Cuba policies have some rethinking their support for president

[Judi Lynn]

Cuba policies have some rethinking their support for president

By Madeline Baró Diaz
Miami Bureau
Posted October 4 2004

Like many Cuban-Americans, Alex Pezon has been a staunch Republican most of his adult life.Pezon, of Lake Worth, has voted to put George Herbert Walker Bush, Bob Dole and George W. Bush in the White House. This time around, however, Pezon is committed to voting for Democratic nominee John Kerry because he blames Bush for keeping him separated from his wife, Maydel, who is in Cuba waiting to come to the United States.

Although President Bush is expected to win the majority of South Florida's Cuban-American vote, many Cuban-Americans have increasingly criticized his administration. That could be a problem for Bush, who by some estimates won about 80 percent of the Cuban vote in 2000. Any erosion of that support could be significant, since the 2000 presidential election was decided by just 537 votes.

The turning point for Pezon, who met his wife about three years ago in Cuba and married her last year, was the recent policy that restricts Cuban-Americans to one family visit every three years. Before the change, Cubans could go once a year without a Treasury license, and each year Pezon received permission for additional visits.Because he thinks the Bush administration's policy is too harsh, Pezon is pinning his hopes on Kerry's promises to allow "principled travel" to the island.

"If your mom is in Cuba and she's dying of some illness, you can't go," Pezon said. "Suppose your wife was having a child, you can't go. Life's not black and white, but the law now is like that."
(snip/...)

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-dcubadems27oct04,0,6092937.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. I guess W won't be able to depend on the Cubans

to stage another riot in Miami for him? What a shame.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Wouldn't THAT be a pity?

After all, they WORKED HARD for him in 2000:

The name Vigilia Mambisa can be translated loosely as "patriotic watch," according to 54-year-old Vianello, who left Cuba when she was 14 years old and now works as a real estate agent. Saavedra founded the organization in 1979. Vianello joined in the late Eighties and recalls it was not very active at the time. That changed in 1994 during the rafter crisis, when Mambisa started taking to the streets more often. A frequent target of their anger has been President Clinton.

Vianello describes the group in paramilitary terms. Each member is identified only by a first name or alias, with Saavedra being the only person who knows everyone. (He claims 460 people participate in Mambisa; no more than a couple of dozen ever seem to show up for any given event.) The individuals are divided into sixteen cells, each with its own leader. When Saavedra and Vianello issue a call to arms, they telephone the sixteen leaders, who then alert those in their cells.

Mambisa's enrollment, such as it is, swelled after the trauma of Elian, which converted hundreds of Cuban Americans into militant anti-Castro activists. A core group of exiles bonded outside the boy's home during daily vigils, and after the shocking events of April, they simply refused to quit. When "Elian's Guardians," as Vianello calls them, cannot be reached by telephone, Saavedra simply drives to the Little Havana house and loads them into his van.

Mambisa's involvement with the Bush campaign began in late July. For a period of about a month, members regularly stood outside Versailles restaurant every Saturday, registering people to vote and handing out absentee-ballot requests. Saavedra fondly recalls U.S. Rep. Ros-Lehtinen and state Republican Party chairman Al Cardenas stopping by periodically with encouraging words. "It was a community service," says Vianello. "Nobody else was doing that."

Later in the campaign, members of Mambisa worked phone banks for the Republicans, calling radio stations in "spontaneous" plugs for Bush. For this, Saavedra reports, they were paid about $60 per day by the campaign.
(snip/...)

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/2000-12-07/news/metro_print.html


Laura Vianello and Miguel Saavedra:
Vigilia Mambisa ringleaders

[yellowcanine]

11. Some people work hard, others complain about hard work. Retire Bush now!

[w4rma]

14. Except it wasn't the Cuban exiles. It was Republican aides from D.C.

and folks being paid by Republican think tanks who staged that riot.

[Judi Lynn]

18. This might be helpful,concerning the Miami "exile" pressure on the recount

Have Bullhorn, Will Travel
Most anti-Castro groups shun partisan presidential politics, but not Miguel Saavedra and his merry band of protesters
BY JACOB BERNSTEIN
Steve Satterwhite



Laura Vianello and Miguel Saavedra: Vigilia Mambisa ringleaders


The call came over the airwaves as it had so many times before. On Wednesday, November 22, Radio Mambí (WAQI-AM 710) and La Poderosa (WWFE-AM 670) reverberated with the cries of political advocates, among them U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and state Sen. Mario Diaz-Balart, urging people to descend on the Stephen P. Clark Government Center in downtown Miami.Enraged Republican operatives imported from dozens of states needed help. The Republicans, mainly congressional staffers, already had filled the county-election department reception area, banging on doors and shouting in protest of a decision to count ballots away from public view. A number of them even had accosted a local Democratic Party stalwart, chasing after him in the false belief he had stolen a ballot.

It was no secret which political party the majority of local Cuban Americans supported. Stung by Elian Gonzalez's violent removal in April, a popular slogan in Little Havana this past summer was "Mr. Clinton, we will remember in November."

But this time few heeded the call. In fact only one anti-Castro exile organization of the scores that operate in South Florida reinforced the Republicans. Vigilia Mambisa mustered about 25 people for a demonstration outside the county hall, where they gamely shouted, "We want Bush! No more Gore!" Leading them in the chants through his bullhorn was Mambisa president Miguel Saavedra. He and some of the others, encouraged by GOP officials, would continue to follow the Republicans throughout the week as the demonstrations moved from Miami-Dade to Broward and then on to Palm Beach.
(snip)

Mambisa's involvement with the Bush campaign began in late July. For a period of about a month, members regularly stood outside Versailles restaurant every Saturday, registering people to vote and handing out absentee-ballot requests. Saavedra fondly recalls U.S. Rep. Ros-Lehtinen and state Republican Party chairman Al Cardenas stopping by periodically with encouraging words. "It was a community service," says Vianello. "Nobody else was doing that."

Later in the campaign, members of Mambisa worked phone banks for the Republicans, calling radio stations in "spontaneous" plugs for Bush. For this, Saavedra reports, they were paid about $60 per day by the campaign.
But Saavedra denies the Republicans paid him to bring people to the government center two weeks ago, explaining that he heard about it on the radio and contacted his associates. He does acknowledge, however, that he and the Republican Party jointly obtained from the Miami Police Department a permit to demonstrate outside county hall. On the big day, Wednesday, November 22, two dozen or so Mambisa recruits held forth downstairs by the side of the building. Vianello remained at home, manning the computer, television, and phones. Saavedra put her in touch by cell phone with one of the out-of-state Republican staffers on the scene, who urged the Cubans to bring more people with protest signs. The Republicans wanted Mambisa to find and display the famous pictures of the armed INS agent grabbing Elian.

Upstairs that Wednesday, as the Republicans loudly complained, Saavedra bumped into Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, who, in a moment of patriotic zeal, saluted him military-style. Saavedra was impressed. He also was impressed with the out-of-town Republicans he met. "What I liked about the Republicans was that they demanded respect," he says. "They had a way of articulating themselves that was very good."
(snip)

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/2000-12-07/news/metro_print.html

[SheilaT]

2. Once again, stories

of former Bush supporters who won't vote for him next month. And he lost by half a million votes four years ago, so how can he possibly be ahead in any polling? There simply are no equivalent stories of Gore supporters who plan to vote W this year.

[bleedingheart]

5. I am with you SheilaT....

I don't know of any Gore supporters voting for shrub...but I know of lots of repubs voting for Kerry.

[Vogon_Glory]

4. Looks Like Some Cubans Have Different Definitions of Pro-Family

From the face of it, it looks like a lot of Cuban emigres have a different definition of "pro-family" than the polyester Pharisees and their cynical allies in the so-called "conservative" movement and the Republican Party. It appears that many of these emigres have the same definition of "pro-family" as other Latin groups and more rural, conservative, and marginalized Anglos--that family isn't just the "nukular" family so praised by the self-styled "traditional values" crowd, but also the aunts, the uncles, the grandparents, and the cousins, too.

Although my own extended family is somewhat dysfunctional, I have learned to appreciate the strength and value of extended families--a structure the hard right has been waging a silent, undeclared war on for years. I am not a bit sorry to see that this is another interest group that is waking up to see that they've been burned by the reactionaries in the Boosh regime and in the Republican Party.

I hope those Cuban emigres join many other Floridians and Jerseyites in the worthy goal of firing Gee Dubya Bush and the rest of the Runnin' Dubya Posse.

[Mika]

6. A couple of points in the article

Pezon is committed to voting for Democratic nominee John Kerry because he blames Bush for keeping him separated from his wife, Maydel, who is in Cuba waiting to come to the United States.

Please remember that she is waiting for a legal immigration visa approval from the US interest section in Havana.

The US offers over 20,000 legal immigration visas per year to Cubans in Cuba. More than any other single country.


-

The turning point for Pezon, who met his wife about three years ago in Cuba and married her last year, was the recent policy that restricts Cuban-Americans to one family visit every three years.

So, after immigrating to the US Pezon went to Cuba and met and married his wife in Cuba. Now she is waiting for her visa approval by the US.

Its weird, isn't it, that Cubans who have "escaped" Cuba return for vacations and such, meet people there, and then marry them.

Why can't I, as an American, do that?

Because I, as an American, am forbidden by my own government from going to Cuba and doing so.



Will this change under a Kerry admin's stated "principled travel" policy?

Nope.



Help isn't on the way, in this arena of foreign policy.

[DemBones DemBones]

7. When I read the headline, I thought it meant

Cubans were unhappy with Castro's policies and were supporting him less. This bit of confusion could have been eliminated had the headline writer referred to "Bush" rather than "the president."

Personally, I've gone four years without referring to him once by the title last used legitimately by William Jefferson Clinton, and I know I'm not alone in this.

:evilgrin:

[leesa]

8. Poor widdle baby...now that it impacts him personally....

Typical Republican. Selfish until it hits him in the pocket or within his own selfish extension, his family.

[Mika]

9. How is the Dem party different

Even with Kerry's "principled travel" Americans, by and large, will remain travel banned by our government- iow, our rights will continue to be abridged.


All Americans are impacted. Not ony by the travel ban, but by trade/job economics too. The 40+ year Cuba sanctions have negatively impacted many US jobs too.

[CarolynEC]

12. And how did you arrive at this conclusion?

Kerry has voted to LIFT the travel bans.

[Mika]

20. That isn't what he's saying now

Kerry's stated policy on Cuba:
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/8848574.htm

He said Friday, though, that he would lift only the ban on Cuba travel that is not ''pure tourism,''

--

''It's travel that is engaged between families, travel engaged for culture and advancement,'' he said. ``I think you want to begin a process that engages on a principled, measurable goal rather than just going to the Hemingway bar somewhere and spending some money.''

See? It is still a travel ban ("restrictions").

Kerry doesn't want Americans to just be able to go to a "Hemingway Bar somewhere and spending some money" there as tourists/travelers.

Interesting comment, seeing as how most of the private businesses in Cuba cater to the nation's #1 industry - tourism.


Unbelievably he then says this..

Kerry said he would also lift the restriction on remittances to allow gifts to ''households and humanitarian institutions.'' Bush has restricted gifts to only ''immediate family members,'' but Kerry said the money can be a ''powerful tool'' to help Cubans on the island start small businesses ``and thereby gain a measure of autonomy.''

So what the F is he saying? He wants to help Cuban small business autonomy while at the same time restricting their access to the American tourist dollars they want and need to gain that autonomy?

He seems to be saying that he wants to endow the Cuban-American constituency in Miami with some special privileges - as in, their families in Cuba can start up small autonomous businesses with US based financial assistance, while other Cubans who don't have family in Miami will not have as much access to this endowment. Mr Kerry doesn't want Americans to be engaging in "pure tourism" in Cuba that would be beneficial to a greater number and wider spectrum of Cubans who cater to/work in the tourism industry.

His stated position, at this point, doesn't stand up to real scrutiny.

We Americans and residents will still be banned (unless we have family in Cuba).

[CarolynEC]

23. I get it. "No diffeence between the candidates." Nice. (eom)

[Mika]

26. As far as a travel ban on Americans goes, there is little difference..

.. in Kerry's own policy. Yes, he wants to allow Cuban-Americans to travel to Cuba, but not Americans (of non Cuban descent).


But, CarolynEC, your rationale seems well thought out and reasoned. NOT.

[Mika]

27. Huh?

:shrug:

[flordehinojos]

10. I don't trust the Cuban-Americans to vote AGAINST Bush.

Some of the Cuban-Americans I know may, as Senator Chafee is going to do, vote for a write-in which, as we know, is a way of voting for Bush.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[CarolynEC]

15. Whuh????

[ReadTomPaine]

17. What on earth are you talking about?

I agree with Carolyn on this one. Please take a moment to explain your position in more detail.

RTP.

[CarolynEC]

19. What's your favorite brand of frozen pizza?

Totino's?

Tony's?

[CarolynEC]

21. I guess we got our answer...

[Steelangel]

16. Wow

"That could be a problem for Bush, who by some estimates won about 80 percent of the Cuban vote in 2000. Any erosion of that support could be significant, since the 2000 presidential election was decided by just 537 votes."


I hope all votes will turn to Kerry! That will be awesome.

[StupidFOX]

22. The US's current policy on Cuba is childish...

"Ewwww! Cuba has commie-cooties!"
Seriously, if a weak little island with good-quality cigars any threat to the US?

[ncbiker]

24. OK...

why are we so hostile to Cuba again? Can some please remind me?

If the GOP were smart (I know, long shot), they would try to replicate Cuba's universal health care system here. But nope, we're stuck paying up the wahzoo to corrupt insurance companies. Perhaps Kerry will be the man to finally do it for us.

[struggle4progress]

25. kick

:kick: