Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy, who visited Cuba in January, has quietly advised Cabinet colleagues that there should be no ministerial trips at this time because of the worsening human-rights situation. Even the usually Castro-sympathetic academic voices have joined the censure. Professor Stephen Toope of McGill University opposes sending computers to Cuba saying, ``We would be helping a very repressive regime to improve its operation.''

Bravo I thought. At long last, Canada is assuming the morally correct attitude of challenge and condemnation toward those leaders it contemplates meeting in Havana in November.

But applause should be laced with a modicum of skepticism. After all, the Castro regime has spent four decades violating human rights and been repeatedly condemned by multiple international organizations. Yet, five years ago Canada resumed foreign aid to Cuba, supported investing in Cuba's nickel mines, increased tourism, sent many high-level officials there (including Prime Minister Jean Chretien) and kept its criticism of human rights to a murmur.

So why the change? The classic French response to any mystery is ``Cherché la a femme!'' (look for the woman), but in our global capitalist cynicism it is easier to follow Deep Throat's advice to Bob Woodward, ``Follow the money.''

Closer scrutiny in this case links Canada's belated human-rights enlightenment to the mighty dollar. In 1997, Clarence Boudreau, chairman of the Toronto-based FirstKey Project Technologies, used his personal contact with Fidel Castro and Cuba's desperate lack of electricity, to get a $500-million agreement to restore power to the island. Boudreau's happy engineers drew up plans while the Ottawa government invited Cuban delegations to visit. One year later, Havana had forgotten the deal, after costing FirstKey $9 million. According to Boudreau, the Cubans used his company's plans to entice other companies to invest in Cuba and complete its electrical power restoration. ``The Cuban regime initially treats investors with devotion, then discards them like wet rags,'' Boudreau told The Wall Street Journal. A good reason to condemn Castro's government for violating human rights.

In any case, the Canadian government seems to be using its outrage at Cuba's human-rights violations as a threat to the Castro regime to make good on its business debts. Canada will soon learn what many others have learned the hard way: No pressure known to man can persuade Castro to alter his path even slightly if it in any way infringes upon his power. For now, let Canada be ``shocked -- shocked'' to learn that there's widespread human mistreatment going on in Cuba. And welcome Canadians to the fight.