Spain's prime minister visits Miami

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Fri, Sep. 26, 2003

INTERNATIONAL
Spain's prime minister visits Miami
Hoping to burgeon ties with Florida, José María Aznar spoke to civic leaders about a democracy for Cuba.
BY OSCAR CORRAL AND JANE BUSSEY
[e-mail]

Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar, in a tour to bolster his country's relationship with Florida, on Thursday pushed for new business partnerships and told an audience of civic leaders that he wants a democratic Cuba.

Aznar brought the luncheon crowd at Grove Isle's Baleen restaurant to their feet when he outlined his vision for Cuba -- which, like Florida, is a former Spanish colony.

''This is what I want in Cuba, the same as in Spain,'' he said, ``A calm democracy, with security, peace, tranquillity, where people can talk and express themselves, have prosperity, travel freely. As part of the government of Spain, I have done all I can to advance that objective.''

Aznar has been outspoken in his criticism of Cuban President Fidel Castro's recent crackdown on dissidents.

The prime minister also praised the Cuban exile role in building Miami: ``To talk about how Miami has developed without mentioning Cubans is impossible. When the Cubans got here it was just another city. But it's not anymore.'' (snip/...)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/6862189.htm

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OH MY GOD. Someone should tell this beanbag that our own census bureau determined MIAMI IS THE POOREST LARGE CITY IN THE UNITED STATES.

Please scan these articles in the Miami New Times special feature, "We're Number One!" Take time to let it soak in.
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/special_reports/poverty/

From within the feature:

Miami: See It Like A Native of the Third World

(snip) Poor Miami has a look all its own, a look we like to call PoMi. Grass grows tall on empty lots. Barbed wire sprouts up everywhere, like melaleuca. Roosters and dogs roam residential streets. Miles and miles of iron bars adorn the crumbling façades of old homes and apartment complexes. Boarded-up buildings wink at passersby.

None of this would have been possible without years of institutional neglect, stubborn overreliance on a fickle tourism economy, and abject cowardice on the part of elected officials. Miami is the poorest and, we like to think, most desperate and depressing big city in the United States of America. And that makes us special.

So wander our cracked streets and feel the infrastructure giving way under your very feet. Stop to buy flowers or fruit from one of our poor but industrious street vendors. Spend an hour or two in the tropical sun waiting for buses that come with whimsical irregularity. Where else but Poor Miami?

PoMi: Not just a poor cousin to SoBe. And not just a look. It's a laid-back attitude that says: Local government hasn't a care in the world. Or a plan in the works. PoMi's not going anywhere. And you shouldn't go anywhere else. Enjoy your stay. (snip/...)
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/2002-09-26/special5.html/1/index.html


Someone has lied to José María Asnar. BIG TIME.

[Dogmudgeon]

1. Sr. Aznar wants a democratic Cuba?

He should start with making Spain democratic again.

Aznar has a bad habit of seeing terrorists everywhere, has put most of northern Spain (Basque Country and Catalonia) under de facto house arrest, and is an admirer of Francisco Franco.

What is it with these guys?

--bkl

[Gin]

2. He said on Charlie Rose that he hopes * gets re-elected...thinks * has

done a great job.

With that..I threw up.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

6. GOOD!

I hope this soundbite is show ad nauseam in Spanish media. Will do wonders for his own reelection bid. NOT! :evilgrin:

(When are general elections in Spain anyway? Zapatero is the man!)

- Edited to mention author's curiosity about Spanish politics -

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. So was terrorist Orlando Bosch

and his CANF pals there to greet Asnar? It's amazing the double standards these folks have.

[Aidoneus]

4. a typical hypocrite

...'This is what I want in Cuba, the same as in Spain,'' he said, ``A calm democracy, with security, peace, tranquillity, where people can talk and express themselves, have prosperity, travel freely. As part of the government of Spain, I have done all I can to advance that objective.''

Aznar has been outspoken in his criticism of Cuban President Fidel Castro's recent crackdown on dissidents....

Considering his government's own assaults on democratic rights in Spain, crackdown on dissidents under the ruse of "fighting terror", cheap thuggery and harassment of anti-war protestors and organizations, such words from him ring hollow.

[Mika]

7. Gotta admire the "exiles" support for America

Look at what former business partner of Jeb said at the meeting,


From the lead Miami Herald link (bold mine),

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/6862189.htm

Earlier, prominent Miami developer Armando Codina compared Aznar to the late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, calling him a ``political figure of historic proportion.''

Codina, who has already decided that Spain is a good business partner, took time out from the introduction to describe the helpful officials who aided his real estate development project in Barajas.

''It makes more sense to develop a project in Barajas, Spain, than in Peoria, Illinois,'' said Codina, who also attended the Grove Isle luncheon.

Ahhh, such gratitude to our country that has hosted these "exile" cretins for 40+ years.

There's nothing like biting the US taxpayer hand that continually feeds them.



Some here might be interested in the connections between Jeb and Codina
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22Armando+Codina%22+%2B+Jeb

[Bridget Burke]

5. Did he mention Spanish investment in Cuba?

There's apparently quite a bit. No matter how much his "disapproves" of Castro, his country has not taken the USA's approach.

Did he recommend involvement & investment to the crowd in Miami?