Some in CANF opposed to idea
By Carol Rosenberg . crosenberg@herald.com. Published
Tuesday, March 6, 2001, in the Miami Herald
Some elder statesmen of the Cuban American National Foundation are unhappy
about chairman Jorge Mas Santos' participation in a campaign to woo the Latin
Grammy Awards to Miami, the latest effort by the lobby's young leader to stake
out new turf on the Cuba issue.
Mas, 38, co-signed a letter with Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas and others
that urged the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences to stage its Sept.
12 awards show at the AmericanAirlines Arena. Miami earlier spurned the event,
citing a now-defunct policy that prohibited the county from doing business with
firms or people with ties to Cuba.
"I think it's important that it happen in Miami,'' Mas said in a recent
interview. "If they are held in Los Angeles or New York, this community
cannot show itself as the bastion of freedom of expression that it is.''
Mas signed the Feb. 2 letter as "Chairperson, South Florida Latin
[Grammy] Host Committee.''
But people inevitably associate Mas with the Cuban American National
Foundation, and his role in trying to woo the Grammys has upset some people.
Banker Luis Botifoll, 92, the foundation elder who has both an avenue and an
auditorium named for him, said of the Grammys: "I don't give a damn if they
come or not. But I don't promote them to come. The foundation is created to
liberate Cuba -- not to promote business in Miami.''
Until last month, the U.S.-born Mas had made no public pronouncement on the
Latin Grammys. His new advocacy coincides with a series of foundation
innovations, launched after the Elián González episode was seen by
some as a public relations problem that damaged Cuban-American clout.
Some Executive Committee members who agreed to speak for publication
complained that Mas never consulted them on the Grammys. They added that, even
if Mas is championing the Grammys outside his foundation duties, his ideas
reflect poorly on the two-decade old organization.
"This issue was not discussed on the Foundation board. The only person
who benefits from this is Fidel Castro,'' said Horacio García, 61, a
fast-food franchisee. Of Mas he said, "He's the chairman but I have the
right to disagree.''
"He can do whatever he wants as a person but not under the Cuban
American National Foundation,'' added Elpidio Núñez, 78, a meat
wholesaler. Bringing the Grammys to Miami, he said, "is not going to help
free Cuba in any way.''
Bringing the Grammys to Miami "would be provocative toward the Cuban
exiles,'' said Executive Committee member Diego Suárez, 74, a heavy
machinery industrialist who was part of the inner circle that founded the
organization with Mas' father. "As a member of the Cuban American National
Foundation, I believe that it is unacceptable that the Cuban artists come
here.''
DISAGREEMENT
Just how widespread the disagreement is is difficult to determine.
Foundation President Francisco "Pepe'' Hernández, who praises Mas'
Grammys advocacy, declined to release a list of 28 executive committee members,
19 of whom live in Miami, making it impossible to poll the inner circle. Seven
people identified by other Foundation members as Executive Committee members
would not comment or did not respond to repeated telephone calls. Foundation
spokeswoman Ninoska Pérez Castellón, 50, also declined to comment.
CANF has about 150 directors and trustees, many of whom do not live in South
Florida. No vote has been held on the Grammys, although both advocates and
opponents agree there is unhappiness among some members of the group that for
years has sought to hide their disputes from the Castro regime.
"These are strong-willed people. They have strong debates internally.
These are not Mickey Mouse issues,'' said Executive Director Joe Garcia.
Hernández downplayed the discontent, saying he heard greater
unhappiness late last year after he escorted Democratic vice presidential
candidate Joseph Lieberman to the grave of Jorge Mas Canosa, the chairman's
father and organization founder who died in 1997.
Others would say only that any dispute was not something for public comment.
"We are 100 people. We have different opinions,'' said Executive Committee
member Clara María Del Valle, 56. "But the dirty laundry, you wash
at home -- not in the street.''
Even Botifoll indicated that he disliked voicing his concerns to a reporter,
saying the airing of disagreement "is helping Castro.'' "Just write
that the foundation is more united than ever, more strong than ever, and has
more resources than ever. Period,'' he urged.
One Mas supporter said Mas was willing to take his position on the Grammy
because "we feel more secure about the embargo now'' with a Republican in
the White House.
"We are not afraid to confront the enemy with ideas. This is going to
help put the Cuba issue on the front pages,'' said auto dealer Lombardo Pérez
Sr., 61, an Executive Committee member.
Advocates argue that supporting the Grammys' coming to Miami is important to
overcome stereotypes of Cuban Americans as opposing freedom of expression.
"I think we have to show the rest of the people that our quarrel is not
with the Cuban people, with the Cuban musicians. Our quarrel is with Fidel
Castro,'' said Hernández.
During the Elián González episode, Hernández said, "The
Cuban community suffered greatly; a lot of people were ready to bury us.''
Other recent Mas initiatives have also have raised eyebrows.
POLICY ADDRESS
On Dec. 7 in Washington, he delivered a policy address as CANF chairman that
advocated micro-loans to independent enterprise on the island, citing struggling
independent soup kitchens, restaurants, hostels, farmers, day care centers and
church-run clinics. He said the aid should be "overt'' through
nongovernmental organizations and that any attempt by Castro to interfere with
it would expose his unwillingness to help his own people.
In the same speech, at the Inter American Dialogue, a group whose members
had just met Castro, Mas softened his criticism of such fact-finding delegations
with a request that next time, they bring Spanish-language books for independent
libraries there.
Botifoll and Suárez said they agreed to the broad goals of supporting
dissidents but never signed off on trying to distribute computers or cell phones
or micro-loans inside Cuba.
"Theoretically, it looks great -- computers and support for the fight
against Castro,'' said Suárez. But any equipment would inevitably fall
into the hands of the government, which has "a 100 percent screen and will
never permit even one calculator to the opposition.'' Send cash to families of
political prisoners instead, he said.
"We don't support making loans to Castro,'' said Botifoll.
INCREASED AID
Domingo Moreira, a pro-Grammys executive committee member, said he didn't
expect the micro-loan idea to succeed -- but said experimentation is good. Mas
and Hernández note that directors three years ago approved increased aid
to dissidents, though they acknowledge they never submitted the specific ideas
to the Executive Board.
The possibility that the Grammys might come to Miami has also ruffled some
feathers outside the foundation.
"We reject the theory that politics has no relation with the arts and
sports,'' said a Junta Patriotica Cubana declaration. "Only those people
favored by the regimes are allowed to demonstrate their artistic, athletic or
intellectual abilities in international events.''
And callers to Spanish-language radio have been ruminating for days on the
motives of Mas, who became chairman little over a year ago of the foundation
founded by his father in 1981 to exert exile clout in Washington.
La Poderosa radio station owner Jorge Rodriguez, a Foundation director from
1983 to 1990, said Mas miscalculated when he adopted the Grammy cause. "If
some artists come from Cuba and win an award, the exiles will look bad. The
Cubans -- Jorge Mas Santos or myself -- someone who fights against the Cuban
government for 40 years would be hosts? Everybody's against it.''
Mas remains adamant in his position, however. "I don't listen to La
Poderosa.''
Copyright 2001 Miami Herald | 