New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is en route to Cuba, AP reports. He is known as a diplomatic troubleshooter and negotiator, but this five-day trip is about “potential agricultural and cultural partnerships” between Cuba and New Mexico. His position on Cuba policy, expressed last year when he was a Democratic presidential candidate, is summed up here by the Council on Foreign Relations.
Hopefully Gov. Richardson will not have a fever upon arrival in Cuba. (see http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1133223_police_chiefs_family_in_cuba_swine_flu_hell)
ReplyDeleteVecino de NF
Vecino, you will note that not one of the 32 British commenters sympathizes one iota with this idiot who thinks he ought to be exempt from sensible H1N1 isolation procedures.
ReplyDeleteLet's see, a state governor, an experienced diplomat and negotiator who speaks Spanish fluently and has met with Castro before, a man who favors improving U.S.-Cuba relations, takes off on an unannounced (some might say hastily planned) five-day trip to Havana to discuss agricultural sales, a task that any state Agriculture Secretary could easily do ... does this sound to you like a State Department-approved foray to put out feelers for some sort of rapprochement? And what if he secures the release of a few political prisoners, as he did in 1996? No, I don't think Richardson's is pushing New Mexican cheese and chili peppers in Havana. It doesn't take five days to do that. Something else may be cooking.
ReplyDelete/s/ Newspaperman.
Something else is in the oven but we will have to see if it cooks. There is a difference between feelers and progress. Quite a difference remains between the US and Cuba, but I get the sense that both Obama and Raul need a tally.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the release of so-called political prisoners is likely going to be in play early on in any negotiations. I think Cuba would have no problem freeing many of the +-56 on Amnesty's list if there were guarantees the US would no longer interfere like Cason did. That the policy of regime change in Cuba was dead. All the rest could be worked out from there. The main difficulty would be how the US and Cuba would go about changing laws intended to combat each other without seeking to be bending to each other. Given the history, the majority of the onus rests with the US.
sending bill richardson does sent an interesting message. baby steps at first can lead to big things.
ReplyDeleteit all ties in to what's happening in congress.
mitio
Leftside,
ReplyDeletedon't you ever get tired of shitting on your own country?
Leftside,
ReplyDeleteDo you advocate that we adopt Cuba's quarantine policies in the US?
Gov.Richardson's first question to his Cuban hosts will be: red or green?
Vecino de NF
anon 923, and do you think your country is perfect? when is critical thought equated with 'shitting on your own country' it is the trapping of totalitarianism that says no one can criticize the system, which is what the wing nuts accuse cuba of doing.
ReplyDeletevecino; the article points out other countries doing the same; is your point only to demonstrate how bad it is for cuba to do it?
ReplyDeleteit was obviously extreme, and he ended up in a situation that shouldn't have gone on that long. but cuba is not unique in over-reacting. but of course your comment is flip, mis-leading and a sad attempt to portray cuba as the ONLY country that would do something like that.
no where was it suggested the US do the same, but your thrown out comment tries to connect the two.
why? (sorry, rhetorical question, you are part of the anti-cuba crowd of those who are pavlovian in their postings. )
Anonymous August 25, 2009 11:33 AM,
ReplyDeleteFirst, a personal request: Please sign with a handle to make it easier to track comments!
The question to Leftside must be taken at face value. He refered to Cuba's quarantine procedures as "sensible H1N1 isolation procedures". So the question arises whether the procedures are sensible only for Cuba, for some countries, or for all countries.
As far as being "pavlovian", it is always interesting to find any critiscism of the Cuban government's policies or personalities to be usually responded by characterizations of the critic rather than correction of a point or offering a counter-argument (Leftside is usually the exception to this rule.)
I guess FDR was right when he characterized all as having canine ancestry. I am glad that we agreed that Cuba's quarantine policies appear to be excessive. This something that the MINSAP might be interested in hearing from some friendly voices.
Vecino de NF
Although the newswires are carrying the story that Gov.Richardson is in Cuba through Friday, there is nothing in Granma. Also Granma noted that Ramiro Valdez gave the official flag to the national baseball team. The Granma article referred to RV by his national government responsibility and historical title not by his ministerial position. Present was Gallego Fernandez who should have performed the ceremonial duty as head of the Cuban committee. Movement in the dais? Where is Raul Castro?
ReplyDeleteVecino de NF
I doubt that Richardson would pass along more than an informal message. We are already talking to them so there is no need for a name player to create any major breakthroughs for the administration. This will allow the admin to continue establish a pattern of engaging Cuba but not giving them a breakthrough.
ReplyDeleteWhy should Gov.Richardson go then? Apparently he is paying for the trip out of his "own" (i.e. no state money) pocket.
ReplyDeleteVecino de NF
Vecino, I am not a scientist, but the President's Science Advisors issued a communique yesterday saying H1N1 represents "a serious health threat" to this country. They recommend more should be done. The Workd Health Organization lists quarantine as a measure to be employed, "if necessary." Quarantines are in place in many countries, including South Korea, Chine, Turkey and Egypt.
ReplyDeleteArgentina has already seen over 300 deaths from H1N1. In Cuba, not one has died and only a small number are infected - despite the numerous flights from Mexico. Is the inconvenience of an individual more important than the lives of hundreds or thousands? This is a difference in thought between individualistic societies and communal-minded ones.
Leftside,
ReplyDeleteSo you suggest that we quarantine all incoming travelers to the US who are symptomatic for specific diseases that require serological follow-up (i.e. lab tests)?
Vecino de NF
Leftside,
ReplyDeleteThe President's science advisors leave out any mention of quarantine in their recommendations. Although H1N1 is characterized as a "serious health threat" this panel makes clear that the problem is the higher than normal level of infections rather the lethality of the infections. By current US standards, Cuba's quarantine policies are excessive, and they are ineffective in view that H1N1 is being propagated in the Cuban population. This is not a fault of any government. It is a fact of life.
Vecino de NF
cuba always will move on the side of excess in cases like this, based on the bio terror they've had to deal with. they are paranoid about it and whether it is excessive or not, it is the Pavlovian type criticism that was commented on, if they did nothing there would be criticism from that side as well.
ReplyDeletequarantine is also NOT exclusive to cuba, many other countries do it as well,
and there have been some reports that thousands may die in USA from it, so should the americans do nothing regarding those enterting the country with suspected symptoms?
Its a difficult decision for any government to make, but as usual whatever the cubans do its wrong, according to certain individuals who post regularly. its not constructive dialogue, just more cubanology.
Anonymous August 26, 2009 10:10 AM,
ReplyDeleteMany diseases show the same symptoms at their onset For example Ebola and the common cold start about the same but they tend to develop quite differently. Most doctors are taught a simple rule at the beginning of their career: when you hear galloping think horses not zebras. The number of deaths expected for H1N1 this year in the US are at most triple the usual flu deaths in a given season. What makes H1N1 different is that apparently is expected to be more contagious (50% infection rates for H1N1 vs less than 20% infection for usual flu strains). The Cuban government has acted in a disproportionate manner to the epidemiological situation. Had the US done the same, tens of thousands of travelers would have to be interned for up to a week while awaiting serological confirmation. The measures have been and will be ineffective because many non-symptomatic carriers have gotten and will get through the quarantine cordon. The only effective way to control the H1N1 situation is through vaccination. Everything else is just a political measure masquerading as epidemiological control.
But going back to Gov.Richardson's trip, if there is no breakthrough that means that the Cuban government is not interested in normalization of relations with the USA at this time.
Vecino de NF
and how do you know the results before they happen, are you on gov richardson's staff? man, that's a pretty heavy leap of logic, if there is no breakthrough, assuming you decide what that means, the meetings are a waste? i would suspect only someone with direct, total inside info would be able to state that. unless it's someone who just wants the trip to fail before it happens.
ReplyDeletere the flu, cuba reaction was excessive, but you'll have to explain why it's political? and your side says everything cuba does is political. yeah right. but is easy for self-fulfilling logic to claim one side does exactly what the other does
there have been cases in past where govts have over reacted in response to perceived disease threats, SARS for one recently. particularly in cubas case their natural reaction is to be overcautious. you want to get some perspective maybe.
Anonymous August 26, 2009 11:37 AM,
ReplyDeletePlease note that my post consisted of general statements that could easily apply to Cuba, the USA, or any other country or political entity! Do you object to any particular one or to the fact that they can apply to the Cuban government's actions?
Gov.Richardson is going through an escalation of meetings going from Sr.Alvarez formerly of Alimport currently of the Chamber of Commerce to Ricardo Alarcón, president of the National Assembly. It stands to reason that he is Havana as an authorative stand-in for the administration, and that he is in a position to make and receive specific offers. He is known to be a serious interlocutor. Everyone wants to lower expectations but please note that I said that if there is no breakthrough that means that the Cuban government is not ready to normalize relations with the USA AT THIS TIME (sorry for the caps but I can not easily bold). The actual breakthrough may be in the form of higher level contacts or the establishment of more often and regular meetings between high level commissions. It doesn't have to be made public. That Gov.Richardson allegedly met with members of the "historical exile" in Miami before traveling to Cuba as reported by the ENH today means that he is keeping all informed. This is not just a trip to offer red or green sauce!
Vecino de NF