientes. Inedpendent economists indeed. Independent of what? Why of course Marxism-Leninism. Readers should harken back to the Reagan years when a million people marched for nuclear disarmament and peace in Moscow and neo-marxists, new left types and social democrats all yelled; YES BUT THAT'S THE OFFICIAL MARCH SPONSORED BY THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF THE SOVIET UNION. Then we have an unofficial lawyers group called Corriente Agramontista or Agromonte Current. Why an independent group of attorneys? Is there any evidence that they were hindered in doing their legal work under Cuban laws? No.

Surprise. Ana Maria Agramonte and prisoner of conscience happens to be the leader the Movimiento Accion Nacional that, along with Concilio Cubano is trying to provide an umbrella organization for all of the poor dissidents.

Viva Cuba Revolucionaria y Socialista.