[NYTr] Bush's Speech: Unimpressed Gusanos Speak

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

[For the most part, except for the USA-owned (lock, stock and barrel)
Mara Beatriz Roque, these counterrevolutionaries were as unimpressed as
the anti-Cuban forces within the USA. Bush flopped big-time in
Cuba, as well as in the USA. -NYTr]

Progresso Weekly - Nov 1, 2007
http://www.progreso-weekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=210&Itemid=1


Reaction of dissidents in Cuba to President Bush's speech

The opinions of these dissidents were expressed to the bureaus of
international news agencies and media established in Cuba: EFE, BBC,
ANSA, El País, Progreso Weekly/Semanal. 

Martha Beatriz Roque, economist and former prisoner: The lifting of the
"embargo by the Cuban government against the Cuban people" must precede
the lifting of the U.S. embargo against Cuba. "The speech shows that
Bush knows perfectly well what is happening in Cuba at this time; it is
something visible." (ANSA, Oct. 25, 2007.) 

Óscar Espinosa Chepe, economist and former prisoner: "Instead of
encouraging the changes that at this moment are debated within the
government, changes that are possible though not certain, [Washington]
reinforces the sectors that don't want any reform." In his opinion,
Bush should have authorized travel to Cuba by the exiles, instead of
maintaining and tightening the embargo because of the upcoming
elections. "It seems there is a Holy Alliance between those who -- in
Cuba and the U.S. -- don't want anything to change." (Newspaper El País
of Spain, "Bush hallucinates," by Mauricio Vicent, Oct. 26.)

Oswaldo Payá, leader of the Christian Liberation Movement: "The
definition of the changes in Cuba is up to the Cuban people; the design
for the transition is also up to the Cuban people." (EFE, Oct. 25.)
"Whoever wishes to support the Cubans must always support this civic
and peaceful road." (BBC, Oct. 25.) 

Vladimiro Roca, former prisoner, member of the All United Movement:
Washington's strategy "has failed" and the blockade against the island
"has no further importance, nor does it represent a fundamental issue
in [U.S.] policy." To Roca, Bush and the Republicans "are trying not to
lose Florida," a possibility that the polls have raised. (EFE, Oct. 25.)

Miriam Leyva, of the Ladies in White: Leyva told CNN that Bush's words
have an important election-year component, although she opined that the
vote in Florida, where most of the anti-Castro exiles live, "has
changed much" in recent years. "What is important in Florida are not
necessarily the hardest positions," said Leyva, who added that "it
would be positive if the U.S. government were not as aggressive" as it
is. "More aperture and flexibility would be timely," she said, because
"a Bush speech with these characteristics will be used by the hardest
sectors" in the Cuban government and "could create difficulties for
reformist elements inside Cuba."

Eloy Gutiérrez Menoyo, former Comandante of the Rebel Army, who served
22 years in prison and currently heads the Cuban Change Movement: "As
usual, U.S. policy toward Cuba has been kidnapped by elitist groups
that are a minority in exile, and this means that President Bush will
persist on his clumsy and meddlesome policy toward Cuba, never
understanding that a good-neighbor policy would be the right way to
achieve democratization inside Cuba." (Statement to Radio Progreso and
Progreso Semanal/Weekly, on Oct. 27.)

Manuel Cuesta Morúa, leader of Progressive Arc: "In the first place, we
are in total disagreement with the meddlesome policy President Bush has
again designed. Covertly, he is not only performing an act of
interference but also calling for violence among Cubans, and that is
totally unacceptable. It is us Cubans who must design a transition to
democracy in Cuba; just us Cubans, no one else. The international
community must support whatever we define and decide. Cuba is not a
captive state of the U.S. (Statement made to Radio Progreso Alternativa
and Progreso Semanal/Weekly, Oct. 28.)