Dressed in his trademark olive-green military uniform, Cuban President Fidel Castro met recently at his office in Havana's Palace of the Revolution with U.S. News Editor-in-Chief Mortimer B. Zuckerman and Latin America Correspondent Linda Robinson. Among the points Castro made during the five-hour, late-night meeting:
On the refugee crisis. We regretted that this problem happened. It was not created by us.
We can mathematically prove that we did not create it: In 4 1/2 years, 51,076 Cubans tried to leave, and 13,275 made it and were accepted in the United States. During the same time, only 4,872 immigrant visas were issued by the U.S. Interests Section. It [the United States] gave visas, residency, everything to those arriving illegally. If you receive more illegal than legal immigrants, then I'd say that's a deliberate policy. A Frankenstein was created.
We have never said a word telling the people to go. We, in fact, took measures to prevent it. All the radio stations [anti- Castro stations including Radio Marti and Miami-based exile-run stations] and our economic problems created it.
I did not go [to Cojimar, where refugees were setting sail for the United States] myself, but I hear that each day the Cubans were more inventive in constructing their craft. I've heard that they have even used refrigerators. This shows the Cuban entrepreneurial spirit. Of course, I imagine they have left a few tractors without tires and a few trucks without motors.
On the economy. When the socialist camp existed, we had a minimum of people who wanted to leave. When we were left alone after the Soviet Union's collapse, facing the blockade [the U.S. trade embargo], it was like the Himalayas crushing us.
We had hoped that the sugar harvest would be better than last year, but production was lower this year. We had many problems: with the rainy season, with the harvesting machines; the fields were not irrigated, nor was there adequate fertilizer, so the soil is depleted. Because of these problems, the cutters were less productive, by about 30 to 40 percent. Because of heavy rains, some plantations could not be harvested.
Last year, our sugar harvest was 4.2 million [metric] tons; this year we harvested 4 million tons. We should have been able to make 4.8 million tons. But other activities are growing: tourism, biotechnology.
On prospects for economic reform. We are adopting measures to allow the country to survive and leave this difficult period behind. We don't really expect help [from the United States]. We want to be left alone, in effect. [But] our efforts are being sabotaged. We just say, give our country the chance other countries have. This blockade [the U.S. trade embargo] is cruel, inhuman.
We have looked at the steps China and Vietnam have taken; we have studied their advances with interest. We are prepared to take measures but without disorganizing the country or leading it into chaos. We do not believe we should do anything that leads to chaos or anarchy, because no country can be governed if it is in chaos.
On relations with the United States. We have not uttered a single disrespectful word about President Clinton. Even in these days of crisis, I have not uttered one word against him. The United States does not have any other alternative, as in this case of the migration crisis, than to talk to Cuba. It needs to change an old, obsolete policy.
I think the migration agreement is a good one. Clinton showed a degree of flexibility to reach this accord. It is an example that shows our problems can be solved by negotiating. There are a host of issues we could talk about. Just thinking off the top of my head, there is the matter of narcotics interdiction we could discuss. We are disposed to talk about anything.
Now [anti-Castro New Jersey Democrat Rep. Robert] Torricelli has declared that the accord is good, because it will make Cubans stay to create trouble here. This is a democracy-by-subversion strategy.
On the U.S. trade embargo. At no time have we linked [lifting] the blockade to reaching an accord. We believe that it is necessary, but the American negotiators were instructed not to discuss the blockade. We understood this, that it is a question of internal politics. But we did take the opportunity to present our viewpoints.
The August 20 measures [ending exile remittances and flights for visits] are incompatible with the accord that was just signed. We can't talk about visas for 20,000 Cubans if there is no way for them to travel, since flights have been cut off. We can't talk about their departure if families are captive, if they are not allowed to visit. I don't think that the administration will be able to keep relatives from sending money for long. Many Cubans here depend on that help. There will be pressure from Cuban-Americans who want to help their relatives. I've heard from some Cuban-Americans that this feeling exists already. Cuban- Americans are now the only immigrants without the right of visiting their relatives or having their relatives visit them. These measures are like putting oil on a fire.
On enforcing the recent accord. As reflected in the minutes of our talks with the United States, we can stop people from leaving only with great effort. We proposed the language of the accord that specified that we would use primarily persuasive methods [to stop Cubans from leaving]. We will only use force in exceptional cases. We have 3,500 kilometers of coastline; it is impossible to stop all who want to leave. Given the economic conditions in Cuba today, the compulsion of the people to leave is strong. So it will take the cooperation of both the Cuban naval forces and the American Coast Guard [to enforce the accord]. We need to work on it together and make the agreement work.
[The United States] will also find it has a problem with the people in Guantanamo. They are bold, rebellious and audacious people. They won't be easily controlled. They are Cubans formed in the revolution.
On the August 5 antigovernment riot. The incident of August 5 began with people trying to hijack a boat, a ferry. We solved it without using weapons; we solved it with the people. I went there, I saw people supporting the revolution. I walked along the whole area where people had been throwing stones.
On prospects for political liberalization. This country can only be ruled by the revolution.
If this country explodes, the headaches for the United States will be inconceivable. The country will be ungovernable for 100 years. Cuba could become a huge center of drug trafficking.
We are prepared to be flexible and constructive. But, also, people are willing to fight. No one should think we are just going to sit down and accept the destruction of our country. We are willing to talk, but we are also willing to resist and put up a struggle.
Nothing that has to do with the sovereignty of the country can be negotiated. We hope the United States understands that. The United States would never accept another country dictating steps it should take. We are not going to renounce the conquests of the revolution.
