Follow the Pope's lead: Help Cubans

IF THERE IS a consensus on one point regarding Cuba today, it is that Pope John Paul II's visit marked a potentially historic turning point for that troubled island. The question that we all must consider now is: What can the United States, as well as others, do to ensure that the opening is sustained and to encourage a process of further fundamental democratic change?

The Pope delivered to the people of Cuba a clear, unambiguous message of truth, hope, and freedom. He spoke eloquently on the need to respect human rights, to release prisoners of conscience, and to allow the development of independent civil society. This is a message welcomed by millions of Cubans -- regardless of their religious orientation or occupation -- for they have long been denied both freedom and economic opportunity.

Last week when I met with the Pope in Rome, we discussed the prospects for change in Cuba. He was optimistic, speaking of the crowds that attended Masses throughout the island, culminating in the huge Mass in Havana's Revolution Square. The Pope publicly has made clear his hope that his visit will propel Cuba toward greater openness, just as his first visit to Poland did for Poland.

I have discussed the expectations generated by the Pope's visit with Cuban Americans in the United States. While visiting Miami earlier this month, I was again deeply impressed by the community's strong desire to pursue freedom and democracy in Cuba. The community shared with me its sense that we must continue to find ways to help the people of Cuba while carefully avoiding support for the repressive Castro regime.

U.S. policy has long been aimed at supporting the Cuban people. In October 1995, President Clinton initiated measures to permit groups in the United States to expand contacts on the island, provide funding for U.S. nongovernmental organizations to establish programs to support development of independent civil society, and authorize U.S. news organizations to open bureaus in Cuba. These steps built on earlier efforts under the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Cuba. The Libertad Act, enacted in 1996, bolstered efforts to support the Cuban people, while increasing pressure on the Cuban government for change.

The U.S. policy's consistent purpose has been to encourage a peaceful transition to democracy in Cuba. That policy has had wide bipartisan support for many years, and that fact has helped send a clear message to the Cuban government, the Cuban people, and the world.

As we consider how best to build on the results of the Pope's visit to Cuba, neither we nor our friends and allies should be under any illusions about the true nature of the Castro regime. The Cuban dictatorship remains committed to an anachronistic economic system and an inhumane political system. Our challenge is to find ways to expand support for, and outreach to, the Cuban people without allowing the Cuban government to exercise a veto over that process.