Opening Statement

Chairman Eliot L. Engel

House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere

With Castro Stepping Down, What’s Next for Cuba and the

Western Hemisphere?

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

A quorum being present, the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere will come to order.

It is my pleasure to welcome you to today’s hearing on what’s next for Cuba and the Western Hemisphere. As always, it is an honor and a privilege to have my friend, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Tom Shannon, here with us.

I initially intended for today’s hearing to be an overview on U.S. policy toward Latin America. But, with the recent news of Fidel Castro’s stepping down from power, I decided to more heavily focus on the road ahead in Cuba. That said, I hope today’s hearing will allow Members to get a better sense of both the situation in Cuba and broader events in the Western Hemisphere. And, given the troubling events this past weekend in Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia, I believe there will be plenty to talk about today.

When you ask most people in the United States about Latin America, one of the first things that comes to mind is Fidel Castro. His oppressive rule of Cuba over the past half century is undeniable. I have always argued that dictators from the left should be thought of no differently from dictators on the right. Those who try to romanticize Fidel Castro’s rule of Cuba are simply fooling themselves. He has oppressed his people, restricted all forms of expression, and locked up all opponents of his rule. These are basic violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Inter American Charter.

I truly hope that the departure of Fidel Castro will be a step in the transition to a free and democratic Cuba. But, I also am no fool, and I know that Raul Castro’s track record on human rights and democracy is no better than that of his brother.

To set the record straight from the start, I have been a longtime supporter of the U.S. embargo on Cuba. I know that there are Members on both sides of the U.S. policy debate on this Subcommittee, and I believe we should hear and respect all views. Some argue that with the passing of the torch from Fidel to Raul, nothing will change and therefore neither should U.S. policy toward Cuba. Others say that now that Fidel is out of power, we should lift the embargo and change the direction of U.S. policy toward the island. Many on that side of the issue have also argued that it doesn’t matter whether it’s Fidel, Raul or anyone else in power – the trade embargo and other restrictions should have been lifted a long time ago. We all know that there are repercussions that will come with a change in U.S. policy, staying the course or even something in the middle. This hearing should explore the repercussions that will come with future U.S. policy toward Cuba. We should also ask ourselves whether we should act first in dealing with Raul Castro or if we should wait for Raul to act.

There is clearly a profound denial of political pluralism in Cuba, and all of us – regardless of where we stand on U.S. policy toward the island – want to see democracy in Cuba. The issue is how best to achieve democracy.

I agree with my friend, Senator Bob Menendez, who recently said that “here in the United States, it is time to further nurture the human rights activists, political dissidents and independent-minded journalists inside of Cuba who have the capability to stoke the movement toward freedom.” He is absolutely right, and I believe we must stand with the Cuban people who continue to courageously fight for freedom on the island.

Since Raul Castro officially took the reins of power in Cuba, some believe that he has sent some positive signals to the international community. We must examine closely whether this is accurate. For example, in Raul’s first state reception as President of Cuba, Raul Castro met with the Secretary of State of the Vatican, a longtime critic of Cuba’s human rights record. And last Thursday, Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque signed two U.N. treaties on human rights – the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. While this all may appear positive on the surface, we must also remind ourselves that little has changed in Cuba since Pope John Paul II’s visit 10 years ago.

There is obviously much more to cover here today vis-à-vis Cuba and hemispheric affairs more broadly. I know we are all very closely following the border crisis in the Andean region. Ranking Member Burton, Congressman Meeks and I sent a letter yesterday with 11 of our colleagues urging the Organization of American States (OAS) to send a high-level diplomatic mission to the Andean region to negotiate a reduction in tensions between Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela and to improve crisis communications and management. I will insert this letter into the record. In the interest of all parties, I hope that everyone can step back, take a deep breath and work towards a peaceful and amicable solution. I know that the OAS met yesterday to begin to resolve this conflict, and I offer my support and that of this Subcommittee to the OAS as it moves forward.

Yesterday, President Bush spoke to Colombian President Álvaro Uribe about the border crisis. I hope that President Bush also quickly reaches out to Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa. I recently traveled to Ecuador and had a positive meeting with President Correa. I am convinced that he is someone with whom the United States can and should work.

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the U.S.-Brazil Memorandum of Understanding on Biofuels. This landmark agreement is bringing our two great nations closer together while promoting alternative energy supplies in the hemisphere. I’m looking forward to hearing an update on our progress under the accord and plans for the next year.

As I mentioned, I recently returned from Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina, and a short visit to Colombia with Secretary of State Rice. I have learned that the United States has many friends in the region who want to see our presence, have our support, and work with us on a variety of issues. We have made important progress in the last few years with Assistant Secretary Shannon leading the State Department’s Latin America team, and I will continue to work with him to build strong relationships throughout the hemisphere.

There is much more to cover, but I will leave things here and hope we can discuss these subjects and others in greater depth during the question and answer portion of today’s hearing.

I am now pleased to call on Ranking Member Burton for his opening statement.