Editing 76-10-A7 (section)

=== Transcript ===
A few weeks ago our new ambassador to the United Nations publicly expressed the
view that we should "normalize" relations with Cuba. By coincidence, I assume,
Dictator Castro appeared on television two days later and expressed his desire for
normal relations with the United States beginning with resumption of trade. That
would be a good beginning -- for Mr. Castro. He has much more to gain from trade
with us than we do. His country's economy is creaking along, with consumer goods
of every kind in short supply and productivity far less than it was in the bad old
days of freedom.

The question is, should trade be the first approach to normal relations, diplomatic
recognitions and so forth? We are signatories to the United Nation's declaration of
Human Rights. We rationalized signing the Helsinki pact on the grounds that it
might make life easier for some of those enslaved behind the Iron Curtain and
elsewhere. Why shouldn't we tell Castro that normal relations might follow the
adoption by him of some of the simple humanitarian customs we consider normal?

Chile, a country often accused by some of denying civil liberties to it's people,
nevertheless has offered to exchange political prisoners for some of the people
being held by the Soviet Union and other Communist countries. On December 18
they had their first success. The Soviet Union freed and exchanged Vladimir
Bukovsky for a veteran Chilean Communist, Luis Corvalon. But so far they have
had no success in trying to exchange another jailed Chilean Communist for a Cuban
prisoner, Major Huberto Matos, imprisoned by Castro in October of 1959, almost
eighteen years ago. It seems that his crime was in saying that the Castro
government was being infiltrated by Communists and that he didn't want to be
associated with it. This was only a few months after Castro had seized power and
Matos was one of the military leaders who had helped him do this. He was removed
from military command, placed under arrest and jailed for -- QUOTE - "betraying"
- UNQUOTE - The Revolution. For the last five years he has been allowed no
visitors. Our government is aware of his situation. His wife, Maria, has been
seeking help to obtain his release. She has written President Carter, asking him to
intercede; to appeal to Castro to accept the Chilean offer of an exchange.

She has also met with staff aides of Senators Case and Kennedy and Representative
Edward Koch (COKE), all of whom have been quite vocal in their protests about
human rights in Chile. So far she's had no success. In her letter to the President
she wrote, "Can you provide the needed hand to obtain the release of my husband?
You have called for a new morality in foreign policy and I believe that you are
genuinely interested in human rights. That is why I'm asking you to appeal directly
to President Castro urging him to accept the Chilean offer." Mrs. Matos' last word
from her husband was a letter smuggled out of the prison two years ago. He said,
"if my spiritual state is holding up, I cannot say the same for my physical state."
He told her his left arm was paralyzed and he was nearly blind, then added, "I am
old and ailing. I am a shadow of the man who entered prison in 1959." Major Matos
is just one of thousands imprisoned in Castro's Cuba. Let normalization of relations
with us begin with justice for all of them.

This is Ronald Reagan.

Thanks for listening.

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