Castro: ‘What Political Prisoners?’

President Obama called his visit to Cuba a new day for the two countries. He said he had a frank and candid discussion with President Castro on human rights in Cuba. He also said he was encouraged by Castro’s goal to get Cuba online. Yet, when Jim Acosta of CNN asked Castro about political prisoners, Castro balked at the question and said, “what political prisoners?” and asked for a list. Castro said that if he was given a list of political prisoners, they would be released by nightfall. “If.”

Dictators cannot be trusted to encourage education and freedom of information. The government does not allow outside groups to access the prisons, so it is impossible for anyone to get a complete list of those prisoners. Castro knows this and is daring the press to challenge him. Some groups have partial lists because of family members, etc. and Castro is unwilling to admit this. Castro will not release these prisoners and no amount of frank and candid discussion from President Obama will change Castro’s mind.

As long as Castro remains, Cuba will never be free. He will restrict speech, control the flow of information, and crush dissenters to keep his power. Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist 51 that government “is the greatest of all reflections on human nature.” And Castro is no angel. It is unconscionable that President Obama is trusting this man to push Cuba toward freedom.