Phillip Peters, a research analyst at the Lexington Institute, told the New York Times that the key issue regarding the trial and conviction of Alan Gross was political and that the verdict of ratification of the Cuban Supreme Court showed that the case was not to be resolved in court but by diplomacy. Peters is right on the intentions of the Cuban government to solve it in this way, since the law for them is irrelevant.
Despite the general criteria, the exchange for the 5 Wasps spies trapped and the catch of Faget, the Alvarez, Ana Belen Montes, and more recently, Kendall and Gwendolyn Myers are not the main reason for the kidnapping of Alan Gross.
Let’s start from the beginning. For years, Cuba's government mounted an intelligence operation aimed to discredit the exile organizations that ran aid programs to support democracy in Cuba. It should be noted, incidentally, that these programs are very modest compared to what the Soviets did when, through Cuba, unlimited resources were allocated to subvert order and spread death and pain in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
In the case of these aid programs, they are intended to give economic independence to the opponents’ pro- democracy that are usually expelled from their jobs by the only employer, the government. The reality is that the opponents’ pro- democracy in Cuba, regardless of their current ideological empathies or affinities with exile’s groups, they have taken peaceful struggle as means to change the status quo to a state of law in their country. The Cuban government only uses violence in response, while the opposition is growing in number and presence.
For this operation the Cuban government used every means at their disposal. They began to puzzle through their agents within the internal opposition a very effective speech, "while you are risking your lives, liberty and the welfare of your family here, there are people in Miami who enjoy luxuries with money that belongs to you ".
The reaction was swift. Soon were heard accusing voices from Cuba, against those who until then, and for years were the moral and material support. Then, allured on by Cuban government spokesmen and agents in Miami, began the struggle between those who were not receiving funds here and those receiving funds. The scandal was heard in Washington and sparked investigations thoroughly. The corollary of the investigations was some money used for chocolates, three scarves and two Nintendo games for the children of some prisoners badly purchased according to the guidelines. They found a corrupt person who, without knowledge of his superior overcharged on the price of items sent to Cuba. No more irregularities were found worthy of scorn or imprisonment. More bark than bite.
Following these incidents, the House and Senate frozen the funds until the matter were clarified and then the U.S. government and its agencies decided to spend the bulk of the support channeled before through the exile’ organizations, trough subcontractors more in line and complacent to the U.S. government.
With the funds frozen, the Cuban government was very happy, but working through these new entities, made it more difficult for them, than to penetrate, than the Cuban exiles organizations, they realized they have lost even the possibility of receiving funding for their fake organizations in Cuba and in Miami. The Cuban government understands that this flow has to stop anyway and kidnapped Alan Gross to prevent the arrival of more uncontrollable people, unknown to them. The U.S. government misreads, reacts accordingly and suspends the plans. So, the government of Cuba is emboldened and begins to ask for more.
After the promise of Fidel Castro for the release in December of 2010 of the 5 Wasps (the five spies imprisoned in USA) embarks in a worldwide campaign for their liberation and, sotto voce, insinuates the exchange for Alan Gross, but Obama responded negatively to the offer.
When Gross landed in Havana, the dictatorship knew who he was, whom he worked for, what he brought, who was he meeting with and what his plans were. Gross went to Cuba, to do what he has been doing during his whole life, from Kenya to Palestine, to cooperate in developing democracy. His work in Cuba was trying to help peaceful people to access the internet. Gross is now known worldwide. The latest verdict of the supreme court of Cuba just transformed him from a hostage to a prisoner of conscience.
The most important Government and Jewish organizations condemned the injustice done to this peaceful man and this is just the beginning of an international campaign for his release. G–d willing Alan Gross will be free.
Roland J Behar
rbehar@live.com
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