More Hostile Comments About Cuba from U.S. Vice President Pence and U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States  

As discussed in a previous post, harsh rhetoric about Cuba recently has come from the lips of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and the new U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Carlos Trujillo. Now there has been more such rhetoric.

Vice President Pence[1]

On May 2, the Vice President at his Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, conducted the swearing-in of  Carlos Trujillo, a Cuban-American, as the new U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States. In his remarks, the Vice President said, “In Cuba, the Castro name may be fading, but its legacy of tyranny lives on and hangs over that country like a cloud, darkening the future of all who call that island home.”

On May 7, the Vice President appeared at a Special Meeting of the Permanent Council of OAS at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. and said the following about Cuba:

• “In Cuba, the longest-surviving dictatorship in the Western Hemisphere still clings to power.  For nearly 60 years, the Castro family systematically sapped the wealth of a great nation and of the Cuban people.  While the Castro name is now fading, the oppression and police state they imposed is as powerful as ever.”
• “Today, the United States once again stands with the Cuban people in their stand for freedom.  No longer will our dollars fund Cuba’s military, security, and intelligence services — the core of that regime.  And in this administration, we will stand and we will always say, ‘Que Viva Cuba Libre.’”
• “But Cuba’s leaders have never been content to stifle just their own people’s freedom.  For generations, that communist regime has sought to export its failed ideology across the wider region.  And today, the seeds of Cuban tyranny are bearing fruit in Nicaragua and Venezuela.”

The main topic of his address, however, was the announcement of new U.S. measures against Cuba’s major ally, Venezuela:  imposing financial sanctions on three Venezuelans; providing $2.5 million to help Venezuelans temporarily living in Colombia; and demanding Venezuela’s president to open the country to international aid. In addition, Pence demanded that the country suspend what he called a fraudulent election later this month and called for the other OAS members “to cut off Venezuela’s corrupt leaders from laundering money through your financial systems;” “to enact visa restrictions that prevent Venezuela’s leaders from entering your nations;” “to hold [President] Maduro accountable for destroying Venezuela’s democracy;” and to vote to suspend Venezuela from the OAS.

Ambassador Trujilo[2]

At his May 2 swearing-in, Ambassador Trujillo criticized President Obama’s being in Cuba in 2016 “shaking hands, eating hotdogs, and celebrating a baseball game with a dictator who tortured and imprisoned political prisoners and dissidents throughout many years.” The new Permanent Representative concluded by saying, “I look forward to working diligently with that resolve and never wavering until Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and the Western Hemisphere is free and able to enjoy the liberties and democracies that we all celebrate.” (Emphasis added.)

On Sunday, May 6, on Univision, Trujillo said that “Raul Castro should be tried for his crimes against human rights” and that he hopes for the OAS , and for other agencies, that these trials will be held.” These comments were supported by a spokesman for the International Justice Commission of Cuba, which is composed of civil rights activists from 10 countries.

Cuba’s Response[3]

The Cuban response was provided on May 7 by its  Foreign Ministry’s Director General for the United States,  Fernandez de Cossio. He rejected what he called “aggressive and false” statements by Vice President Pence at the OAS meeting. Indeed, Pence  allegedly lied when he claimed that the U.S. has a long-standing commitment on the continent to democracy and freedom and that the U.S. supports the Cuban people. Moreover, the U.S. has intensified the blockade (embargo) of the island, aimed at stifling its economy and people while the OAS Is “known for its support for the most horrendous crimes on the continent, ranging from coups and brutal dictatorships to assassinations, torture and disappearances.”

Minister Fernandez continued. Vice President Pence does not realize that Latin America is different and that the U.S. policies will fail. Cuba will continue to build an independent, sovereign, socialist, democratic and sustainable country, and will also continue to support the construction of our America in solidarity and respectful of the diversity of peoples.

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[1] White House, Remarks by vice President Pence at Swearing-In Ceremony of Carlos Trujillo as U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (May 2, 2018); White House, Remarks by Vice President Mike Pence During a Protocolary Meeting at the Organization of American States (May 7, 2018); Assoc. Press, US Hits 3 Venezuelans, 20 Companies, With Sanctions, N.Y. Times (May 7, 2018).

[2]  White House, Remarks by vice President Pence at Swearing-In Ceremony of Carlos Trujillo as U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (May 2, 2018); Carlos Trujillo: Raúl Castro must be tried for his crimes against human rights, Diario de Cuba (May 7, 2018).

[3] The MINREX qualifies Pence’s statements as ‘aggressive and false,’ Diario de Cuba (May 6, 2018); Cuba rejects aggressive speech by Mike Pence, vice president of the United States, CubaDebate (May 7, 2018).