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The Miami Herald,
May 13, 2002.
Bush to celebrate Cuba's 100th year
By Carol Rosenberg. crosenberg@herald.com. Posted on Sat,
May. 11, 2002.
Ten days in advance and on the eve of former President Jimmy Carter's
historic trip to Cuba, the White House made it official:
President Bush will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Cuba's independence
from Spain here in Miami on May 20.
Moreover, a statement issued by the White House said Friday, the president
will first commemorate the day with remarks in Washington "stressing the
importance of democracy and freedom in Cuba.''
He will cap his trip here with a fundraiser for his brother, Gov. Jeb Bush,
and Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan.
White House officials had declined to publicly confirm the travel plans for
weeks, in part because of security concerns and because international affairs
could sideline such a the trip.
But the announcement Friday solidified the commitment -- just days before
Fidel Castro hosts former President Carter in Havana, a trip expected to cast a
harsh spotlight on both human rights practices in Cuba and United States embargo
policies.
In Miami, the president ''will make remarks commemorating Cuban Independence
Day,'' the White House said, not yet specifying which of several South Florida
Centenario events he might attend.
But the Cuban Liberty Council, a grass-roots group of exiles who broke with
the Cuban American National Foundation last year, has put a deposit on the
Miami-Dade County Auditorium -- just in case President Bush chooses to attend an
anti-Castro rally there.
Nineteen years earlier, to the day, President Ronald Reagan made a speech in
the same West Flagler Street hall, part of a historic trip to Miami that served
as a salute to Cuban-American clout.
Secret Service agents have yet to scout the 2,400-seat auditorium but it has
been reserved for the day, manager Barry Steinman said Friday.
GOP sources predict the president will likely make several stops, including
perhaps a photo opportunity sipping Cuban coffee on Calle Ocho.
UM STOP POSSIBLE
In keeping with the democracy theme, he might also stop in at a cocktail
reception at the University of Miami, which recently got a $1 million grant to
study models for a post-Castro transition in Cuba.
Also officially on the agenda is a Bush-Brogan 2002 dinner before the
president returns to Washington. The fundraiser, expected to raise $1 million
for the Republican Party of Florida, is being hosted by businessman Armando
Codina, a former Jeb Bush business partner.
Carter given warm reception
From Herald Staff and Wire Reports. Posted on Mon, May. 13,
2002
HAVANA - Former President Jimmy Carter arrived on this sunny but troubled
island Sunday for a five-day visit, seeking what he said were ''areas of
cooperation'' in relations between the United States and Cuba, which are now at
their lowest point in years.
''We come here as friends of the Cuban people,'' Carter said, delivering his
arrival speech in Spanish. He was greeted at the Jose Martí Airport in
Havana by President Fidel Castro, becoming the most prominent American to visit
Cuba since President Calvin Coolidge addressed an international conference there
in 1928.
Although Carter is traveling as a private citizen, the encounter is being
viewed as the highest-level since Castro took control in 1959. The visit is
being watched closely by all sides of the intensely emotional debate about Cuba,
which has colored U.S. politics and policy since the Eisenhower administration.
Trading his traditional military garb for a dark pinstriped suit and
colorful tie, Castro, who referred to Carter as ''your excellency,'' gave the
former president permission to speak freely when he addresses the Cuban
population during a speech Tuesday evening that will be broadcast live on
television.
''We will facilitate the communication with our population, so that you may
express anything you would like to express, whether or not we agree with part or
all of what you say,'' Castro told Carter.
SET TO SPEAK
Carter's speech, set to last 20 minutes, will take place at the University
of Havana.
As if to make sure ordinary Cubans don't miss it, Carter mentioned the time
and place of the address at Sunday's arrival ceremony, which also was televised.
Castro also promised Carter that he would have ''free and total access'' to
wherever he wanted to go and said he would not be offended if Carter chose to
meet ''even those who do not share our struggle'' -- a reference to dissidents,
human rights activists and religious leaders.
Carter has blocked out Thursday afternoon for meetings with those critical
of Castro's government. Among those anticipating a visit is 59-year-old
Vladimiro Roca, Cuba's most prominent political dissident and son of a longtime
Communist Party leader. Roca was released from prison two months ahead of
schedule last week after serving nearly five years on charges of sedition.
About 250 political opponents remain behind bars.
Organizers of the largest peaceful grass-roots initiative, known as the
Varela Project, also hope to meet with Carter. The group turned in 11,020
signatures last week calling for a referendum on reforms to the socialist
system.
After the ceremonial exchanges at the airport, Castro led Carter and his
wife, Rosalynn, to a black limousine for the ride to their hotel in a
meticulously restored section of Old Havana, a harbor-front neighborhood of
cobblestones and colonial buildings.
''It's a Soviet-made car,'' Castro told Carter as they walked to the limo. "It's
about a hundred years old, but it's the most comfortable we have.''
Castro, 75, the world's longest-serving head of state, has bedeviled 10 U.S.
presidents. Carter, 77, is one of the world's most experienced and respected
statesmen, spending the past two decades involved in human rights issues,
elections and conflict mediation in some of the world's most troubled spots.
Castro, citing ''an ocean of prejudices, misinformation and distrust'' in
dealings between Havana and Washington, praised Carter on Sunday for having "the
courage to make efforts to change the course of those relations.''
The Cuban leader rejected suggestions from his opponents that his invitation
to Carter was simply a shrewd maneuver with a political purpose. Rather, he
said, it was "deserved recognition of your attitude as president of the
United States of America toward Cuba.''
'DESERVES RESPECT'
''Daring to try to improve relations between those two countries deserves
respect,'' Castro said, adding that he hoped no one would ''question your
patriotism'' for visiting Cuba. Opponents of U.S. policy toward Cuba,
specifically the 41-year-old economic embargo, hope Carter, who has called the
embargo counterproductive, will publicly call for it to be lifted.
Supporters of the embargo, which is backed by President Bush, hope that
Carter will focus instead on Castro's human rights record.
''We are eager to see first-hand your accomplishments in health, in
education and in culture,'' Carter said. But he added that he also intended to
discuss with Castro, and with representatives of religious and human rights
groups, "ideals that Rosalynn and I hold dear: peace, human rights,
democracy and the alleviation of human suffering.''
''We understand that we have differences of opinion on some of these
issues,'' Carter said. "But we welcome the opportunity to try to identify
some points in common and some areas of cooperation.''
Watching Carter's trip will be perhaps the most staunchly anti-Castro U.S.
president ever. While fighting a global war on terrorism on the other side of
the world, Bush has kept a close eye on Cuba.
He has appointed several anti-Castro Cubans to high administration
positions.
He has given passionate speeches in favor of the embargo, despite clear
majorities in both houses of Congress calling for easing restrictions on travel
and the sale of food and medicine to Cuba.
Bush is scheduled to give a speech May 20 announcing a new Cuban policy,
which many analysts following the process say is likely to include stepped-up
efforts to provide cash and other help to Castro's dissident opponents in Cuba.
Staff writer Nancy San Martin contributed to this report.
Carter set to try his luck with Castro
Expectations are limited for ex-president's visit
By Nancy San Martin. nsanmartin@herald.com. Posted on Sun,
May. 12, 2002
When he arrives in Havana today, Jimmy Carter will become the most prominent
American to visit Cuba since Fidel Castro seized power more than 40 years ago --
but if history is any guide, Castro is unlikely to make any major concessions.
For one thing, recent U.S. government charges that Cuba is involved in the
production of biological warfare agents have produced yet another downturn in
relations between Washington and Havana.
Also, as many leaders in Miami's Cuban-American community assert, Castro has
previously managed to manipulate visits by numerous international leaders,
including Pope John Paul II, for his own benefit.
Although the pope made modest gains for the church, he, too, failed to make
any apparent progress in bringing about democratic change on the island.
Even so, Carter's admirers say he has the character and the track record to
produce a measure of reconciliation between the United States and Cuba -- an
achievement that has eluded the 10 U.S. presidents who have held the White House
during Castro's tenure.
''This is the culmination of something that he's wanted to do for a very
long time,'' said Douglas Brinkley, who wrote a book on Carter's deeds in and
out of office. "He's comfortable with outlaw figures. He feels that if you
look at someone eyeball-to-eyeball, maybe you can get concessions.''
Carter's record on Cuba during his single term as president from 1977 to
1981 is mixed.
On the side of improvement, Carter, a Democrat, is credited with
establishing communication between Havana and Washington by setting up offices
known as interests sections in both capitals. Those offices continue to serve as
diplomatic liaisons between the longest-feuding nations in the Western
Hemisphere.
As president, Carter had a direct line to Havana from the White House. And
after his term, he continued to hold private conversations with Castro to
discuss the state of U.S.-Cuban relations.
TRAVEL OPENED UP
His administration also eliminated restrictions on American travel to Cuba,
and allowed Cuban exiles for the first time to visit relatives on the island and
send them money. He also promoted talks between Cuban Americans and Cuban
officials that resulted in the release of more than 3,000 political prisoners --
the result of extended clandestine trips by U.S. intermediaries that continued
beyond Carter's term.
Though organizers of the visit have said that Carter does not intend to
negotiate anything with Castro, and doesn't expect any immediate changes in
policy, supporters hope it can start a process that would improve relations
between the two countries.
''I pray they will understand each other and come up with something,'' said
Bernardo Benes, who served as an intermediary between Washington and Havana
during the Carter years. "I have confidence that [Carter] will do something
good.''
But there were setbacks as well during Carter's term. Time and again,
Carter's efforts were mired in controversy that stalled any real advancement in
relations, no matter how hard the president seemed to try.
Among the problems was Cuba's participation in the war in Angola, which was
widely seen as undermining U.S. interests in Africa in the name of communist
solidarity.
When U.S. intelligence reports in 1979 detected the presence of Soviet
troops on the island, what little progress in relations had been made was
quickly undone.
But the launching of the 1980 Mariel boatlift -- the largest mass exodus by
sea from Cuba to the United States -- proved to be a debacle for U.S.-Cuban
relations, and for Carter's political standing. The episode, coupled with the
Iranian hostage crisis, helped perpetuate Carter's image as a weak and
indecisive president.
The timing of this visit does not bode well either. He is traveling to
Havana following accusations by the Bush administration that Cuba is involved in
developing and transferring technology that could be used for weapons of mass
destruction. And his return Friday will be followed by a planned trip to Miami
by President Bush, who is expected to unveil a toughened U.S. policy toward Cuba
soon.
''Carter is going to create a real firestorm of debate,'' Brinkley said. "He
has to walk on minefields. Everywhere he goes on this trip has the potential for
an explosion.''
'NOBLE' INTENTION
Longtime Miami exile leader José Ignacio Rasco, who has previously
consulted with Carter about Cuba, said: "This is a polemic visit, but
Carter's intention could not be any more noble. He is a truly democratic leader
who is concerned about countries caught in the throes of tyranny.''
During the five-day trip, Carter is scheduled to dine with Castro at least
twice and meet with other senior Cuban officials.
He and his wife, Rosalynn, will stay at a small hotel in the rehabilitated
section of Old Havana, where they will no doubt be reminded of more youthful
years. The couple went on a short vacation to Havana in 1955, before Castro
seized power, and those who know the Carters said they are eager "to see
what's happened under the revolution.''
The Carters are traveling with their son Chip, 52, and five staff members of
the Carter Center, as well as Robert Pastor, the president's longtime advisor to
the region. They will tour health facilities, schools, an agricultural
production cooperative, and the biotech institute accused of developing the
potentially destructive warfare technology.
Carter also will meet briefly with Vicki Huddleston, chief of the U.S.
Interests Section in Havana.
''I think that President Carter's visit will be judged by history on whether
or not it quickens the pace toward democratic change,'' Huddleston said through
a spokesman. "So I will convey to him the views as best as I understand
them, of human rights activists and religious leaders, who very much want
greater freedom for the individual and an opening that will allow civil society
to grow and prosper.''
The most prominent events will take place Tuesday, when a Carter speech will
be transmitted live on Cuban television, and Thursday, when Carter is scheduled
to meet with religious groups and human rights organizations critical of
Castro's government. The trip will end with a morning press conference Friday
before Carter boards a flight back to Atlanta.
Castro invited Carter to Cuba when the two men served as honorary
pallbearers at the funeral of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in
October 2000. Castro has not said why he sought out Carter, but he has stated
publicly that the former president is free to make all the criticisms he wants
to.''
Alfredo Duran, who participated in briefings with Carter in 1995 and again
this year, said one of the positive elements of this encounter is that "this
time, it is the Cuban government that is seeking it.''
Diplomatic dance gets new go-round
Nancy San Martin. Posted on Sun, May. 12, 2002
This week's encounter will be the first extended meeting between 77-year-old
Jimmy Carter and 75-year-old Fidel Castro, but the two have met before and have
been engaged in a diplomatic and political match for nearly a quarter of a
century.
It was during Carter's presidency that the two nations opened diplomatic
interests sections in each other's capitals following an estrangement of nearly
20 years. But problems began to emerge in 1979 when intelligence reports about
Soviet troops in Cuba became public.
The following year, Castro sent Carter word that he wanted to discuss Iran
and the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan. Carter sent two emissaries, including
his principal Latin American advisor, Robert Pastor, for a secret meeting with
Castro.
''He is deeply hurt by our embargo,'' Carter later wrote in his diary,
excerpts of which were published in his memoir, Keeping Faith.
Carter's first face-to-face encounter with Castro came nine years later in
Caracas when the two attended the inauguration of Venezuelan President Carlos
Andrés Pérez. About the same time, Carter also met with a wide
range of Cuban-American leaders in Miami.
According to The Unfinished Presidency, written by Douglas Brinkley, those
meetings defined the parameters for Carter's conversations with Castro.
In Caracas, Carter and Castro spent 45 minutes discussing issues that ranged
from Nicaragua to Mariel to the cost of transporting the corpses of relatives of
Cuban Americans to Miami from Havana, the book states.
Carter later had this to say about Castro: "He surprised me with his
intellect and humor. Nothing much happened, but the meeting opened up a dialogue
between us.''
Carter's efforts reached a climax in mid-1995 when he resumed long telephone
conversations with Castro and ultimately invited Cuban officials and Cuban
Americans to meet in Atlanta to discuss bringing democracy to the island. In the
end, however, the Cuban delegation backed out of the meeting.
The last time Carter and Castro saw each other was in October 2000 in
Toronto when both served as pallbearers for Pierre Trudeau, Canada's former
prime minister. Castro invited Carter to visit Cuba, then followed it up with a
formal invitation in January, at which time the former president began to send
out feelers. | 
