During an interview with Europa Press, the Minister for International Politics and Cooperation, Elena Valenciano, and the General Secretary of the PSOE, Leire Pajin, explained that "official" visits to Cuba are negotiated with the Castro regime and that, therefore, visits with dissidents are not on the agenda.
Valenciano sought to justify her snub of Cuba's courageous dissidents by stating that this is similar to the PSOE's practice when traveling to China or Vietnam, as well.
And that, is an example (hopefully The National Review's Mark Krikorian is taking note) of why a transition from Cuba's current totalitarian regime to Chinese or Vietnamese-style market authoritarianism is an unacceptable alternative.
The free-will of all Cubans -- not just a handful of 80-year old dictators -- deserves to be heard and respected. Nothing less.
