Cuban Five another reason to shun nation

Interesting reading from the letters on April 24, 2009. Both letters express importance of two different points of view. Here’s one more twist to consider, should you contemplate a trip to Cuba: Factual evidence that the Cuban government was found culpable in the murder of four men, three of whom were American citizens. This may change your mind on traveling any time in the near future or until the current regime falls.

I just finished reading a book … [that] should be essential reading for those thinking that Cuba is a friend of the United States. The book, “Betrayal: Clinton, Castro & the Cuban Five,” is about the shoot-down of two Brothers To The Rescue airplanes on Feb. 24, 1996.

My belief is that we are opening the door to many more problems for the United States, one being the Cuban spy network. Not familiar to most Americans is that we had a Cuban spy living on Big Pine Key and working at the Naval Air Station on Boca Chica Key. He was part of a spy network known as La Red Avispa, “The Wasp Network.”

Getting back to the Cuban Five, the Cuban government has been working for more than 10 years trying to gain their freedom from the United States. There are efforts afoot being presented to the current administration to release these spies from prison, one of whom is serving two life sentences for murder.

The current administration has eased restrictions on travel to Cuba of Cuban Americans who have relatives there. In addition, the U.S. government recently increased allowable remittances to be sent from the relatives here in the United States to their families in Cuba as well.

Those persons thinking that this is a beautiful country, it is. It is a jewel, but at what cost to Americans? Don’t you think that we are possibly opening the door to subversives, more spies, more terrorists and more corruption? Plain and simple: The Castro brothers have to go before the embargo is lifted. They are mocking Obama, so are the heads of Venezuela and Nicaragua. All three countries have openly declared that capitalism “threatens life on the planet.”

I’ve been to Cuba, legally. Once there, I realized that it is a country in need of regime change. Crime appeared to be low because Castro rules with an iron fist. I heard of a hotel housekeeper who removed a gold bracelet from the room of a guest and was caught. The guest recovered his bracelet and the housekeeper was given 15 years in prison.

Their buildings are in disrepair, store shelves were bare, and no Cuban would bring up “El Jefe’s” name. If prodded, only then with feigned courtesy. The Cuban government is not our friend. Send as many useful idiots from Washington to negotiate with the Castros, it will not matter, until Cuba changes its human rights policies. Let’s not appease our enemies.

Capt. Curtis William Erling White

Key West