Editorial. Published Wednesday, September 20, 2000, in the Miami Herald
Kayaker Angel Pérez already scored an upset Olympic victory the other day when he successfully overcame an unsportsmanlike effort by Cuba to keep him out of the games. Now Miami's Mr. Pérez will finally get to paddle in the Olympics for the United States, his adopted country.
All but hope was lost because officials in Cuba, his birthplace, argued that as a defector he fell afoul of Olympic rules designed to deter country-hopping by athletes. Initially Olympic authorities agreed. But on appeal, Pérez ultimately beat Cuba with its own rules by pointing out that
Cuba treats him and other high-profile defectors as stateless traitors to be punished.
Besides, if Olympic authorities can overlook Cuban high-jumper Javier Sotomayor's positive test for cocaine last year, it could hardly justify being so strict in this case that it ignored the treatment that the Cuban regime reserves for celebrated athletes who defect.
Like Mr. Pérez, other Cuban ``defectors'' who live in Canada, Spain, Mexico now must be allowed to compete.
Copyright 2000 Miami Herald | 