In today’s edition ( August 26) you publish in the Editorial Section a very extensive letter from Anthony F. Kirkpatrick M.D. and in the Florida section a news report about this gentleman impending trip to Cuba.

This gentleman has received unusual coverage in your pages every time he has wanted to use the so called embargo, as an excuse for the sufferings of the Cuban people, which are real, and caused by the system of government the Dr. and many others who do not have to endure life under the Castro tyranny, choose to exonerate , of the historic responsibility of maintaining the longest and most abusive dictatorship in the history of the Americas.

The good Dr. accuses people like me of contributing to the suffering of Cuban children, how wrong he is, how is it possible that in the same country that makes the Dr. weep for lack of basic medical needs, there is a flourishing business, providing advance medical care to foreigners that pay with dollars, and receive treatment in most instances not approved by the AMA.

Why Caritas, the international Catholic relief organization is not officially recognized by the Cuban government who routinely delays, pilfers or sends back aid in the form of medicine, food and toys. Why is it that an ambulance donated to a Cuban town by a German group was held in Customs for over two years?.

There is probably little to argue that the so-called embargo is probably an anachronism instituted by a Democratic administration after the betrayal of the Cuban people, that the Helms Burton Law, American response to the murder by Castro of three American citizens, has not been enforced by the current administration has only one name, Shame.

But it is interesting to note that the good Dr. is going to delay the trip to Cuba in his own private airplane until October because the fear of “ Hurricanes”. Dr., Cuba is only 90 miles from Key West, and we know about hurricanes at least 72 hours ahead of time.

Please get on your airplane tomorrow and mitigate the suffering you so decry, and when you get there ask and bring us back an explanation as of why the people in Cuba have no freedom of speech, reunion, travel, choose their place of employment, buy and sell products or services, why Cuban doctors make $200 pesos a month, why there are hundreds of Cuban Doctors serving in Africa in Latin America. Please also ask why you can stay in a Hotel where Cuban Nationals are not allowed to enter. Go by the Hemingway marina and say Hello to your fellow humanitarians enjoying the tropical breezes on the deck of their yachts.

We agree on the suffering, we obviously disagree on its origin. Cuba should be free.

END

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