Unceasing beatings and arrests in Cuba

Unceasing beatings and arrests in Cuba

Little human-rights progress since "normalization"
John Kerry says democratization will be gradual
In the meantime, Congress should maintain U.S. embargo

Two reports this week put the human-rights problem in Cuba into stark,
and discouraging, relief. In the period since the landmark agreement in
December reestablishing full diplomatic relations with the United
States, the Castro government appears to be doubling down on repression.

One report, delivered Tuesday at the General Assembly of the Inter
American Press Association, is contained in a depressing overview of
press freedom in the Americas. No country is safe from the wave of
censorship sweeping the region, the report says. Yet Cuba is a special case:

"In Cuba, despite the reestablishment of relations between the Cuban and
U.S. governments, little progress has been made in freedom of
expression, freedom of association and freedom of the press, and two
journalists remain behind bars. The methods of repression include
censorship of critical websites, inspection of emails, suspension of
mobile phone service and physical and verbal attacks on activists and
independent journalists."

In other words, nothing has changed: Expressing an independent opinion
in Cuba is hazardous to your civil liberties. On Monday, the independent
Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation put it into
numbers: The Havana-based group said it recorded 882 political
detentions in September, the most in the past 15 months.

And, according to the commission, being a dissident is hazardous to your
health, as well. It accused government agents or their surrogates of
carrying out 93 beatings of political dissidents during the past month,
an "abrupt" escalation over the 21 registered in August.

What's even more outrageous, if such is possible: The commission said
the government unleashed "a genuine wave of political and social
repression that led to at least 353 'preventive detentions' " during the
visit of Pope Francis and in the days leading up to it, with the aim of
keeping dissidents from attending any gathering with the pontiff.

Keep in mind that all of this is taking place within the context of a
"normalization" of relations with the United States based on the
presumption of concessions by both sides. For the United States, as
President Obama made clear in his declaration last December, improvement
in the human-rights climate on the island is one of the principal
objectives of U.S. diplomacy. Yet so far, Cuba couldn't seem to care
less about its obligation to treat its citizens with respect.

On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that "a full
democracy takes time, but there is progress." He compared the
establishment of full relations with China and Vietnam to the process
underway in Cuba and said that in both of the other countries,
improvement in democracy was gradual.

But he also implied that there has to be a commitment by the government
to do its part. "There has to be a path traced to improve the
relationship of the government with its people." We wish we could report
signs of betterment, but Cuba's record is just the opposite. Things are
certainly getting worse.

Mr. Kerry tied his remarks on gradual improvements in the democratic
climate to the administration's desire to get rid of the trade embargo.
He said that would help the people of Cuba. Perhaps he's right, but it's
up to Congress to take decisive action, and at this point, dropping the
embargo would be premature.

No one realistically expected an overnight improvement in the climate of
democracy in Cuba as a result of the normalization of diplomatic
relations with the United States. But until the government takes
concrete actions to lift the stifling repression and allows Cubans to
speak without fear of retaliation, Congress shouldn't budge.

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