Cuba’s dissidents are not alone

Opinion: April 6, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

Miami Herald: When former President Jimmy Carter last visited Cuba, in 2002, he delivered a remarkable speech via the state-run media that criticized the Castro dictatorship and exposed listeners to the truly revolutionary idea that it’s up to the Cuban people, not the one-party regime nor any foreign government, to determine Cuba’s future.

Naturally, his visit raised hopes that this might represent an ever-so-small but significant breakthrough for democracy. Within months, Fidel Castro dashed those hopes. The Cuban “black spring” of March 2003 saw the round-up and imprisonment of 75 dissidents on flimsy, capricious charges designed to stifle any hint of political freedom or accommodation. It was a vicious blow to the aspirations of millions of Cubans and a testament to the enduringly repressive and capricious nature of the hard-line Castro regime.

Carter’s trip made sense back then, and so does his latest journey. Neither visits by a former U.S. president nor even by the pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church can change Cuba, but the visits are worthwhile.

Although he was unable to secure the release of detained American Alan Gross, which was never in the cards, Carter was able to meet with this imprisoned victim of Cuban state security and raise the issue with Cuban officials.

His meetings with Cuba’s brave band of democracy advocates also deserve commendation.

Such meetings give the dissidents the imprimatur of recognition by an individual who won the Nobel Peace Prize. It means they are not alone. It gives the dissidents hope, something always in short supply in Cuba. It means their sacrifices are honored. It puts the government on notice that the world is watching and will condemn any punishment that comes their way from the repressive security apparatus.