Science v. ideology

Last week, Vicente Verez-Bencomo was supposed to receive an award on behalf of a team of Cuban scientists who developed a low-cost vaccine against meningitis and pneumonia. Each year, 700,000 children die worldwide of these diseases, and this vaccine will undoubtedly put a dent in those numbers. According to The Associated Press, Verez-Bencomo had been invited to a ceremony at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, Calif., to accept the award; he had also received an invitation to speak to the Society for Glycobiology in Boston. \nHowever, Verez-Bencomo found himself unable to enter the United States when the State Department refused to issue him a visa.\nThe State Department would not make any public comments on the case, but many are convinced that denying Verez-Bencomo entry into the United States because he is Cuban. And Cuba, as we know, is a communist country.\nFunny. I thought the Cold War was over.\nIt's been roughly 15 years since the Iron Curtain fell in Europe, and yet some in the United States remain terrified by the threat of communism -- so much so that the government denies entry to a man that potentially might have helped save the lives of millions of children.\nAs Verez-Bencomo himself stated: "I wasn't going there to talk about politics, I was going to talk about science."\nIt's sad when we refuse to acknowledge scientific achievement on the basis of ideology. Verez-Bencomo's vaccine provides an alternative solution for third-world countries to the more expensive vaccine. Children who once were at a risk of dying from these diseases can now be protected.\nThe communist ideology has long since proven itself defective, and Cuba is far from being a powerful state. The threat communism poses to the United States is virtually obsolete, particularly from this small island nation.\nSo why can't Verez-Bencomo enter the United States to receive his award?\nThe tensions between the governments of the United States and Cuba should not prevent recognition of such a prominent scientific achievement. It's time we got past suspicion, particularly when it comes to cases like Verez-Bencomo. Just because we hate Fidel Castro doesn't mean every prominent Cuban is trying to use weapons of mass destruction against the United States.\nWhat's more, Verez-Bencomo has entered the United States on four occasions previous to this one in order to attend professional gatherings. The fact that he now was denied entry at a time when he was to receive a well-deserved award makes this case all the more absurd. Verez-Bencomo never caused any problems before, and one would think that a man who is saving lives wouldn't pose a threat to our country's security.\nThe Tech Museum of Innovation annually honors those who improve the environment, economy, education, equality and health through technology. Verez-Bencomo's vaccine certainly seems to qualify. He and his team deserve to be rewarded for the 14 years of work they put into this advancement.