For many years, the Socialist Party held it against the United Status for not intervening and helping to end Franco’s anti-democratic regime.  The reality is that they tried, but were discouraged due to the lack of a serious opposition inspired be democratic values.  Today, the Socialist Party is implementing a policy of protecting a different dictatorship, Castro’s Cuba, despite the outcry of the democratic opposition movement that remains isolated by the regime. 

 

Why does Spain have to be the European country that lowers sanctions imposed on the Cuban government due to its systematic trampling of human rights, thus removing the corrupt and inept dictatorship that has condemned its people to misery and slavery from its current ostracism?  The answer is very simple:  not all dictatorships are equal.  A dictatorship that is conservative is inherently bad, while a communist one represents no more than a perplexing yet just cause for the left.  The castristas are comrades of our government officials, while the hiding democratic opposition harbors liberals, aka reactionaries.  The important thing here is not democracy (which is fundamental to the opposition movement), but socialism, despite the inability of describing what is cloaked under this word. 

 

It is true that our government not only shelters communist dictatorships, but also welcomes others with a reactionary streak – but always and when they are on the anti-American trail, denouncing liberal globalization.  Pinochet and Franco were despicable, but the ayatollahs or the castristas deserve all our respect. 

 

Cuba is very important to us for different reasons.  Our presence there was as intense as heavy-handed.  It represents a trial of the defense of democratic values in our foreign policy.  As a former colony, we have the responsibility of positioning European Union policy there.  Moratinos has confirmed the worst predictions with this visit to Cuba, the first by a European minister since the crisis in 2003.   He has turned his back on the democratic opposition despite the tough repression they face; he has salvaged the image of a repulsive regime; and, finally, Moratinos will present himself before the EU with a speech on dialogue and understanding for those who practice tyranny and murder. 

 

The Zapatero Government has no doubt that between the Cuban people and the castrista elite, they should opt to support the latter.  No one will be surprised by this, not here nor in Europe, nor in Cuba.  This is the foundation of the “Alliance of Civilizations,” the cornerstone of the government’s foreign policy.  This is the expression of sympathy that the dictator and his henchmen rouse in our leftist flank.  In the end, remembering the illustrious words of Almudena Grandes, Castro does nothing more than evoke the dream sympathy among our compatriots, if that word can still be used.