Why We Can't Normalize Relations With Castro's Cuba

Mark Noonan

Because we already have relations with enough savage, inhuman governments and we don’t need any more:

A church leader from a fast growing independent Church movement in Cuba is being accused of criminal activity by the Government just one month after a Pastor from the same group was sentenced to six years in prison.

This follows the recent detention at least sixty pastors and leaders in May and June.

Alexi Perez has been in prison for over a month accused of illicit economic activity. Although the original charges against him have been dropped, he now faces a new charge of illegally receiving construction materials.

Observers note this new charge is the same as that reportedly made against a prominent human rights activist; Dr. Darsi Ferrer Ramirez.

Alexi Perez oversees a group of around 100 church members (out of a total of 800), at the Apostolic Evangelical Church in San Jose de las Lajas in Havana Province.

In July, Pastor Omar Gude Perez, again from the Apostolic Movement, was sentenced to six years in prison. He had spent fourteen months in jail without trial prior to sentencing, and the charges against him had been changed on two occasions.

Around sixty other pastors and leaders from the Apostolic Movement have reported being temporarily detained and threatened on charges of “social dangerousness” in two sweeps between May and June this year.

Any government which charges people with “social dangerousness” is not a government we wish to have relations with. At least, its not if we have a government at all in tune with core, American principles. Naturally, the Obama Administration – as well as the usual suspects in Hollywood and on the left in general – are eager for the day of normalization…so that we can, also, pour out US funds to subsidize Castro’s inhuman horror.

No, never – until Castro and his hateful regime are gone, we must not have normal, diplomatic relations. Further more, we should seek means by which we can progressively downgrade our relations with other inhuman tyrannies. Free people must band together, not shake hands with barbarians.