Page 4-Wednesday, May 21, 1980-The Michigan Daily
Opinions
The Michigan Dailybstpd141C
N'4inet }ears of1 Eirrt ial rdo
E~ditecid nd mnaged by studets
it the Untiverity f Mlichigan
Freedom flotilla
HE COAST GUARD and governmental offic-
ials in Florida need to make a stronger effort 4'
to prevent the still-steady flow of Cuban refugee c
arrivals coming into Key West, Florida. Arrests
should be made against those boats that bring
refugees to this country, and boats that unload
their passengers should not be allowed to turn back
to Cuba to pick up more.
This temporary ban on the "Freedom Flotilla" is
necessary for several significant reasons. The
weather conditions in the 90-mile trip across the
Florida straights have been perilous and so far 25
persons have died when tiny commercial boats
capsized in the four to seven foot waves.
As long as the boats are allowed to bring refugees
over, the Cuban authorities will continue to force
them to take too many passengers and to send themrp
out in dangerous weathers -
If boats are not able to bring the estimated 30,000 ocaine o C ntrl'U COUiu
to 50,000 Cuban refugees who still wish to come to
this country, then Cuban President Fidel Castro
will more than likely cooperate with President Car-
ter's offer to provide some official means to carry
U.S. refugees from Cuba. If Castro still hopes to rid LIMA, PERU-At $100 per Bespecally troubling in areas
grm $50 for each By Wlliam tlAlexander whrefo rousmbgroin.ea
himself of part of his population he will find he has cocaine is, by necesity, and nda Seligmann ood crops may be grown.
no choice but to cooperate with Carter. the drug of the affluent. And In any case, there is reason to
judging from its aleged use by the principal uera of the believe that eradication attempts
Last week Carter said he hoped to start an airlift high officials in the Carter Ad- estimated 16, tons of coca will never succeed in cutting off
or sealift to take the Cuban refugees out of this ministration and corporate produced annually in Peru. To a the supply of cocaine, which has
country as soon as Castro accepts his offer. A U.S. America, it is also the drug of the certain extent, the drug risen dramatically in recent
government lift would provide a safe way to bring powerful r aggravates their poverty. Lan- y ea es U.S-sponsored
But o cntrl te fow f doner ofen ndins n cntrol measures dating back to
refugees to this country. It would also prove to be "coke" into the U.S plans are downers often pay Indians in x Today, coca (14dcens per
an effective means to screen out undesirables such underway which take aim at creasing its use as an inadequate pay a tax of 30 soles (14 cents) er
as the prisoners and terminally ill patients Castro some of the world's poorest and food substitute and contributing kilogram, an extremely high fee
has been sending over. most powerless citizens: the In- to the 60 per cent in a country where the daily wage
dian peasants of Peru. rate among Peruvian children, is approximately 50 cents.
Eventually all those dissatisfied with Castro's THERE IS serious doubt that But for the Andean tribes, coca Another law prohibits the pur-
communist Cuba should be allowed to find a new these plans will have their inten- is imbued with special religious chase of coca t ima coastal
home in the United States or another country of a coeti t ther inernational properties. "As they chew (coca to discourage illicit trade.
thei chice Bu Caterwasjusifid innarotis tade Oter ffetsleaves) together, they feel that Neither of these measures has
their choice. But Carter was justified in however, are almost certain. If souls from the other side Are with
establishing certain Cuban citizens-political Peruvian and U.S. agents act on a them," explains M. Augusto de stemmed the flow of coca abroad.
dissidents, those who have sought freedom in the proposal to spray a toxic her- Ingunza of the Peruvian Although poppy and marijuana
Peruvian embassy and U.S. Interest section in bicide on the coca crop region, Agricultural Ministry. It is a life- cultivation in Mexico has been
Havana, and those with close family ties in the the result will be economic saving aid in time of famine, considerably reduced since the
H ana, disaster and cultural catastrophe thanks to its ability to stave off U.S. sought to end drug abuse
U.S-as first priority refugees. for the Indians. cold, fatigue and hunger. problems through a similar
It is- unfortunate that Carter waited so long tALTHOUGH U.S. officials deny MOREOVER, IT is a central eradication effort there, the
btrisnfotaehingatCareroitedy slong nthat a herbicide program is also part of their economy. Most coca market for opium and marijuana
before establishing a clear policy on Cuban afoot highlevel talks on such a is grown in the "montana," or has not abated. Because the
refugees. For three weeks after the influx began, program have been held between low-altitude jungle below 4,000 demand-and the social reasons
the U.S. had no definite policy on what to do with the two governments. Following feet above the sea level, where for it-continue, the supply is
the Cuban arrivals. The president should have a secret visit to Washington, In- few other cash crops are feasible. simply being made up from other
a moratorium on the impromptu ferry ser- pctor Manual Lezama of the If the burning effort is sup- international sources.
placed.-amrtru nteipopufrysr Peruvian Investigatory plemented with an herbicidal
vice long before the situation got out of hand. Police-Peru's version of the campaign, there is little way of
Carter was naive when he said several weeks ago F.B.I-told the Lima newspaper preventing an illegal consum- William -Alexander, a
that the refugees would be welcomed with "an open La Prensa that experiments ption of poisoned leaves which University professor, and Lin-
heart and open arms." He should have considered would be conducted to determine will result in debilitating diseases da Seligmann, an an-
the consequences of moving 60,000 people from used on marijuana crops in sen ousydtam raqu has thropologist, recently returned
Cuba to Florida's shores.in tiny, ,commercail Mexico is effective against aqsaypmraqwers u the Us.. rn -. year'Ffield .vr/ 4
ts. The large and impovris e and nobody knows th extent- ' g % 'Q'te fjtj , iA e
m.F_ x z n ~a a a _a a e . This is for Pacific1NewsSeni'ica.:i
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