THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, September 13, 1994 TAG: 9409100017
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 37 lines
The late Jose Simon, a Cuban refugee who became a member of the Old Dominion University faculty, was one of Fidel Castro's victims and was a well-known spokesperson for Cuban Americans both in Hampton Roads and in Miami. He would have been outraged that anyone would assert that Cuba is not an aggressive state (letter, Sept. 2).
Dr. Simon lost his home, his money, his job and nearly his life escaping Castro's aggressive army. Castro's regime took almost everything that belonged to him before he escaped Cuba to Miami in the '60s. No one in Cuba voted for this to happen, contrary to letter writer Al Markowitz's notion that Cuba is a democratic country.
Why have thousands of Cuban people left and are still risking their lives to leave Cuba on homemade rafts if it is such a wonderful place to live, with an elected government?
Establishing economic relations now with Cuba would be a huge mistake and an insult to all the Cubans who risked their lives to leave.
Castro is close to collapse. His patron, the Soviet Union, is no more and can no longer supply him with arms and food.
Castro's situation now is desperate. The Cuban dictator knows his time is limited unless he can burden the United States and force us to open free trade with Cuba. That is exactly what he is doing now by allowing his people to leave. He is counting on the United States to fall right into his plan.
VALERIE GREGORY
Norfolk, Sept. 5, 1994 by CNB