FOR A United States president agonisingly engaged with the worsening war in Afghanistan that threatens to be another Vietnam for America, Barack Obama seems to have enough time to personally communicate with a popular anti-Castro Cuban blogger to signal his reluctance to normalise relations with the government in Havana.

Our Caribbean Community Heads of Government who had expectations of a meeting with Obama in the final quarter of this year, following a bilateral meeting on the margins of last April’s Fifth Summit of the Americas in Port-of-Spain, need to ponder on this development, as they wait in line for such a ‘summit’ in Washington — sometime in 2010.

Last Tuesday, to mark the 37th annual observance of Caricom-Cuba Day which highlights the friendship and solidarity since four of the Community members established joint diplomatic relations with the Cuban Government, the Community Secretariat announced the accreditation of Havana’s new ambassador to Caricom, Raul Gortazar Marrero.

Secretary General Edwin Carrington and the Cuban ambassador joined in extolling the variety and extent of Cuba’s aid over the years to Caricom that, together, have significantly contributed to the Community’s human resources.

However, if they are familiar with the enormous influence of Senior White House Advisor David Axelrod — viewed by so-called ‘Washington insiders’ as a version of George Bush’s Karl Rove — then Caricom leaders may be aware of his (Axelrod’s) lack of enthusiasm in moving US-Cuba relations from the backburner.

Last April, for instance, in responding to President Raoul Castro’s statement on the occasion of the Summit of the Americas, that Cuba was interested in working with the USA, Axelrod cynically remarked that the government in Havana should “stop taking 30 per cent of the remittances sent to Cuba” by Cuban Americans.

Axelrod should try calculating the billions of dollars being lost to Cuba, annually, by America’s inhumane blockade when referencing the “remittances” — helpful as they would be to Cuban families in need.

Last month, the Associated Press was reporting out of Havana on Obama’s answering of some seven questions from the Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez, that involved approximately one thousand words.

Among other issues, Obama dismissed any idea of a US “invasion of Cuba” but said, in response to (Raoul) Castro’s interest in direct dialogue, possibly at the Guantanamo naval base, that he was “not interested in talking for the sake of talking. In the case of Cuba, such diplomacy should create opportunities to advance the interests of the United States and the cause of freedom for the Cuban people…” .

While news reports were still focused on Obama’s Internet conversation with the celebrated blogger — a strong voice of dissent in Cuba connected with foreign media — the Cuban Government was engaged in preparation designed, it said, “to guard against an invasion from America”.

Granma, the state-owned and official organ of the Cuban Communist Party, reported that the mobilisation against a US invasion was “the largest and most important in five years”.

I doubt that such an act of aggression against Cuba is on the agenda of Obama, currently witnessing his popularity being eroded by the war in Afghanistan and his health care legislation.

Yet, it is being asked why he preferred to engage the blogger Sanchez and not even forward a brief note, via the US Interest Section in Havana, in response to President Castro’s call for dialogue.

RICKEY SINGH

Observer Caribbean correspondent