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CUBA
NEWS
The
Miami Herald
Legislators say Cuba letter may get results
White House staff calls about concerns
By Oscar Corral And Lesley Clark.
Ocorral@herald.com. Posted on Tue, Aug. 12, 2003.
Two Republican state legislators who signed a
letter to President Bush urging him to get tougher
on Cuba or face a loss of Cuban American political
support said they received phone calls from Bush
staffers Monday indicating an eventual positive
response.
State Rep. David Rivera, who helped draft the
letter signed by 13 Hispanic lawmakers, said a
Bush administration official called him to talk
about news reports of the document. Rivera declined
to identify the person or the topic, but said,
"I am optimistic that positive news is forthcoming
on U.S.-Cuba policy.''
State Rep. Marco Rubio, another of the signers,
said he also got a call early Monday morning from
a White House staffer whom he wouldn't identify.
'They said, 'You can be sure the right people,
the decision makers, are going to know about this
today,' '' Rubio said.
However, White House spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo
said Monday afternoon that the letter had not
yet arrived.
The letter, sent Monday, urges the president
to make key changes in U.S. policy toward Cuba
or face an erosion of support from Cuban Americans,
who have traditionally been one of the Republican
party's core constituencies. It asks Bush to revise
U.S.-Cuba immigration policy; indict Fidel Castro
for murder; beef up TV Marti, and increase aid
to dissidents on the island.
Several of the legislators on Monday said The
Herald's story about the letter incorrectly said
that it warned the president that he could lose
their personal support if there were no action
taken on Cuba. In fact, the carefully phrased
document only warned Bush that he might lose the
backing of the Cuban American community in general
in 2004 -- not necessarily that of the individual
signers.
Yet it was clear from interviews with the signers
that several placed themselves on the side of
those Cuban-American voters willing to abandon
the president.
ISSUE OF SUPPORT
''If we don't feel that improvements are made
in policy toward Cuba, then federal candidates
for the Republican party, like Bush, could lose
our support,'' said State Rep. Manny Prieguez,
chairman of the House Republican Hispanic Caucus.
"We can refuse to campaign for them, or help
bring out the vote . . . or go on the radio and
not mention them.''
Prieguez, Rivera, and state representatives Rene
Garcia and Gaston Cantens told The Herald they
would consider withdrawing personal support for
Bush if he does not make substantive changes in
U.S.-Cuba policy.
But state representatives Juan Zapata, Juan Carlos
Planas and Rubio, all of whom signed the letter,
were more cautious.
''I personally would advocate against'' withdrawing
support for the president, Rubio said. "But
whatever we do will be decided as a group.''
''I wouldn't go as far as withdrawing my support
of him,'' echoed Zapata.
The other representatives who signed the letter
could not be reached for comment.
But Joe Garcia, executive director of the Cuban
American National Foundation, said that merely
petitioning the president is a courageous act.
''This is the core of the Republican party,''
Garcia said. "They have shown tremendous
leadership.''
VOTE COMING
The letter comes less than a month before Congress
is set to vote on possibly easing the embargo
against Cuba, a keystone of U.S.-Cuba policy for
more than four decades.
''It is absolutely critical that you express
as soon as possible, once again, that you will
never permit any weakening of the embargo while
you are president,'' the letter states.
Supporters of economic sanctions against Cuba
have faced an uphill battle to maintain current
policy in recent years, as legislators from Midwest
farm states eager to trade with Cuba have helped
push an anti-embargo agenda.
On Monday, congressmen Lincoln Diaz-Balart and
Mario Diaz-Balart praised the state lawmakers
for the letter and agreed with the recommendations.
But neither said they would consider withdrawing
their support of Bush in 2004 if he ignores the
document.
The legislators ''are very grateful as we all
are to the president for his full support for
the embargo,'' Lincoln Diaz-Balart said. "I
know we are going to see additional steps from
President Bush.''
In an interview Monday, Mamo, the White House
spokeswoman, reiterated Bush's support for the
embargo: "The administration will oppose
any effort to loosen sanctions on the Cuban regime
until it takes meaningful political, economic
and labor reforms and respects human rights.''
Rivera said the letter went through several different
drafts before everyone agreed to sign it. As far
back as three weeks ago, Rivera and other legislators
approached Florida International University political
science Professor Darío Moreno for his
advice on the letter, Moreno said.
''David shepherded it through and kept it alive,''
Moreno said.
Tampa state Rep. Bob Henriquez, a Cuban-American
Democrat, said he was encouraged the caucus had
taken a stand, noting that many members had been
under pressure from constituents but were reluctant
to ''step out of line'' and criticize a Republican.
'TAKING HEAT'
''I knew they were taking heat,'' Henriquez said.
"You can be sure if this had been a Democratic
administration it would have been taken to task
very early and quite harshly. The caucus has an
ability to be a formidable group in the Legislature
and use the bully pulpit on a national stage,
but it hasn't happened.''
''The bottom line is that a promise was made
to the community in Miami to toughen the policy
on Cuba and that hasn't happened,'' Henriquez
said.
The letter wasn't signed by the state Senate's
Republican Cuban-Americans, who are not part of
the House Hispanic caucus, but Sens. Alex Diaz
de la Portilla and Alex Villalobos said Monday
that they shared their House colleagues' angst.
''This is important to our community,'' Diaz
de la Portilla said.
Sen. Rudy Garcia, R-Hialeah, couldn't be reached
for comment.
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