Josefina Vidal, Director General of the U.S. division at Cuba’s Foreign Ministry (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
Cuban leader: ‘It’s up to US to dismantle its hostile policies’
By Emma Johnson, The Militant, Vol 80/No. 30, August 15, 2016
“Relations between Cuba and the U.S. have been asymmetric; therefore it is up to the U.S. to dismantle hostile unilateral policies,” said Josefina Vidal, who leads Cuba’s negotiating team with Washington. “Cuba doesn’t have any comparable policies.”
Vidal, director general for U.S. affairs at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Relations, spoke to the Cuban Communist Party’s daily Granma on the anniversary of the reopening of the Cuban Embassy in Washington on July 20 last year, some 54 years after the U.S. government unilaterally severed diplomatic relations with Havana.
Since the 1959 deep-going social revolution in Cuba, which brought a workers and farmers government to power, Washington has used sabotage, an attempted invasion, diplomatic isolation and an unprecedented economic embargo to try to overturn the rule of the working class and its allies.
Recognizing that more than 50 years of this course had failed to accomplish its aims, President Barack Obama—and a substantial majority in the ruling class he represents—decided it was time to try something else. Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro announced Dec. 17, 2014, the beginning of talks to restore diplomatic relations. Simultaneously, the last of the Cuban Five, revolutionaries imprisoned by Washington for over 16 years, were released and returned home to Cuba.
Vidal said achievements of talks since then include the removal of Cuba from the State Department list of state sponsors of terrorism and the creatio
n of the Cuba-U.S. Bilateral Commission. “It was important to have a mechanism of this type to address unresolved issues, cooperation in areas of mutual interest and talks on bilateral and multilateral matters,” she said. Ten such agreements have been signed and others are currently being negotiated related to drug trafficking, search and rescue, ocean oil-spill response and meteorology.
Embargo remains in force
But the bulk of Washington’s economic embargo still remains in force, she said. Imports from the U.S. to Cuba are severely restricted, exports from Cuba to the U.S. virtually impossible and banking relations have not been normalized. Cuba can still not make financial transfers, and the U.S. government continues to impose heavy fines on banks and foreign financial entities that do business there.
The Obama administration has imposed penalties totaling more than $14 billion, “a record amount in the history of the application of the blockade against our country,” Vidal said, “on U.S. and foreign entities for their legitimate associations with Cuba.” This continues to have “an intimidating effect on U.S. and international banks. Thus far, the U.S. government has failed to issue a political statement or legal document explaining to world banks that operations with Cuba are legitimate, and that they won’t be sanctioned.”
Article continues here: Victim Vidal
Editor’s Note: Vidal was thrown out of the United States in May 2003 as part of a mass expulsion of 16 Cuban spies serving under diplomatic cover.
Cuba Confidential 
Hostile polices? This communists are arrogant. The Obama administration has conducted business with a dictator that has murdering people for the last almost 60 years, In reality Castro needs to be overthrown. The Minint personnel should be taken to trial and have them prosecuted for crimes against humanity and torture. Our government has been very lenient with this murderous government. Cuba should has been invaded decades ago.
Lady you want the embargo lifted the right way? Let’s commence having free elections and more freedom to Cubans, how about that? Why don’t you tell the criminal organization MININT to stop repressing?
The Cuban Castro brothers´ outdated regime, will always try to play somewhat of a role—consistent with Fidel Castro´s mental conduct with “delusions of grandeur” (…now such “delusions of grandeur consciousness” inherited by Raúl Castro), to exert some type of influence in U.S. elections, in whatever, minimal way.
Thus, the recent commentary by Ms. Josefina Vidal—a beautifully charismatic woman and Director General of the U.S. division at Cuba’s Foreign Ministry—is NOT as much to condemn the alleged U.S. Hostilities she referred-to, but, instead, it is actually designed to send “a shot across the bow”, to come to the aid of the Obama Administration and the continuation of its policies through Hillary Clinton. It is to show-and-tell the U.S. voting electorate the fact President Obama has enforced the Trade Embargo, as she stated; “the Obama administration has imposed penalties totaling more than $14 billion”. According to this beautiful woman it is “a record amount in the history of the application of the blockade against our country”.
What her statement does, is; when political consumers (the normal Cuban-American “Pepe and María” in Miami) read it, it will feel make them feel their vote for the Democratic party´s candidate, Hillary Clinton, in this coming Presidential election, will not interfere with their loyalty toward their homeland Cuba.
Clinton is the candidate of choice for the Castro brothers. The Castro regime has—quite—a very interesting past with the Clintons. Cuba totally manipulated Bill Clinton, the President of the United States to interfere with the U.S. foreign policy toward Cuba, at that time, which faultily concluded; Cuba was no longer a risk for the United States national security, when in fact—and without the knowledge of the Clinton White House—the person in charge of such grossly erroneous foreign policy toward Cuba, was actually a spy for Cuba for 27 years, while working for free, for the Castro Regime. Enter Ana Belén Montes, an American-born woman of Puerto Rican descent and in charge of the Cuban desk at the U.S. Department of Defense at the Pentagon managing intelligence toward Cuba from the U.S. government.
This attempt to interfere, in some way, with U.S. elections goes back to the day when Fidel Castro sent a message, through Liza Howard of ABC News, to President Johnson. Here´s what Lisa Howard´s message contained about what Fidel Castro told her to tell President Lyndon B. Johnson as memorialized in a memo on February 12, 1964:
VERBAL MESSAGE FROM FIDEL CASTRO TO LYNDON B. JOHNSON DURING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN 1964
To: President Lyndon B. Johnson
From: Prime Minister Fidel Castro
VERBAL MESSAGE GIVEN TO MISS LISA HOWARD OF ABC NEWS
ON FEBRUARY 12, 1964 IN HAVANA, CUBA.
“Please tell the President I earnestly desire his election in November although it appears assured.
But if there is anything I can do to add to his majority (aside from retiring from politics) I shall be
happy to cooperate. So, tell President Johnson to let me know what I can do, if anything.
If the President feels it is necessary during the campaign to make bellicose statements about Cuba
Even to take some hostile action, If he will inform me, unofficially, that a specific action is required
because of domestic political considerations, I shall understand and not take serious retaliatory action.
Tell the President that I understand quite well how much political courage it took President Kennedy
To instruct you Lisa Howard and Ambassador Attwood to phone my aide in Havana for the purpose of commencement of dialogue toward settlement of our differences. That was on November 18th.
The agenda was being prepared when word arrived that Kennedy was assassinated.
I hope that we can soon continue where Ambassador Attwood´s phone conversation to Havana left –off.
…..though I´m aware that pre-electoral political considerations, may delay this approach until after
November.”
END OF MESSAGE.
The Cuban government regime, in the island, would fear a Trump Presidency. So, in the aid of the Obama administration—and through it the perpetuation and continuity of the Obama administration´s policies—the Cuban government wants to let the Cuban Americans, in Miami, know President Obama has been the single most enforcer of the U.S. trade embargo. This will motivate—so Democrats and Cuba hope—the Cuban American voters who decide to vote Democrat in Florida a swing state and necessary for a victory for HIllary Clinton into the White House, such vote will not be a disloyal action toward Cuba thier homeland.
TRUMP, on the other hand hasn´t played this card, yet, and if and when he does must do so carefully and with consent of the wishes of the Cuban American community of South Florida, a key factor in electoral policies that in the past–in the Elian´s case made Al Gore lose Florida to George W. Bush. It became the deciding vote from the deciding state of the union.
By: Jorge Garrido
The Cuban Castro brothers´ outdated regime, will always try to play somewhat of a role—consistent with Fidel Castro´s mental conduct with “delusions of grandeur” (…now such “delusions of grandeur consciousness” inherited by Raúl Castro), to exert some type of influence in U.S. elections, in whatever, minimal way.
Thus, the recent commentary by Ms. Josefina Vidal—a beautifully charismatic woman and Director General of the U.S. division at Cuba’s Foreign Ministry—is NOT as much to condemn the alleged U.S. Hostilities she referred-to, but, instead, it is actually designed to send “a shot across the bow”, to come to the aid of the Obama Administration and the continuation of its policies through Hillary Clinton. It is to show-and-tell the U.S. voting electorate the fact President Obama has enforced the Trade Embargo, as she stated; “the Obama administration has imposed penalties totaling more than $14 billion”. According to this beautiful woman it is “a record amount in the history of the application of the blockade against our country”.
What her statement does, is; when political consumers (the normal Cuban-American “Pepe and María” in Miami) read it, it will feel make them feel their vote for the Democratic party´s candidate, Hillary Clinton, in this coming Presidential election, will not interfere with their loyalty toward their homeland Cuba.
Clinton is the candidate of choice for the Castro brothers. The Castro regime has—quite—a very interesting past with the Clintons. Cuba totally manipulated Bill Clinton, the President of the United States to interfere with the U.S. foreign policy toward Cuba, at that time, which faultily concluded; Cuba was no longer a risk for the United States national security, when in fact—and without the knowledge of the Clinton White House—the person in charge of such grossly erroneous foreign policy toward Cuba, was actually a spy for Cuba for 27 years, while working for free, for the Castro Regime. Enter Ana Belén Montes, an American-born woman of Puerto Rican descent and in charge of the Cuban desk at the U.S. Department of Defense at the Pentagon managing intelligence toward Cuba from the U.S. government.
This attempt to interfere, in some way, with U.S. elections goes back to the day when Fidel Castro sent a message, through Liza Howard of ABC News, to President Johnson. Here´s what Lisa Howard´s message contained about what Fidel Castro told her to tell President Lyndon B. Johnson as memorialized in a memo on February 12, 1964:
To: President Lyndon B. Johnson
From: Prime Minister Fidel Castro
VERBAL MESSAGE GIVEN TO MISS LISA HOWARD OF ABC NEWS
ON FEBRUARY 12, 1964 IN HAVANA, CUBA.
“Please tell the President I earnestly desire his election in November although it appears assured.
But if there is anything I can do to add to his majority (aside from retiring from politics) I shall be
happy to cooperate. So, tell President Johnson to let me know what I can do, if anything.
If the President feels it is necessary during the campaign to make bellicose statements about Cuba
Even to take some hostile action, If he will inform me, unofficially, that a specific action is required
because of domestic political considerations, I shall understand and not take serious retaliatory action.
Tell the President that I understand quite well how much political courage it took President Kennedy
To instruct you Lisa Howard and Ambassador Attwood to phone my aide in Havana for the purpose of commencement of dialogue toward settlement of our differences. That was on November 18th.
The agenda was being prepared when word arrived that Kennedy was assassinated.
I hope that we can soon continue where Ambassador Attwood´s phone conversation to Havana left –off.
…..though I´m aware that pre-electoral political considerations, may delay this approach until after
November.”
END OF MESSAGE.
The Cubans would fear a Trump Presidency. So in the aid of the Obama administration—and through it the continuity of the Obama administration´s policies—the Cubans want to let the Cuban Americans know that President Obama has been the single most enforcer of the U.S. trade embargo. This will motivate—so the Democrats and Cuba hope—the voters to vote Democrat in Florida a swing state and necessary for a victory into the White House.
The Cuban Castro brothers´ outdated regime, will always try to play somewhat of a role—consistent with Fidel Castro´s mental conduct with “delusions of grandeur” (…now such “delusions of grandeur consciousness” inherited by Raúl Castro), to exert some type of influence in U.S. elections, in whatever, minimal way.
Thus, the recent commentary by Ms. Josefina Vidal—a beautifully charismatic woman and Director General of the U.S. division at Cuba’s Foreign Ministry—is NOT as much to condemn the alleged U.S. Hostilities she referred-to, but, instead, it is actually designed to send “a shot across the bow”, to come to the aid of the Obama Administration and the continuation of its policies through Hillary Clinton. It is to show-and-tell the U.S. voting electorate the fact President Obama has enforced the Trade Embargo, as she stated; “the Obama administration has imposed penalties totaling more than $14 billion”. According to this beautiful woman it is “a record amount in the history of the application of the blockade against our country”.
What her statement does, is; when political consumers (the normal Cuban-American “Pepe and María” in Miami) read it, it will feel make them feel their vote for the Democratic party´s candidate, Hillary Clinton, in this coming Presidential election, will not interfere with their loyalty toward their homeland Cuba.
Clinton is the candidate of choice for the Castro brothers. The Castro regime has—quite—a very interesting past with the Clintons. Cuba totally manipulated Bill Clinton, the President of the United States to interfere with the U.S. foreign policy toward Cuba, at that time, which faultily concluded; Cuba was no longer a risk for the United States national security, when in fact—and without the knowledge of the Clinton White House—the person in charge of such grossly erroneous foreign policy toward Cuba, was actually a spy for Cuba for 27 years, while working for free, for the Castro Regime. Enter Ana Belén Montes, an American-born woman of Puerto Rican descent and in charge of the Cuban desk at the U.S. Department of Defense at the Pentagon managing intelligence toward Cuba from the U.S. government.
This attempt to interfere, in some way, with U.S. elections goes back to the day when Fidel Castro sent a message, through Liza Howard of ABC News, to President Johnson. Here´s what Lisa Howard´s message contained about what Fidel Castro told her to tell President Lyndon B. Johnson as memorialized in a memo on February 12, 1964:
To: President Lyndon B. Johnson
From: Prime Minister Fidel Castro
VERBAL MESSAGE GIVEN TO MISS LISA HOWARD OF ABC NEWS
ON FEBRUARY 12, 1964 IN HAVANA, CUBA.
“Please tell the President I earnestly desire his election in November although it appears assured.
But if there is anything I can do to add to his majority (aside from retiring from politics) I shall be
happy to cooperate. So, tell President Johnson to let me know what I can do, if anything.
If the President feels it is necessary during the campaign to make bellicose statements about Cuba
Even to take some hostile action, If he will inform me, unofficially, that a specific action is required
because of domestic political considerations, I shall understand and not take serious retaliatory action.
Tell the President that I understand quite well how much political courage it took President Kennedy
To instruct you Lisa Howard and Ambassador Attwood to phone my aide in Havana for the purpose of commencement of dialogue toward settlement of our differences. That was on November 18th.
The agenda was being prepared when word arrived that Kennedy was assassinated.
I hope that we can soon continue where Ambassador Attwood´s phone conversation to Havana left –off.
…..though I´m aware that pre-electoral political considerations, may delay this approach until after
November.”
The Cubans would fear a Trump Presidency. So in the aid of the Obama administration—and through it the continuity of the Obama administration´s policies—the Cubans want to let the Cuban Americans know that President Obama has been the single most enforcer of the U.S. trade embargo. This will motivate—so the Democrats and Cuba hope—the voters to vote Democrat in Florida a swing state and necessary for a victory into the White House.
……..And of course, the last time continutiy of DEMOCRATIC POLICIES AFTER A DEMOCRATIC WHITE HOUSE ADMINISTRATION, Al Gore lost his Presidential bid to George W. Bush. All because of the Elian case. Florida and Cuban Americans were all vital as once again they may become this coming election.