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WASHINGTON - For the past decade, Rev. Lucius Walker and supporters of Pastors for Peace have taken caravans of humanitarian supplies to Cuba without interference from the U.S. government. It is shameful that this year, in the wake of the massive destruction caused by Hurricane Dennis, their mission is being thwarted by an outdated and unreasonable U.S. policy.
Hurricane Dennis was a disastrous force that killed 16 people on the island, destroyed hundreds buildings and homes and left Cuba with $1.4 billion in property damage. President Bush offered the Cuban government an embarrassingly meager $50,000 in disaster relief. This amount is not nearly enough to even begin to address the needs of the millions of Cubans who have been left without food, clean water, electricity, and shelter.
Once again, Pastors of Peace have attempted to step into the breach, mobilizing a caravan of badly needed medical and dental equipment and a range of humanitarian supplies. As they attempted to cross the border into Mexico from Texas, the caravan was stopped and searched. A total of 12 computers, which were destined for schools on the island were confiscated and are now being held by our government on the claim that the items were unlicensed.
The incident took place despite the fact that Pastors for Peace has never sought a license for any of its previous shipments to Cuba, and the fact that organizations which support the U.S. embargo policy regular send such equipment to dissident groups within Cuba.
With the rest of the goods having already arrived in Cuba, Rev. Walker has begun a vigil on a school bus on the Mexican border awaiting the government's decision on what to do with the computers.
With thousands of Cuban men, women and children in need, it is unconscionable that we would waste resources, which could be applied to the war on terrorism, to harass peace-loving, non-violent people whose only desire is to help where help is needed.
While legislative business requires that I remain in Washington, I commend Councilman Barron for calling us together. I also join with my colleague, Cong. Jose Serrano, who has introduced legislation urging the administration to temporarily suspend the embargo so as to allow Cuban Americans and other Americans to send or deliver assistance of their own. The embargo places severe restrictions on all U.S. travel to Cuba, including cruel limitations of visits and remittances by Cuban Americans to their relatives on the island.
I have long opposed the U.S. government's failed policy that harms the people of Cuba, and works against the promotion of democracy on the island. It also denies citizens of the United States the fundamental right to travel where they want and now restricts Cuban Americans the right to help their suffering family members.
It is time to put politics aside and ease restrictions to allow Pastors for Peace to continue on their humanitarian mission and to allow all Americans to exercise their compassion toward their brothers and sisters.
If the Bush Administration does not wish to help the people of Cuba, I appeal to them to get out of the way. Let others prove the compassion that the administration has often claimed as its own.
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