Mexico, base for an anti-Castro group from US Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit source - "Luis A. Martin" (Sigue version en espanol) Mexico, base for an anti-Castro group from the U.S. Is financed by the White House; forms part of an official program to undermine the Cuban government La Jornada - May 23, 2002 by JIM CASON Y DAVID BROOKS Washington (DC) and New York, May 22--When 4 Mexican senators wrote letters to Fidel Castro in 1999 asking him to legalize opposition parties and conduct elections supervised from abroad, they probably did not know that the initiative was part of a program financed by the government of the U.S. to weaken the Cuban regime U.S. government documents obtained by La Jornada clearly point to those written statements and, at least, an anti-Castro demonstration at the Mexican embasy in the island were the result of activities by a group interested in "human rights in Cuba" and financed by the U.S. Those activities in Mexico and other countries could widen according to U.S. officials since President George W. Bush announced this week that he would increase what he defined as "direct assistance to the Cuban people through non-government organizations." Although officials would not detail the new anti-Castro efforts, particularly in Mexico, members of the White House staff said this week that their government hopes to increase financing for Castro opposition groups in Cuba, as well as, in countries such as Mexico and Spain. How these initiatives operate can be determined by looking over the activities that the U.S. has financed through NGOs and in campaigns with "civil society" in this country and others. From 1996 to 2000, the U.S. government granted 6,419,275 USD to 15 ONGs and 3 universities dedicated to supporting dissidents in Cuba. Last year, Washington gave another 5 million USD for these activities and is proposing to spend the same amount this year. A program evaluation in 2001 by the accounting firm, Price Waterhouse Coopers, revealed that the greater portion of these funds remained in the U.S., mostly with groups based in Miami that conducted vague efforts to support anti-Castro activities. "The purpose of the program is subject to conflicting perceptions arising since its inception and persist even today", said Price Waterhouse in his evaluation of the program, a copy of which can be found in the internet web site for the U.S. International Development Agency (USAID). "Some argue that the program would promote gradual and peaceful change in Cuba...others sustain that it would follow an intensive strategy of public relations and realize activities abroad and in Cuba to force the island's government to change its repressive policies." These disputes, wrote the firm, has frequently obstructed the effectiveness of the project in the past. But even if this assistance program would be effective, it is counterproductive and only serves to undermine the legitimate Castro critics who work within Cuba to promote reforms, claimed expresident Carter last week. Gillian Gunn Clissold, Trinity College professor in Washington (DC) and expert in Cuba relations believes that these programs have more to do with U.S. policy than with change in Cuba. Frankly, I feel that perhaps the Bush government cares less about effective action in Cuba than pacifying certain people within the Cuban American sector, she told La Jornada. "The last time that the U.S. government explicitly attempted to strengthen civil society by way of direct assistance to Cuban groups, it had a boomerang effect causing the Cuban groups to be perceived as stooges of the U.S.", he said. But these criticisms have not disuaded Bush. "My administration will relax the restrictions on humanitarian assistance (offered) by U.S. religious and nongovernment organizations which directly serve the needs of the Cuban people and will help build Cuban civil society. And the U.S. will grant direct assistance to such groups that can dedicate themselves to humanitarian and private business activities", said the president last Monday. Before announcing his Cuba policy this week, Bush spoke by telephone with presidents Vicente Fox, Ricardo Lagos of Chile and Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil to inform them ahead of time of what he was going to say, and he asked the countries of the hemisphere to "exert influence on the government of Cuba to allow free and impartial elections for the National Assembly and promote real, meaningful and verifiable reforms. Last week, the New York Times wrote that the Bush government intends to ask other countries in Europe and America, particularly Mexico and Spain, to help generate support for the critics of the Castro government. But, apparently, the Bush government is not only looking to promote this line with other governments. According to the Price Waterhouse summary of the 2001 NGO assistance program, U.S. government funds have been channeled to support a network of Solidarity Committees set up in various countries of Latin America, coordinated by the Cuban Revolutionary Democratic Directorate, based in Miami. According to federal documents, this organization received 89% of its total budget from the U.S. federal government. When La Jornada contacted the offices of the Directorate in Miami to request information on its activities in Mexico, a representative confirmed that the group has worked with organizations in Mexico and other Latin American countries, but refused to give the names of those in charge or information on how to contact them. "I will ask them to contact you", said Orlando Gutierrez. Five days later, La Jornada had not received a reply. However, Gutierrez said that his organization's efforts are directed towards "the promotion of exchanges and relations between Cuban civil society and its Latin American counterparts". Nevertheless, according to legal documents on taxes paid to the federal government, La Jornada has found that the Directorate has established offices for Solidarity Committees in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Argentina. The Directorate spent 46 thousand USD in 1999 and 65 thousand USD in 2000 in "office expenses in Mexico", according to federal form 990 which the NGOs must file with U.S. authorities. However, the Price Waterhouse accounting report offer more details on these activities and describes how the Directorate worked with the Solidarity Committee in Mexico and other groups, to organize anti-Castro activities shortly before the Ibero-American Summit was held in Havana in 1999. "Based on the information presented by the Solidarity Committee in Mexico, 4 Mexican senators wrote letters to the Cuban government before the Ibero-American Summit", said Price Waterhouse, when the activities of the Solidarity Committee financed by the U.S. government assistance program were resumed. The senators asked that the Cuban government adhere to the Vina del Mar and Rio de Janeiro accords on respect for human rights, political pluralism, basic freedoms and the rule of law and representative democracy. They also asked that Cuba would legalize all opposition political parties and civic institutions and hold free elections under international supervision. The Solidarity Committee in Mexico also held informative meetings with various Mexican federal legislators shortly before meeting with representatives of the Cuban Communist Party in June of 1998 in Mexico City. Previously informed by the Solidarity Committee in Mexico, the legislators asked the Cubans if they were ready to implement a pluralistic political process with competing opposition parties. It also pointed out that the Solidarity Committee in Mexico was attempting to widen relations with "student and women's pro life organizations". Other activities organized in Mexico with U.S. funds channeled by the Directorate in Miami also included a picket in front of the Cuban embassy in Mexico City on May 23, 1999, in which a group of Mexican Christian activists carried signs with slogans from the Directorate which said: "For the persecuted, for the political prisoners...for Cuba's freedom". Translation by Luis Martin ----------------------------------- Mexico, base de grupo anticastrista de EU Es financiado por la Casa Blanca; forma parte de un programa oficial para minar al gobierno cubano Washington y Nueva York, 22 de mayo. Cuando en 1999 cuatro senadores mexicanos escribieron cartas a Fidel Castro para solicitarle que legalizara los partidos politicos de oposicion y realizara elecciones supervisadas desde el exterior, probablemente no sabian que esa iniciativa formaba parte de un programa financiado por el gobierno de Estados Unidos para debilitar al regimen cubano. Documentos del gobierno estadunidense obtenidos por La Jornada senalan claramente que esas misivas, y por lo menos una manifestacion anticastrista realizada frente a la embajada de la isla en Mexico, eran resultado de actividades de un grupo interesado en los "derechos humanos en Cuba", financiado por el gobierno de Estados Unidos. Esas actividades en Mexico y otros paises podrian ampliarse, segun funcionarios estadunidenses, a raiz del anuncio del presidente George W. Bush esta semana de incrementar lo que definio como "asistencia directa al pueblo cubano a traves de organizaciones no gubernamentales". Aunque ningun funcionario estuvo dispuesto a detallar los nuevos esfuerzos anticastristas, en particular en Mexico, integrantes de la Casa Blanca informaron esta semana que su gobierno espera poder aumentar el financiamiento para agrupaciones opositoras a Castro tanto en Cuba como en Estados Unidos, y en paises como Mexico y Espana. Es posible saber como funcionarian estas iniciativas al revisar las actividades que Estados Unidos ha financiado a traves de las ONG y en campanas con la "sociedad civil" en este y otros paises. Entre 1996 y 2000 el gobierno estadunidense otorgo 6 millones 419 mil 275 dolares a 15 ONG y tres universidades que se dedicaban a apoyar disidentes en Cuba. El ano pasado, Washington otorgo otros cinco millones de dolares para estas actividades y esta proponiendo gastar una cantidad igual este ano. Una evaluacion del programa de la firma de contabilidad Price Waterhouse Coopers documento en 2001 que gran parte de estos fondos se quedo en Estados Unidos, la mayoria de ellos en grupos con sede en Miami, que desarrollaban esfuerzos vagos por apoyar activistas anticastristas. "El proposito del programa esta sujeto a percepciones divergentes surgidas desde sus inicios y continuan ahora", concluyo Price Waterhouse en su evaluacion de la efectividad de este programa, copia de la cual esta en el sitio de Internet de la Agencia de Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional (Usaid). "Algunos argumentan que el programa deberia promover un cambio gradual y pacifico en Cuba...otros sostienen que se deberia seguir una estrategia intensiva de relaciones publicas y realizar actividades en el extranjero y en Cuba para obligar a que el gobierno isleno cambie sus politicas represivas." Estas disputas, escribio la firma, frecuentemente han obstaculizado la efectividad del proyecto en el pasado. Pero aun si fuese efectivo este programa de asistencia, sostuvo el ex presidente Jimmy Carter la semana pasada, es contraproducente, y de hecho solo sirve para minar a los criticos legitimos de Castro, quienes trabajan en Cuba para promover reformas. Gillian Gunn Clissold, profesora del Trinity College de Washington y experta en la relacion con Cuba, cree que estos programas tienen mas que ver con la politica de Estados Unidos que con el cambio en Cuba. "Francamente, siento que tal vez al gobierno de Bush le importa menos la eficacia de las acciones en Cuba que apaciguar a cierta gente dentro del sector cubanoestadunidense", declaro a La Jornada. "La ultima vez que el gobierno estadunidense explicitamente intento fortalecer a la sociedad civil via la asistencia directa a grupos cubanos, tuvo un efecto de bumeran y provoco que los grupos cubanos fueran percibidos como titeres de Estados Unidos", afirmo. Pero estas criticas no han disuadido a Bush. "Mi administracion relajara las restricciones a la asistencia humanitaria (brindada) por organizaciones estadunidenses religiosas y otras no gubernamentales que atienden directamente las necesidades del pueblo cubano y que ayudaran a construir la sociedad civil cubana. Y Estados Unidos otorgara a tales grupos asistencia directa que puede dedicarse a actividades humanitarias y empresariales", informo el presidente el lunes pasado. Antes de anunciar su politica hacia Cuba esta semana, Bush hablo telefonicamente con los presidentes Vicente Fox; Ricardo Lagos, de Chile, y Fernando Henrique Cardoso, de Brasil, para adelantarles lo que estaba por declarar, y en su discurso solicito a otros paises del hemisferio "usar su influencia sobre el gobierno de Cuba para que permita elecciones libres e imparciales para la Asamblea Nacional, y promover reformas reales, significativas y verificables". La semana pasada, el New York Times informo que el gobierno de Bush tiene la intencion de solicitar a otros paises en Europa y America, particularmente Mexico y Espana, ayuden a generar apoyo para los criticos del gobierno de Castro. Pero, aparentemente, el gobierno de Bush no solo esta buscando promover esta linea con otros gobiernos. Segun el resumen de Price Waterhouse del programa de asistencia a las ONG realizado en 2001, fondos del gobierno estadunidense tambien se han canalizado para apoyar una red de Comites de Solidaridad establecidos en varios paises de America Latina, coordinados por la organizacion Directorio Revolucionario Democratico Cubano, con sede en Miami. Esta organizacion, de acuerdo con documentos federales de hacienda, recibio 89 por ciento de su presupuesto total del gobierno federal estadunidense. Cuando La Jornada se comunico a las oficinas de Directorio en Miami para solicitar informacion sobre sus actividades en Mexico, uno de sus representantes confirmo que han trabajado con agrupaciones mexicanas y de otros paises latinoamericanos, pero se nego a dar los nombres de los encargados o informacion sobre como contactarlos. "Les pedire que se comuniquen con ustedes", ofrecio Orlando Gutierrez. Cinco dias despues, La Jornada no habia recibido ninguna respuesta. Sin embargo, Gutierrez informo que el esfuerzo de su organizacion es "promover intercambios y relaciones entre la sociedad civil cubana y la latinoamericana". No obstante, segun documentos legales de impuestos sometidos al gobierno federal, La Jornada se ha enterado que Directorio ha establecido oficinas para los Comites de Solidaridad en Mexico, Republica Dominicana y Argentina. Directorio gasto 46 mil dolares en 1999 y otros 65 mil en 2000, en el rubro de "gastos de oficina de Mexico", segun la forma 990 federal que deben presentar las ONG a las autoridades fiscales de Estados Unidos. Sin embargo, el informe de la contaduria Price Waterhouse ofrece mas detalles sobre estas actividades y describe como Directorio trabajo con el Comite de Solidaridad en Mexico y otros grupos poco antes de celebrarse, en 1999, la Cumbre Iberoamericana en La Habana para organizar actividades anticastristas. "Con base a la informacion presentada por el Comite de Solidaridad en Mexico, cuatro senadores mexicanos escribieron cartas al gobierno cubano antes de la Cumbre Iberoamericana", informa Price Waterhouse al resumir las actividades de Directorio financiadas por el programa de asistencia del gobierno estadunidense. "Los senadores solicitaron que el gobierno cubano cumpliera con los terminos de los acuerdos de Vina del Mar y Rio de Janeiro que establecen respeto a los derechos humanos, pluralismo politico, libertades basicas, regimen de ley y democracia representativa. Ademas solicitaron que Cuba legalizara a todos los partidos politicos de oposicion y las instituciones civicas y que celebrara elecciones libres bajo supervision internacional". El Comite de Solidaridad en Mexico tambien realizo reuniones informativas con varios legisladores federales mexicanos poco antes de un encuentro con representantes del Partido Comunista de Cuba en junio de 1998, celebrado en la ciudad de Mexico. "Informados por adelantado por el Comite de Solidaridad en Mexico, los legisladores preguntaron a los cubanos si estaban dispuestos a implementar un proceso politico plural con competencia de partidos contrarios", explico Price Waterhouse en su descripcion de como fueron utilizados los fondos del gobierno estadunidense en este tipo de actividades. Tambien senalo que el Comite de Solidaridad en Mexico seguia sus esfuerzos para ampliar relaciones con "organizaciones estudiantiles y de mujeres pro vida". Otras actividades en Mexico organizadas con el apoyo de los fondos estadunidenses canalizados por Directorio en Miami, incluyeron un mitin frente a la embajada de Cuba en la ciudad de Mexico el 23 de mayo de 1999, en el cual un grupo de activistas cristianos mexicanos porto carteles con lemas, segun Directorio, que decian: "por los perseguidos, por los presos politicos... por la libertad de Cuba". ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytcamer-05.24.02-03:57:52-10878