Cuban-American leaders aim to separate local issues, Castro
Alfonso Chardy. achardy@herald.com. Published Tuesday, May 30, 2000, in the Miami Herald
In the aftermath of the Elian Gonzalez controversy, a group of high-powered Cuban-American business and civic leaders has begun discussing options to make sure such a trauma is not repeated, including ways to separate local politics from the 41-year-old fight against Fidel Castro.
People involved in the discussions say the priorities include healing the community and finding a way to reassure the nation that exiles are loyal Americans. The long-term objective is avoiding damage to the image of the exile community, and Miami as a whole.
But the most difficult and controversial part of the discussions is the idea of separating Cuba from local politics, a proposal that goes to the heart of the perennial exile dilemma: how to balance hatred of Castro with issues that affect the broader community.
At present, Cuban Americans running for elected office often espouse a hard-line on Havana as a way to garner votes. Whenever a major issue arises with Cuba it is not uncommon for elected officials to rush to Spanish-language radio stations to urge a tough line.
``They need to cut out the nonsense from local government and fundamentally focus on providing good police protection, fill the potholes on the streets, pick up the trash, fund transportation systems and leave the major foreign policy issues to policymakers in Washington,'' Pedro Freyre,
chairman of Facts About Cuban Exiles, and one of those urging discussion of the issue, said, referring to local elected officials.
His comments are echoed by Carlos Saladrigas, chief executive officer of ADP TotalSource and one of the last-minute negotiators who tried to forge an agreement with the government in the final hours before the federal raid that removed Elian from the home of his Miami relatives.
``Elected officials here need to behave as elected officials, not as exile leaders,'' Saladrigas said.
``Good luck,'' said a skeptical Jose Basulto, leader of Brothers to the Rescue, one of the exile organizations that called for demonstrations to support Elian's Miami relatives. ``It's easier said than done. Our community is so centered on Cuban issues and elected officials depend on their votes
to get elected.''
Ramon Saul Sanchez, head of the Democracy Movement and prime promoter of street protests, welcomed the proposal but urged caution.
`ISSUE INTEGRATION'
``In a community where the vast majority of the people are exiles, and in a country where issues -- to be effective -- must be brought forth through political channels, there will always be a need for some degree of issue integration,'' said Sanchez. ``The fundamental element here is that it be
done with prudence and objectivity.''
Elian was a perfect example of how exile views sometimes clash with larger national interests. While many exiles equated turning over Elian to his father to a victory for Castro, most Americans merely viewed the turnover as the lawful outcome of a custody dispute.
HEALING STRATEGY
The broad outline of a strategy for healing the community came Wednesday night during the monthly meeting of the Mesa Redonda civic group at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. The group, whose name means Round Table in Spanish, is made up of 31 high-ranking Hispanic business executives,
including Herald Publisher Alberto Ibargüen, who did not attend Wednesday's meeting because of other commitments.
The meeting was not open to news reporters. Members contacted about the meeting including the current Mesa Redonda chairman, Rene Murai, an attorney, would not comment on what was discussed at Wednesday night's meeting.
PLAN PROPOSED
But Freyre, who is not a Mesa Redonda member, but was there as a guest, proposed a public relations plan to convey the history and achievements of exiles as one way to repair the damage caused by the Elian crisis.
Freyre, an attorney, is one of at least three well-known civic and business leaders spearheading the community-healing process.
The others are Saladrigas and Carlos de la Cruz, chairman of Eagle Brands, both members of Mesa Redonda.
Freyre said a top priority must be making sure Miami is not portrayed as a community constantly buffeted by chaos.
``There's definitely a risk that instability would hamper our ability to attract investors if Miami acquires the image of a chronically chaotic community,'' Freyre said before Wednesday's meeting. ``Who'd want to set up a multinational in such a place?''
IMAGES OF EXILES
Images of exiles denouncing the Elian raid as a Gestapo operation and carrying the U.S. flag upside down angered many non-Cubans, some of whom now view exiles as disloyal.
Freyre says that image needs to be corrected.
``One misrepresentation has been that Cuban Americans are disloyal to the United States,'' Freyre said. ``We are not. The issue was with the Clinton Administration not the country. We are very loyal Americans. We fight in wars, we pay taxes like everybody else.''
But while repairing the exile image is a top objective, the most intriguing idea is finding a way to keep Cuba policy separate from local politics.
'BIGGEST BLUNDERS'
Citing an example, Saladrigas said that one of the ``biggest blunders'' of the Elian crisis were statements Mayors Alex Penelas of Miami-Dade and Joe Carollo of Miami made March 29 as the Justice Department intensified pressures on Miami relatives to surrender the boy.
Penelas blamed the Clinton Administration for provoking exile anger, and both he and Carollo promised that their police departments would not assist the federal government in seizing Elian.
When an assistant Miami police chief rode along in a federal van during the pre-dawn raid on the Gonzalez home in Little Havana, Carollo, who had not been told in advance about the raid, reacted angrily, firing the city manager. The police chief retired and the city has been in an uproar since.
De la Cruz, Saladrigas and Freyre have raised the issue of separating local politics from Cuba issues in interviews and opinion columns. They propose that from now on Cuban American elected officials, particularly local mayors, concentrate on running their municipalities.
``One thing is for them to be Cuban,'' said Saladrigas, ``but another is for them to understand that their primary responsibility is to run their cities. What that means is that they have to view themselves as elected officials of an entire community.''
De la Cruz made the point that asking local elected officials to focus on their municipalities does not mean ``we are diminishing the importance of the Cuban exile cause.''
But Saladrigas also indicated that exiles in general should be more selective about when to focus on Castro.
``We don't need to swing the bat every time Castro pitches a ball,'' Saladrigas said.
By doing this, he added, exiles run the risk of hindering their own ability in the future to help fellow Cubans on the island shape a different country.
In urging change, Saladrigas, Freyre and other civic leaders also indirectly criticized traditional exile organizations for their handling of the Elian drama.
Armando Codina, a developer and Mesa Redonda member, recently lashed out against exile leaders who advised Elian's Miami family.
``We have not handled it very well,'' Codina said during a meeting with Gov. Jeb Bush, his former partner, and other business leaders at the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce April 27. ``This family has been very ill-advised.''
Herald staff writer Don Finefrock contributed to this report.
Border Patrol detains 23 Cuban immigrants
By Herald Online Staff . mbaro@herald.com . May 30, 2000
U.S. Border Patrol agents have detained 23 undocumented Cuban immigrants who landed near Key West last night.
The group, made up of eight men, seven women, four boys and four girls, appeared to be in good health, the Border Patrol said today.
The group told agents that they left Pinar del Rio in Cuba about 2:30 a.m. Sunday. They made landfall near Boca Chica Naval Air Station in Key West at 10 p.m. Monday.
The immigrants told the Border Patrol they paid 5,000 Cuban pesos each to be smuggled into the United States. They said an unknown Cuban man in a 31-foot black boat with two outboard engines transported them and returned to Cuba after dropping them off.
After they've been processed at the Pembroke Pines Border Patrol station, the immigrants will be transferred to the Krome Detention Center, the Border Patrol said.
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