October 03, 2007
Useless Migration Accords Change Nothing
A recent statement by Cuba's ambassador to Mexico calling for a new immigration accord between the two nations raises some serious questions regarding the Cuban "government's" loss of touch with reality and the Mexican government's tacit acceptance of an outlaw regime.
In the statement released yesterday afternoon, Manuel Aguilera de la Paz called such an agreement one of the last remaining issues requiring resolution before the two countries can improve their already strained relations. According to Sean Murphy, consul general at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, some 10,000 Cubans have entered the United States this year by traveling first to Mexico and continuing through the United States' southern border. Given the fact that this number represents the months of January 2007 through September 2007, it's safe to say that the number will continue to climb.
The governments of Mexico and Cuba can produce any number of bilateral accords aimed at halting "illegal" migration from Cuba, but in the end, the flow of balseros will never stop. If the Cuban "government" really wishes to stem the tide of dangerous migration, there is only one solution. Change. If the Castro regime really felt any kinship with its own people, if the regime really wanted to save the lives of those unknown numbers of rafters who die each and every year during their attempts to escape the island, they would cede power, hold elections and answer for their crimes. And if the Mexican government of President Felipe Calderon is truly worried about the safety of our brothers and sisters, it will respond to Aguilera de la Paz's statement by calling for such measures.
The sad fact is, this is much easier said than done. The brothers-Castro, as well as several other high-level officials in the de-facto government, know all-too-well, that the possibility for gaining a safe exit from Cuba through political exile and asylum in a foreign country, are now slim-to-none. Interim "President" Raul Castro's recent roundup and beating of some 200 peaceful dissidents laid bare his true intentions. The regime's apologists can no longer hide behind the hope that Raul will institute positive change on the island. The cat's out of the bag and it's only going to get worse. Last week's mass roundup of dissidents has sown even more seeds of outrage within the island and Cuba's de-facto "leaders" won't be getting off lightly. That opportunity is long gone. Thus, with the regime knowing full-well that it's "leaders" face imprisonment or worse - as opposed to political exile - their only recourse is to maintain the repression that envelops the island so as to hold on to power. Lose power, and you lose your freedom. It's simple logic.
Will Calderon step up to the plate? That's anyone's guess.
Posted by at October 3, 2007 07:50 AM
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Comments
I'm afraid Mexico is quite hopeless, regardless of the party or person in power. There's no point expecting blood from turnips, so don't even bother.
Posted by: asombra ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.babalublog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 3, 2007 10:38 AM
Unfortunately, asombra, I agree with you 100 percent. Latin America today is more corrupt than its ever been in modern history. This becomes even more apparent when we see the number of LA leaders who support the repressive regime in Havana. All the fat cats are scratching each other's back, much to our detriment.
AB
Posted by: CubaWatch at October 3, 2007 10:48 AM
Latin America is one of the most corrupted areas in the world. And in that world of corruption, Mexico is the cream of the crop. I know....I had to endure that system of corruption for almost 10 years. Mexico does not give a darm about the Cuban people. If it does not care for its own....why does anyone feel that they will care about others. The one GOD in Mexico is "Mula". Money, Money, money.
Posted by: Henry Agueros at October 3, 2007 11:10 AM
Even apart form its abysmal track record regarding Cuba, Mexico practices aggressive hypocrisy and shamelessness with respect to the whole illegal immigration issue. Its top priority should be to improve things at home so that Mexicans won't need or want to leave the country, as opposed to taking the far easier excpedient of dumping people they don't want on the US so they become a source of revenue for Mexico.
Of course, the Castro regime practices a similar version of that, though on a smaller scale. Either way, it's pure cynical opportunism and major cop-out. In other words, if you're not prepared to do what it takes to provide for your own people, just foist them on another country so they can start sending remittances back home. The difference is that, in Mexico's case, it is far richer in natural resources than Cuba, so there's even less excuse for the status quo.
Posted by: asombra at October 3, 2007 11:21 AM
Exactly!
Posted by: Tomas Estrada-Palma at October 3, 2007 01:25 PM
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