Bush's Gettysburg (Part 4)

Plenty of additional commentary and information about Bush's new speech on Cuba policy arrived this weekend.

On Friday, Miami Herald's Alfonso Chardy reported on the preparation for Bush's speech and how Cuban exile hard-liners in Miami helped. According to Chardy, there was a "select group of 10 who met with Bush in Miami on Oct. 12." George W. Bush was in Miami on October 12, scheduled to give a speech at the downtown Radisson about "expanding trade and investment" with Latin America. While the majority of the speech dealt with recent trade deals concerning Peru, Colombia and Panama, Bush also had time to elaborate about strengthening "the forces of freedom and democracy throughout the Americas", which included a few words on Cuba: "And the vision I have for our hemisphere includes a free and democratic Cuba." This comment was followed with an audience member yelling out: "Viva Bush!"

Alfonso Chardy provided additional information to what Ninoska Pérez Castellón was already telling Radio Mambi listeners two days before. After Bush's speech on Wednesday, Pérez Castellón was mentioning on her 3pm show how she helped arrange some of the meetings on Oct. 12th with Bush and the families of the political prisoners mentioned. Including Pérez Castellón and Radio Mambi's programming director Armando Perez Roura, Chardy includes "Remedios Díaz Oliver of the U.S. Cuba Democracy PAC and the Liberty Council; former state Rep. Gastón Cantens, and Florida's Republican Cuban-American lawmakers, Sen. Mel Martínez and Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Lincoln and Mario Díaz-Balart" as part of the "select group of 10."

It's pretty clear to see whose voices were represented in Bush's speech. Chardy also presents some interesting quotes, such as Armando Pérez Roura saying: "I said to [Bush] that for me he was the last hope of Cubans in exile and that we were concerned by the rapprochement [the Cuban regime] was pursuing, without instituting any change." I found this quote as either an honest sign of desperation by one of Miami's most hard-line voices, or another desperate attempt to coax Bush into supporting a hard-line position.

Also, according to Chardy, "[o]fficials familiar with the discussions, who declined to be identified because they did not want to talk publicly about internal deliberations, said the speech was in the works for months." This makes some sense. I found out that the cheesy line in Bush's Wednesday speech that goes "the light of liberty will shine on Cuba" goes back to April 28 when Bush said the same thing delivering a commencement address at the Miami Dade College. And, the inclusion of families of Cuban political prisoners, such as Yamile Llanes Labrada (wife of Jose Luis Garcia Paneque), was probably already being planned since early October given Labrada's appearance on Oct. 10th at the Rose Garden for the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at the White House.

But, other things in the speech like the mention of Armando Valladares, a 22-year Cuban political prisoner, and the "tropical gulag" descriptor go back years! Valladares released a popular book in 1986 originally titled "Against All Hope: The Prison Memoirs of Armando Valladares", which recounts his torture in Cuba's prisons. The book helped coin the phrase "Castro's gulag" since "gulag" seemed the most apt for the time. Then-Pres. Reagan made sure to include Valladares in his speech on Dec. 1986 to designate Human Rights Day. The following year, Pres. Reagan nominated Valladares as a US representative to the UN. The Cuban government became fiercely opposed to the appointment. Today, Valladares' book is subtitled "A Memoir of Life in Castro's Gulag." Since then, Valladares has been repeatedly mentioned in other Reagan speeches, including remarks celebrating Cuban Independence Day (May 20th, 1902), a gesture also copied by former Pres. George H.W. Bush. ("Tropical Gulag" may have been coined by Global Options in 1987 with the publication of "Tropical Gulag: The Construction of Cold War Images of Cuba in the United States.")

But, in general, Bush's speech is unchanged since 2001 when celebrating Cuban Independence Day in the White House said: "History tells us that forcing change upon repressive regimes requires patience." Patience indeed! And, so we wait, just like Presidents before.

Carl Hiassen yesterday in the Herald characterized it well: "Bush's speech was recycled from his father, who recycled it from Ronald Reagan, who recycled it from Richard Nixon, who recycled it from Lyndon Johnson, who recycled it from John F. Kennedy." He's right.

(Babalu Blog's Henry Gomez has a rebuttal to Hiassen's column.)

[Part 1]

Important Details

Casey Woods' recent article in the Miami Herald forgets some important details in my opinion.

Woods writes about Magda Montiel Davis, one the lawyers working pro bono for a Cuban father trying to regain custody of his 4-year old daughter. The case has become quite a controversy here in Miami where Cuba related issues are generally viewed through a microscope, and analyzed with a dichotomous assumption of good (the United States) vs evil (the Cuban government). Woods mentions Davis' 1994 visit to Cuba where she was documented giving Fidel Castro a kiss and calling him a "great teacher." Since then, Davis is a convenient target for condemnation by Miami hard-liners, and an example of courage for the Cuban government.

Obviously, some of the most condemning remarks have come from callers on Radio Mambi, many of whom consider Magda Montiel Davis an agent for the Cuban government. Casey Woods mentions in her article that "some callers [on Radio Mambi] blasted Davis, calling her a liar. One man gave out her office phone number on air. [Ninoska Perez] Castellón urged listeners to call the Florida Bar Association and demand an investigation."

Woods accurately summarizes what generally happened that day, I was also listening to the same program, but there are some important facts that she leaves out.

Woods is specifically referring to Ninoska Pérez Castellón's 3pm show called "Ninoska en Mambi", which aired this past Friday. That day, once callers were allowed to participate, Davis was not only "blasted" as Woods describes, but also insulted and excoriated. Woods doesn't mention that Davis was called much worse things than just a liar.

Furthermore, the man who gave out Davis' office number on the air was in fact ALLOWED to do so by Pérez Castellón. I remember this very clearly. The caller first ASKS Pérez Castellón if he can give the number out because he had it with him at the moment. Pérez Castellón seemed reluctant, but had no problem telling him that he could. Woods is correct to mention that Pérez Castellón was urging her listeners to instead call the Florida Bar Association, but Woods failed to mention that Pérez Castellón APPROVED of giving Davis' office number on the air.

And, what's most troubling is the fact that the caller who gave out the number made his intentions clear to Ninoska Pérez Castellón beforehand. He said that Radio Mambi listeners should call Magda Montiel Davis' office "para molestarla" (to bother her). After giving out the number, the caller added that people shouldn't call to insult or threaten Davis.

Too bad Radio Mambi can't guarantee that.

In Other News...

Yesterday saw the debut of another local Spanish TV show that will discuss Cuban issues. Here in South Florida there are three local Spanish stations that are not network affiliated: MegaTV, AmericaTeVe, and GenTV. At 8pm, both MegaTV and AmericaTeve compete with local political talk shows, mainly discussing Cuba. Both shows regularly feature supporters of US policy towards Cuba, thus any opposition hardly gets noticed.

We can now add GenTV at 7pm with more support for US policy towards Cuba, and best of all the show is co-hosted by one of the fiercest supporters of the US embargo: Ninoska Perez-Castellon. The show is called Ultima Palabra (Last Word) and follows the blueprint and footsteps of the 8pm shows.

Perez-Castellon, who also has her own show on Radio Mambi, belongs to the Cuban Liberty Council (CLC), a group that opposes "any attempt by any group or political force, inside or outside Cuba, to impose an accord or form of government on the Cuban people that would represent the continuance of the totalitarian regime." This means no negotiation, compromise, or mediation concerning the conflict between Cuba and the US. According to a (December) 2004 interview with Perez-Castellon, the CLC recommended some of the restrictions that followed the (May) 2004 report by the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba. One of those restrictions was towards Cuban family travel, which has been denounced by many human rights organizations.

Yesterday on her talk radio show (Ninoska en Mambi - 3pm), Perez-Castellon received a call from a person who was arguing against the Cuban family travel restrictions. He argued that while he was a strong nationalist against Fidel Castro, his first priorities were to his family. Perez-Castellon countered with expressions of the suffering families of political prisoners. "What about them?," she asked.

Despite the strong opposition (64%) to the 2004 Cuban family travel restrictions, Perez-Castellon couldn't care less. As a result, Cuban families that are negatively affected by the restrictions are being held hostage to policy supporters like Perez-Castellon. She has ignored the condemnation of human rights organizations, and wants to force unwillingly Cubans to join her movement. Unfortunately, Ninoska Perez-Castellon has not realized that a forced policy on a population for a "free Cuba" has not been effective for decades, and very likely will never be.

A Ten Foot Poll

Well, the poll finally came out, and the hard-liners are scrambling like it was a Godzilla. Yesterday, the Florida International University (FIU) publicly released its occasional Cuba Poll, and some of its findings indicate a growing and unbearable trend: Cuban-Americans are beginning to oppose US policy towards Cuba!

FIU has been polling Cuban-Americans in the Miami area since 1991. And, every once in while they release the most comprehensive polling data about the Cuban exile community, and the results have always been revealing and enlightening. The Cuba Poll, since 1997, has been headed by the Institute for Public Opinion Research at FIU, led by Dr. Guillermo J. Grenier, Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, and Dr. Hugh Gladwin, Director of the Institute for Public Opinion Research. As the principle investigators, they have led the way to find out the current attitudes about Cubans in Miami. But, there are some people that wouldn't touch the findings with a ten-foot pole.

Ana Carbonell, from the office of US Representative (District 21) Lincoln Diaz-Balart, has described this poll as a "propaganda tool used by those who want to ease sanctions and normalize relations with the regime." It seems that Ana Carbonell is not aware that many polls show that Americans oppose current policy towards Cuba. But, since Lincoln Diaz-Balart favors current US policy, and the 2004 travel restrictions as "part of an important means" against Cuba, he will most likely avoid this poll as much as possible. Also, upon the release of the new poll, Ninoska Perez-Castellon from Radio Mambi was prepared to discredit the findings on her radio program at 3pm.

But, no one has yet to directly challenge the findings, and most likely no one will. Yet yesterday, Ninoska Perez-Castellon made an embarrassing challenge against the findings. Her argument was not based on the content of the Cuba Poll, but rather on the credibility of Carlos Saladrigas, co-chairman of the the Cuba Study Group (CSG), which funded the poll. Ninoska went off on a tangent about what Saladrigas said in the late 90's and how its doesn't jive with his current posture. I have no idea how this has anything to do with the new Cuba Poll. The funding of the CSG has not altered in any way the basic framework of the Cuba Poll. Since 1997, way before the formation of the Cuba Study Group, the Cuba Poll has asked the same basic questions, with small variations in order to address current political issues. This is also the first time the Cuba Poll is funded by the CSG, yet the principle questions are the same ones from 1997, 2000, and 2004.

Insulza makes a Boo Boo, Good for Him

Today, Radio Mambi has gotten a fever over the recent statements by the OAS secretary general, Jose Miguel Insulza. For some hardliners there is a "bad word" that starts with a "D" that Insulza said. And, no its not doo doo.

In 2005, the secretary general for the Organization of American States, Jose Miguel Insulza, was elected to the position for a five-year term. Since then, this "moderate Chilean socialist," has stood out in the headlines every now and then. Concerning Cuba, on May 23, 2006, Insulza was reported as saying "There is no transition and it is not your country." Insulza was responding to the appointment of Caleb McCarry as a coordinator for the US Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba.

This disagreement between Insulza and US plans for Cuba has recently been further clarified. When visiting Jamaica last week, and Peru this week, Insulza has been saying the "D" word like a drunken sailor. Or should I say, like a brave sailor.

In Jamaica, Insulza was reported to have said: "I hope that the lack of DIALOGUE about or with Cuba is only a temporary situation. We cannot help the people of Cuba if we cannot talk to them." In Peru, Insulza commented that "it seems to me that the OAS should get involved in at least initiating a significant DIALOGUE with Cuba." What a potty-mouth!

Radio Mambi, since hearing these words, have decided to defame and condemn Insulza for his insult to Cuban exiles. Armando Perez-Roura, in a bit of creativity, called Insulza a "comunista." (Wait a second, he calls everyone he disagrees with a "comunista.") Anyway, Ninoska Perez-Castellon spent a good portion of her afternoon show on Insulza's comments. Basically, her argument goes along the lines that dialogue is forbidden with assassins, vampires, and the Boogeyman. But, most of all its insulting to the victims of the Cuban government, and its exiled community. You should know this by now, its the same policy that has lasted almost a half-century.

Anyway, did I mention that virtually the whole world disagrees with Ninoska Perez-Castellon's position? And no, I don't mean the one about vampires and the Boogeyman.

Radio Mambi Goes to War

If one listens to Radio Mambi (WAQI) regularly, South Florida's number one Spanish AM radio station, one would become convinced of an imminent war between Cuba and the US.

On this morning's round table program, Ninoska Perez-Castellon, confidently stated that a coup d'etat is "extremely justified" in the case of Cuba. Also in Venezuela and Bolivia, as a matter of fact. I'm sure she meant in the same manner which occurred in Venezuela with the help of the US in 2002. And, this past Friday (Feb. 2) in his regular radio commentary "Tome Nota", Armando Perez-Roura said that the US should review its Kennedy-Khrushchev agreement of non-aggression towards Cuba. Perez-Roura believes that the agreement is null and void since the collapse of the USSR. In Radio Mambi, there is always room for war.

Yet, this sentiment is shared by many Cubans in South Florida. In 2004, Florida International University conducted a poll of 1,202 Cuban-Americans and found that 46.5% favored a "direct US military action to overthrow the Cuban government," while only 29.6 opposed. The same sentiments were seen in Broward county. But, within the Cubans who came AFTER 1985, there was a split of 41.8% in favor of US military action and 43.7% opposed. And, those who came after 1985 made up most of the respondents polled (32.4%).