Castro, not U.S., imposes embargo on medicine

Legislation has been introduced to resolve this nonexistent problem, the ill-named Cuban Humanitarian Trade Act. The Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 authorized American corporations to sell medicines and medical equipment to Cuba. Before it was passed, donations of food and medicines were allowed to be sent to the island. Since 1992 we have sent $150 million in humanitarian donations to Cuba, more than to all other nations combined. Additionally, the Treasury Department has approved 36 of 38 licenses for American companies to sell medicine and medical supplies to Cuba.

The real embargo on medicines to Cuba is imposed by the Castro regime. Of Cuba's $3 billion in imports last year, only $46 million were medical imports for its 11 million population. By comparison, the Dominican Republic imported $208 million in medical supplies for its 7.5 million inhabitants. If Castro lacks medicines, why is Cuba an exporter of medical supplies?

In 1994 and 1995, Castro exported $230 million in medical products to China, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina. If there are no medicines in Cuba, why is it estimated that 7,000 foreigners paid Castro $25 million to participate in Cuba's health tourism, where foreigners enjoy the use of modern hospitals with modern medical equipment? Why did Castro last April host a Medical Technology Fair and exhibit state-of-the-art Cuban and foreign-made medical equipment that is for the exclusive use of foreigners and the communist elite?

In addition to his denial of access to medicines and medical services to Cubans, Castro demonstrated his disregard for the health of political prisoners and dissidents. The Havana Psychiatric Hospital, led by Dr. Bernabe Ordaz, is infamous for torturing many of Castro's opponents.

Thousands have been sent to this hospital, despite having no mental problems, and subjected to indiscriminate electroshock treatments (in the testicles for many men) and massive dosages of psychotropic drugs. Amazingly, the Pan American Health Organization recently granted an award to the director of this torture center disguised as a hospital. Last summer Cubans were purposely left in the dark about a growing dengue epidemic. Dr. Dessy Mendoza Rivera, who heads the dissident Independent Medical Association, was arrested and banned.

The new U.S. legislation has little to do with helping the Cuban people. The bill's promoters base their arguments on a biased study by the American Association for World Health that was largely financed by the ARCA Foundation, a private, liberal political foundation. In this decade alone, this foundation has granted millions to organizations that sympathize with the Castro regime's repressive agenda. These include Pastors for Peace; the Cuban-American Research and Education Fund, headed by well-known Castro sympathizer Alicia Torres; and the Center for International Policy, whose Cuba program is led by longtime Castro apologist Wayne Smith. The bill, and the hypocritical cries of mercy heard from those who have never shown an interest in the repression on the island, is part of a well-crafted and well-financed campaign to relax economic sanctions against Castro's dictatorship.

Proponents never raise their voices against brutal human-rights violations in Cuba, nor for free and democratic elections there. When it comes to asking for freedom for Cubans, the silence of these co-sponsors is deafening. The real embargo that must be lifted is Castro's embargo on the freedom and human rights of the Cuban people.