This month Dr. Oscar Biscet was released from a Cuban jail, a move that could mark a turning point in the country.

Detained during the “Black Spring” of March 2003, Dr. Biscet and 74 other members of the opposition movement were considered prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International, drawing international condemnation, including a common European Union stance against Castro’s regime.

Carefully planned to decapitate Cuba’s growing opposition movement at a time when the world’s attention was focused on the outset of the Iraq war, the now infamous crackdown saw dozens of journalists, librarians, and human rights activists rounded up, summarily tried, and sentenced for up to 28 years in jail.

In Cuba, as is always the case in communist countries, the flow of information is totally controlled by the government. That is more or less the case for locally based foreign media, aware that whatever is reported to their home countries, is closely scrutinized by Cuban censors. However, this time around, the charges of “agents of the USA” on which Dr. Biscet and the rest of the activists were sentenced, somehow didn’t find the usual indifference that the cause of freedom in Cuba normally faces.

Dr. Biscet, a 49-year-old medical doctor, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by the Prime Minister of Hungary, members of the United States Congress, members of the European Parliament, members of the British House of Lords, and members of the Parliament of Canada. Their open letters to the Norwegian Committee (Canadian MPs requested that their identities not be publicized) outlined the importance of honouring Dr. Biscet, a human rights defender of universal stature, as a way of recognizing his selfless struggle for human dignity.

Canada leads the world by providing the cash that the Castro family desperately needs to stay in power.

 

Dr. Biscet’s story of opposition started earlier in the 80s, but it wasn’t until 1997 that he really irked the government (see lawtonfoundation.com for further reference) by conducting a clandestine ten-month research study at the Hijas de Galicia Hospital documenting unofficial statistical data on abortion techniques.

During this study, many Cuban mothers testified that their newborn babies were killed right after birth, a common practice in hospitals throughout the island. The research study, “Rivanol: A Method to Destroy Life,” was officially delivered to the Cuban government in June 9, 1998, along with a letter addressed to Fidel Castro accusing the Cuban National Health System of genocide. Needless to say, that was the end not only of Dr. Biscet’s medical career but also his wife’s career as a nurse.

Dr. Biscet’s mere nomination [for the Nobel prize] helps to lessen the degree of ostracism the regime uses to stifle Cuban dissidents. In addition to the regular beatings and subhuman conditions suffered by Cuban prisoners of conscience, the psychological tortures inflicted upon these men and women include prolonged periods of solitary confinement, the prohibition of literature, and forced separation from their families. The main goal of this is to break their spirits. A frequent script used by interrogators and jailers is: “While you rot in here, life continues outside, and the fact is that in the so-called free world, nobody cares whether you live or die.”

By recognizing Dr. Biscet’s struggle, the opposition movement gains the legitimacy that most in the free world have exclusively granted to the regime. Through Dr. Biscet, we see a solidarity that up to now was accustomed to a world seemingly mesmerized by the charms of a despot.

Canada's Role

Canada has consistently been a major facilitator of the Cuban regime’s survival ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union. When it comes to liquidity contribution via trade, investment, and tourism, Canada leads the world by providing the cash that the Castro family desperately needs to stay in power. This occurs regardless of which party has the most seats in Parliament.

The apparent secret bond between Canada and the regime, which is common knowledge among human rights activists in Cuba, has also damaged Canada’s reputation internationally. A Toronto Star article published on December 17, 2010, states: “Canada is one of several countries that has stopped pressuring Cuba on human rights to gain business favours from Havana, according to confidential U.S. diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks.”

With critical events unfolding sooner rather than later, perhaps it is about time to realize that turning our backs on the people of Cuba and failing to openly denounce the ongoing human tragedy in that country will eventually backfire. Canadians should question the risks of dealing with the worst tyranny ever to take hold on the western hemisphere for two reasons: First, its practicality if the explosive socio-economic context is considered, and second, the long-term moral consequences of propping up a criminal regime in the heart of the Americas.

Nelson Taylor Sol is the Ottawa representative director of the Cuban Canadian Foundation and a Cuban expatriot. His blog address is http://esquimal-desde-canada.blogspot.com. Further information can be seen at www.cubancanadianfoundation.com.