An Absent State and a Humanitarian Crisis

Editorial: An Absent State and a Humanitarian Crisis
DDC | Madrid | 19 Nov 2015 - 2:40 pm.

The media silence surrounding the handling of this crisis betrays the
regime's complicity in human trafficking, inasmuch as it is doing
nothing to prevent it.

The failure of Castroism was exposed for the umpteenth time by the
thousands of Cubans fleeing, spurred by rumors that the Cuban Adjustment
Act will be repealed, but above all by the hopelessness in their own
country, despite the restoration of relations with the US. They, unlike
the rest of the world, are not at all optimistic, as Raúl Castro has
been unable to convince them that a new era will begin.

They are fleeing a State that is unable to provide its people with even
the most basic services, built for over half a century by the Castro
brothers. A State that is now busy concealing the dramatic plight of
those thousands of compatriots and their families, negligent as it fails
to warn them of the dangers of emigration via Central American routes,
and whose only statement regarding the issue has been one by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) attempting to exploit the fate of
these Cubans to blame Washington, without condemning violent actions
perpetrated by the Nicaraguan military against them.

The MINREX's statement leaves open the possibility that those who so
desire may return to the country, but disregards Cuban citizens who have
undertaken journeys to the US. Once there, and only then, will Havana
pay any attention to them, as possible tools to place pressure on
Washington, or potential financiers, as it is only in these capacities
that they are of any interest to the regime. Are those thousands of wary
and distrustful Cubans right, then? How can one place any hope in
authorities who scornfully deny them their rights, and always have?

The media silence surrounding the handling of this crisis betrays the
regime's complicity in human trafficking, insofar as it is doing nothing
to prevent it. And its failure to warn the public about the dangers of
the Central American route to the US could further aggravate the
problem. And General Raúl Castro, the cause and culprit behind all this,
is quite capable of turning it into a humanitarian crisis.

Source: Editorial: An Absent State and a Humanitarian Crisis | Diario de
Cuba - http://www.diariodecuba.com/cuba/1447940431_18250.html