Spring will come someday

April 14, 2005 | The Miama Herald
By Frank Calzon

GENEVA -- Europe is infused with a sense of a new beginning. Pope John Paul II's funeral is over, and the pilgrims have returned home. In London, Prince Charles has finally married his Camilla. Spring is stirring across the continent.

But not in Geneva. Here it is still snowing. It's windy, and white-capped waves push across the lake toward France, wave after wave. Not one sail can be seen; all the graceful vessels have found refuge near the shore. Geneva is a special place, with its Palais des Nations that now houses the United Nations and once housed the League of Nations. With many others I have come to a session of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights to hear heartbreaking stories of rape and plunder in hope of creating a sense of revulsion that taps a sense of decency among the world's diplomats.

Reto is a 23-year-old cab driver who, in addition to his native French, speaks German and passable English. He knows something about Texas and George W. Bush, but does not know the name of the president of Switzerland. During the week in Geneva, I have asked five 20-something Swiss to name their president and not one could. The president has little impact or charisma as he fails to elicit either fear or love from his fellow Swiss.

Back at the Palais des Nations, the United States just introduced a resolution condemning violations of human rights in Cuba. Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque recently concluded a visit to Europe that included an audience with King Juan Carlos of Spain. While presenting Fidel Castro's case in various capitals, Perez Roque insisted the American resolution will fail though it is now cosponsored by 25 members of the European Union. Cuba's president-for-life must think otherwise, as he is ranting in Havana: ''I don't give a hoot about the commission.''

Three former members of the old Soviet bloc from Central Europe -- Hungary, Romania and Armenia -- are expected to vote for the resolution this year. Since 1990, it has been approved every year but one.

In the past, Ukraine has voted against condemning Cuba, but with the Orange Revolution now in power in Kiev and President Viktor Yushchenko quoting John F. Kennedy about carrying ''any burden in the pursuit of freedom,'' Ukraine's vote this year is uncertain.
Many African nations will vote against the Cuba resolution. In Latin America, Argentina abstained last year and reportedly encouraged Paraguay to do so as well. Since that vote Fidel Castro has snubbed Argentina's President Nestor Kirchner who, after many friendly gestures toward Havana, wrote a warm and pleading letter urging his friend Fidel to permit the Cuban grandmother of two Argentine children to visit.

The woman, Dr. Hilda Molina, is a famous neurosurgeon who became a dissident and resigned from Castro's parliament. Castro refuses to let her leave the country despite Kirchner's entreaties. Still, no one expects Buenos Aires to raise the issue here. When it comes to Castro, the patience of the Argentine president rivals that of Job. Argentina is likely to abstain.

The U.N. Human Rights Commission provides a forum to plead on behalf of the victims of repression, but its voting members include some of the world's most repressive tyrants: China, Sudan, Zimbabwe, some other African despots and, of course, Cuba. While China and Cuba's allies display their expected loyalty traits, some of America's allies are fair-weather friends.
Politically it's still cold in Geneva. Egypt, Pakistan and Indonesia, for example, will side with Castro.

For many years in Geneva and elsewhere, the politically correct thing to do was to acquiesce to the ''irreversibility'' of communism. Marxism-Leninism was on the march, and history could not be reversed. Not in Moscow. Not in Prague. Not in Havana.
We know better now. You can sit in the Geneva chill and realistically believe that there will be more changes.
You can believe that in a few years an inquisitive foreigner traveling about Havana may ask young Cubans, ''Who is the president?'' and get no answer.
Spring comes -- eventually.

Frank Calzon is the executive director of the Center for a Free Cuba in Washington, D.C.