“I saw him just a few weeks ago and he said to me he feels
absolutely deserted, he feels like he’s been left in a foreign country to rot. He was there working on a government
contract. The United States sent him to
Cuba on a government contract and they are finding it too difficult to sit down
with the Cubans and get a dialogue started, and that’s very disappointing to me
and obviously to Alan.”
– Judy Gross, wife of jailed USAID contractor Alan Gross, in
the second part of an interview
on the radio program Latin Pulse; part one here
12 comments:
Sr. Peters,
En el Herald hay un artículo sobre alguien que en Miami está tratando de hacer lo mismo que Alan Gross con métodos más inteligentes.
Como ya se ha dicho aquí el Sr. Gross fue enviado a Cuba como un cordero a un matadero para que fuera apresado y creara una crisis en las relaciones entre ambos gobiernos.
Me refiero al Sr. Utset quien está tratando de introducir información a Cuba por medio de soportes tecnológicos.
En primer lugar felicito a Uset y sus colaboradores porque están haciendo algo a favor de su patria en lugar de hablar basura. Y pienso que eso tiene mucho valor y es poco habitual en los momentos actuales. por lo cual debe destacarse y emularse por otros.
En segundo lugar me parece que lo que intenta hacer tiene sentido pues suministrarle información al pueblo de Cuba es lo que eventualmente contribuira a cambiar su visión del mundo y a propiciar un movimiento de protesta popuar que va a dar el traste con la dictadura.
Una vez hecha la explicación de que soy partidario del esfuerzo de Utset y de que lo felicito por su labor me voy a referir a como mejorar la forma de hacer llegar la información a Cuba y distribuirla por medio de soportes tecnológicos que Utset ha iniciado tan prometedoramente.
Me voy a concentrar en el problema de como poder introducir dicha información al país y distribuirla internamente minimizando la probabilidad de que los que realizen dicha labor sean detectados y arrestados.
Lo ideal para transmitir la información es evitar dos escollos, el control de aduanas para soportes cargados provenientes del exterior y la introducción de la información por el internet mediante su transmisión usando a los suministradores de servicio internet propiedad del estado cubano o de firmas extranjeras bajo la supervisión de los muchachones de Ramirito.
Mandar información a través de soportes de diverso tipo transportados por viajeros es ineficiente porque en primer lugar los pone en peligro y además es solo una cuestión de tiempo ante de que se prohiba la entrada de esos soportes por la aduana y se establezcan los procedimientos de supervisión que los detecten y permitan su decomiso y las sanciones a los correos.
Además una vez detectados el G2 puede hacerse de la vista gorda hasta colocarle alguna técnica electrónica a los soportes y dejarlos pasar para poder seguirle la pista al portador y detectar a quienes van dirigidos para posteriormente poder atrabancar a una mayor parte de la red distribuidora.
Equinongo
Como el chiste pesado de Pascual Angulo, algo similar sucedería inevitablemente si la información se trata de introducirse a traves de los suministradores de servicio internet controlados por los medios oficiales.
Dichos suministradores tienen la historia completa de la navegación por el internet de cada usuario y cuenta con los medios para poder enterarse del contenido de la información que los mismos reciben o envian.
Para controlar la penetración de información adversa por los canales de internet que administran dichos suministradores no tienen que vigilar todas las informaciones que circulan por la misma.
Pueden sencillamente.aplicar técnicas de muestreo para supervisar una parte de la ique entra o sale de la isla.
Y la aplicación de dichas técnicas de control de las comunicacioens les permitiria detectar eventualmente a todo usuario que reciba o envie habitualmente información considerada subversiva y más temprano que tarde a traves de la vigilancia que se organice de los mismos atrabancar a la red de distribución o de obtención de la información completa. solo es una cuestión de tiempo y paciencia para alcanzar dicho resultado.
Y además, aún en los casos de consumidores ocasionales de información considerada subversiva con fines no distribuitivos, la misma siempre se podría detectar a traves de un análisis de los sitios web que visita cada usario guardado en la memoria del proveedor de servicios internet.
Esto le permitiría al gobierno aplicar sanciones menores a dichos usuarios tales como la pérdida temporal o permanentemente de acceso al internet o a multas para desestimular la continuación de tales prácticas "nocivas".
Equinongo
Para evitar las complicaciones anteriores , hipotéticamente, se podrían usar.al menos dos recursos lógicos..
El primero es usar la internet satelital para transmitir la información a dependencias diplomáticas dentro del territorio cubano y luego dentro de las mismas pasar la información a otros soportes y sacar estos de las dependencias diplomáticas a una red que se encargaria de reproducirlos y distribuirlos a través del país.
Esta variante tiene el inconveniente que el G2 vigila. a todo el personal cubano que entra y sale de los recintos diplomáticos y va eventualmente a examinar lo que llevan encima todos los que lo visitan tales lugares ,, o va a usar técnicas de muestreo para revisar una parte de los visitantes o solo va a revisar a los que considere sospechoso de tal conducta.
Y por supuesto cada vez que detecten a correos con soportes que contengan información considerada subversiva van a decomisarla y arrestarlps. por lo cual esta variante no es aconsejable a largo plazo.
En nuestra opinión, la solución óptima para usarla sistematicamente en el momento actual (hay que recordar que esto es un juego de estrategia en el cual ambas partes modifican sus tácticas constantemente en función de lo que hace el contrario por lo cual lo que debe usarse en cada momento puede variar) debería ser:
1- Montar un mesh network por satéllites con equipos receptores y transmisores (bgans) montados en lugares con inmunidad diplomática que le de acceso al internet a una minoria de distribuidores de información que operatían dentro del país.
2- Suministrarles a esos distribuidores a traves de los recintos diplomáticos con las mismas marcas de cd's dvd's y flash drives vírgenes que se venden en las tiendas de recuperación de divisas. para evitar que los correos que extraen dichos soportes de los recintos diplomáticos sean detectados sacando soportes técnológicos cargados con información "subversiva" de los recintos diplomáticos y los puedan acusar de ser portadores de "propaganda enémiga".
3- Facilitarles a los distribuidores ubicados dentro de la isla el acceso a la red satelital sin supervisión gubernamental mediante passwords (claves) que le permitan usar los mesh networks para bajar información,. y luego reproducirla y distribuirla.en los soportes v♂rgenes que se encuentran en su poder.
Tal enfoque, si bien no eliminaria totalmente el peligro de que los participantes en la red de distribución fueran detectados en sus actividades y arrestados, lo reduciria sustancialmente y facilitaria la entrada y divulgación de información procedente del exterior dentro de la isla acelerando, de esta manera, la transformación ideológica de la población.
Por supuesto reitero que nada de estas sugerencias implican una críica al trabajo de Utset.
Hay que comenzar la labor de alguna manera y luego encontrar las formas más adecuadas de perfeccionarla. y Utset tiene el mérito de haberla iniciado..
Espero por tanto que no se moleste conmigo por estas observaciones hechas con la intención de contribuir al éxito de su prometedora iniciativa.
Equinongo
It could be that the re-election success of President Obama could offer a limited opportunity to open discussion about the situation for Mr. Gross in addition to the "Cuba Five".In addition to south Florida's Cuban- Americans now at about 50/50 in favoring better relations, many conservatives in the U.S. now favor change. It's surprising how much bipartisan support there is for at least advancing dialogue. The election of Jeff Flake(R-AZ) to the Senate is another indication of potential bipartisanship since he has favored better relations with Cuba, including a lifting of the travel ban. It's difficult to say how the Cuban government would respond to such initiatives but perhaps now is the time to send out some signals of a willingness to talk at higher levels.
Why make unilateral concessions to the Cuban government without getting anything that would favor the democratic transition back in return?
We should not throw away our only means of influencing the behavior of a totalitarian regime.
The United States should establish quotas for American tourist visits to Cuba that could be raised or lowered according to the Cuban governments democratic reform efforts.
Of course the increased presence of American tourists in Cuba would have a long run subversive result but in our opinion this would not make up for the short run strengthening of the regime tahat would result from the increased inflow of dollars.
With the visits of Cuban Americans that know the language and have reltives and friends in the island the subversive results short run effects would be greater and a larger proportion of their expenditures would benefit their families directly so this type of visits should be allowed.
However, this does raise a problem of non equal treatment under the law that has to be resolved by the US legal system.
Cantaclaro
Just exchange the Cuban 5 for Gross. The election is over, nothing to fear. Time to normalize relations, ASAP.
Cantaclaro makes some good points but the fact is that tourism itself would bring an end to the regime in Cuba. In fact, if the U.S. laid out a serious proposal to allow non Cuban Americans the right to travel, the Cuban government would likely create an 'incident' to prevent tourism from the U.S. So we should put them to the test in full view of the world. Let them reject the bulging passenger ships coming out of ports in Miami and Tampa. The embargo has failed and the fact that President Obama picked up 4% more votes than in 2008 in the Cuban American community in South Florida is an indication that maybe this is the time for a new policy.
There is no better time than now for Cuban-Americans who favor normalizing relations with Cuba to start getting politically active. You can start by signing this petition to end the travel ban to Cuba.
I think I have a better suggestion.
Why don't we sign a petition asking the Cuban government to allow more political parties, free elections, to allow the population access to the internet and information from outside of Cuba and to stop violating human rights so then we could petition the US government to lift the embargo and normalize relsations with Cuba?
You guys do not seem to get that the obstacle to better relations and understanding is the attitude of the Cuban government itself and that bvy normalizing relations without prior changes on their part the US looses moral high ground and whatever means it has to influence the totalitarian government.
On we can't even be assured that the economic benefits from increased US tourism with Cuba will go tgo benefit the Cuban people because all those dollar incomes will eventually be absorbed by the dolalr stores and wind up in the elte's banks accounts abroad since the elite does not have to render an account of what it does with the dollar earnings that it appropriates.
Without prior reforms that make it more accountable to the population of the island, whatever easing of the embargo takes place will only help to enrich the fat cats and will not aid the population of the island itself.
Moreover we are not dealing with other guys that will react to being treated nicely with civil behavior.
We are dealing with people who are hostile to us and who want our destruction.
So why should we be nice to us? Why should we pat teh had of an animal who seeks to bite us?
Why ease up if it instead of benefitting the people of the island it goes into the pockets of our most rabid opponents?
What sort of a message would we be giving to the world by rewarding our enemies in such a fashion?
That we have gone nuts? That we are a nation of fools and masochists?
That we like having our property confiscated, our politicians demonized, friendly governments subverted our foreign policy systematically opposed?
That we are willing to abandon the hopes of those Cuban allies that share our beliefs and fought on our side and the Cuban people themselves at the greatest hour of their need?
What would our present allies think of us if we follow such policies.
Would they consider us strong and trustworthy and be interested in
backing our policies in order to seek our future support if they ever need it?
I do not want to be rude, but to be honest I feel that such proposals are incredibly naive and not based on a deep analysis of who we are dealing with and the type of reaction that we are going to get from our opponents if they are implemented.
With a totalitarian regime like the Cuban our foreign policy must be based on principles and on a strong position.
This does not mean that we try to overthrow them by military means or that we should be unwilling to raise the embargo or to have better relations with it.
But any such betterment of relations must be based on their taking prior measures that will facilitate a democratic transition and private enterprise and a market economy.
We must not ease our pressure on a government that is unwilling to change its inefficient, inhuman and obsolete totalitarian practices.
If they want the embargo to end and better relations, let them take the proper adequate measures first.
To be precise, I also am against their taking positive partial measures and not receiving some sort of a good reply from the US.
Cantaclaro
Daniel,
I think the way forward is a prisoner exchange and then to move towards the end of the restrictions on exports to Cuba.
However the prisoner exchange should not be uneven giving up Alan Gross in exchange for five cuban spies but a five for five preposition.
We should attempt to take advantage of the situation to negotiate the release from jail of some Cuban political prisoners and US spies in Cuban jails.
A one for five swap seems like political blackmail and would be harmful for the image of strength that a US President should cultivate in order to be able to conduct a successful foreign policy that would efficiently promote US interests throughout the world.
The travel ban and the permission of importing Cuban goods to the US should be the last part of the embargo to be lifted because they are the most efficient way to influence the Cuban government to adopt measures in favor of democratic reform without hurting the national interest of the American people.
It makes very little sense to restrict exports to Cuba in a situation where there is widespread unemployment in the US and a balance of payments deficit with foreign countries.
Increasing exports of goods will provide more employment in the US and help to recover the approximately 2 billion dollars a year that are sent to Cuba and spent there every year by Cuban Americans instead of being spent in third countries and helping to continue the present balance of payment deficit.
In order to increase exports to Cuba the President should also authorize the visits of conference line shipping to the island.
He should also authorize the setting up of commercial bank offices in Cuba to facilitate the payment of US imports without having to depend on third country banks for this purpose.
He should also consider authorizing Americans to invest in organizing wholesale distribution of production goods in the island to facilitate the develpment of the private sector.
However, restrictions on the ways taht the Cuban government can obtain additional dollar income from the US through exports of goods and through the tourism of Americans of non Cuban origin should be retained and used as incentives to motivate the Cuban government to carry out democratic reforms, to promote the private sector and a free market or to compensate US citizens for confiscated property.
Imports of Cuban products to the US should be allowed but it should be done in such a way as to get maximum leverage by setting up maximum yearly quotas for the different products that would be allowed to increase once certain reform measures are implemented or to be lowered if the already approved reforms are reversed or postponed.
The same should be done with tourist trips. The US government should set up tourist quotas that could vary in either direction as feedback for the result of policies that hinder democratic or economic reform.
The US embargo itself should be reformed in order to make it simultaneously better meet US interests and to more efficiently promote a democratic transition and the promotion of private enterprise and market reforms within the island through the principle of a gradual and negotiated lifting of the embargo.
It would be a huge mistake to lift it unconditionally nor to keep it as it is since this would not favor the interests of the US or of the Cuban people.
Instead of being irrational or idealistic, let's try to follow a rational foreign policy towards Cuba that will favor not only promoting our own interests but also a peaceful democratic transition and the successful implementation of a democratic government and a funtioning economy in the island.
All this is not a pipe dream but the end result of an intelligent foreign policy that could be within our reach.
Cantaclaro
please sign this petition for Alan G's freedom, we need to get to 150 signatures to be published publicly. https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/open-honest-dialog-cuba-government-secure-release-american-operative-alan-gross/qcZC2pG2
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