By Rafael Lorente and Tamara Lytle, Washington Bureau. Tribune correspondent Chicago Tribune. June 21, 2000
WASHINGTON -- For years, the Cuban American National Foundation had the playing field mostly to itself when it came to Cuba policy.
Backed by the Cuban-American community, with its campaign donations and solid voting bloc, the foundation often was the only powerful voice talking about Cuba in Washington.
And while the saga of Elian Gonzalez may not be the sole reason, the tale of the 6-year-old shipwreck survivor has helped to highlight a new truth for the Cuban-American community: a loss of clout that generous campaign donations may not be able to undo.
The biggest challenge for the foundation is a growing effort by farmers and businesses, including a number from Illinois, to open markets in Cuba for American goods.
Lobbying by groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Farm Bureau has added new and powerful voices to debates on Cuba.
Observers also point to the death of the group's charismatic leader, Jorge Mas Canosa, the pope's 1999 visit to Cuba, the end of the Cold War and the loss of White House access that had been afforded under the Reagan and Bush administrations.
The apparent losing battle to keep Elian Gonzalez in the U.S. and the negative publicity it generated outside of South Florida has added to the foundation's woes.
"The foundation's finest hours are behind it," said William Goodfellow of the Center for International Policy, a think tank on Central America affairs. "It is in, and will be in, decline."
But Jose Cardenas, Washington representative for the foundation, said his group will be redoubling its efforts in the capital soon, including expanding staff.
Already, the foundation has announced a new television advertising campaign that will fight efforts to weaken the U.S. economic embargo against Cuba.
On Tuesday, the Cuban-American lobby scored a victory on that front when the Senate killed an amendment to establish a national bipartisan commission that would explore whether the 40-year-old embargo should be lifted.
The sponsor, Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), called the 59-41 vote stunning.
"It is worrisome that our self-interests could be so dominated by a small group of people in this country and that they can generate this kind of opposition to a simple commission," he said.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said the amendment presaged a possible lifting of sanctions against Cuba.
"I do not believe that the U.S. should change its policy toward Cuba," he said. "I believe Cuba should change its policy toward the U.S."
But the Cuban American National Foundation's finest hours seem to have been the 12 years Ronald Reagan and George Bush were in the White House. Backed by the presidents, the foundation's campaign contributions gained it access and influence.
Over the years, contributions have continued to flow. Since 1980, the Free Cuba PAC, the foundation's political action committee, has donated more than $1 million to national political candidates. Though Republicans traditionally have been strongly anti-Castro, the PAC has split its
contributions almost evenly between the two parties.
Cuban-Americans have been successful by using their money well, Goodfellow said. "They're sort of the foreign policy equivalent of the National Rifle Association."
Unlike some immigrant groups, who came to America because of economic deprivation, many Cubans were well-off in their native country and came to the U.S. already trained as doctors, lawyers and businessmen, said Jim Kane of Florida Voter, an independent polling firm in Ft. Lauderdale.
The Cuban immigrants also arrived in the U.S. with a clear vision--defeating Fidel Castro--and acquired the political organization and wealth to back their ideas.
"Unlike other immigrant groups, Cuban Americans became political in the first generation," said Louise DeSipio, associate professor of political science at the University of Illinois, who studies immigrant political participation.
But the organization's largess does not buy the same sort of power it used to hold. The 1997 death of Canosa, the foundation's leader, left a void of charismatic, untiring leadership in Washington and also in South Florida, where the foundation competes for power and attention with the likes of
Miami Mayor Joe Carollo and Democracy Movement leader Ramon Saul Sanchez.
And the Elian Gonzalez case has been a high-profile reminder that most of the rest of the country does not share a passionate hatred of Castro, especially now that the Cold War is over.
The 1999 visit to Cuba by Pope John Paul II, and the fact that Castro allowed it, also hurt the anti-Castro cause, because the message of the Catholic leader was that the world should reach out to Cuba for the sake of its people.
In this climate, American businesses and farmers are hoping to gain access to a new market. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is at the forefront of lobbying to end the embargo on trade with Cuba, starting with food and medicine.
Farmers, Goodfellow said, have now "gotten up a head of steam on this."
"I think it's only a matter of time before the restrictions on food and medicine are lifted. I think the embargo will unravel," said Goodfellow.
He pointed out that this year Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), a senator who has worked to strengthen the embargo, changed his position on sending food and medicine to Cuba.
William Neikirk contributed to this report. |