United States Cuba Policy & Business Blog

Tony Martinez Radio Interview on GOP Florida Primary Candidates and U.S. Cuba Relations - US1 Radio News January 25, 2012

2012-01-25T15:49:00.003-05:00

Tony Martinez Radio Interview on GOP Florida Primary Candidates and U.S. Cuba Relations

- US1 Radio News January 25, 2012

United States Cuba Relations: On Hunger Strikes and Dissidents

2012-01-23T14:22:00.004-05:00

We are all very sorry to learn of the death of Cuban hunger striker Wilman Villar Mendoza. The facts and circumstances of his incarceration are in dispute between what the Cuban government and Cuban activists report. Regardless, no prisoner should be allowed to die in a hunger strike or have prison conditions that exist to drive a prisoner to commit suicide. His unfortunate passing has empowered all sides of the continued propaganda battle among Havana, Washington DC, and Miami. Within only a flurry of hours of his death, we had more coverage on this unfortunate incident and responses from all over, including the White House. It is impressive and well choreographed just how quickly the news and the subsequent spinning to foment a political crisis begins after a tragedy like this.

The problem is that the issue of dissidents and hunger strikes are seen as potential flashpoints for stirring and instigating an uprising in Cuba from the United States. This is what the pro-embargo hardliners want to happen with the Cuban dissident movement that we support from here. They want to encourage an "Arab spring" in Cuba. It is clear that they do not understand what created it in the first place or how it even actually happened. The Arab spring is an authentic, organic popular movement that was not orchestrated from nor directed by a foreign country. This does not mean that an Arab spring is possible in Cuba. Popular discontent over inequality and abuse of power is a global problem and nations need to be sensitive and responsive to the problems of their people.

Cuba indeed has its problems. But whatever change does happen in Cuba, it is not going to be because we started it and try to impose it from here. That is the point. We have tried interference unsuccessfully now for more than fifty years. Maybe its time to try a different approach? We have referred on more than one post that Cuba has two dissident movements, the one we support from here (yes, our wasted tax dollars at work) which has not translated into any meaningful change, and the actual dissident movement reflected in the general discontent in the Cuban population (the Cuban 99 percent) that wants changes on a much larger scale than what is occurring now. That is the movement that will actually foster reforms and one that our government and the Batista generation in Miami are not being given much admittance into for historical reasons. Cuba indeed has civil rights challenges as most nations do. The Cuban government should recognize that basic civil liberties include protest, freedom of expression, and pluralistic democratic values of governance. These are not a conspiracy for regime change in Cuba, but a reflection of the reality of basic human existence and freedom. No man should go to jail and die because he protests peacefully in his own country. We won't know what exactly happened in Wilman's unfortunate death due to the conflicting accounts. We do know that he was buried by his friends and family in Contramaestre without it turning into a political demonstration.

Our lectures to, and cries for justice in, a foreign country fall impotent on the world when we should look within our own country each time we call attention to the shortcomings of others. We have the highest rate of prison incarceration in the world. Why? We have seen the loss of American civil liberties as a nation through our indefinite, undefined, "war on terror". Why? Legislation that weakens our rights as citizens and diminish the U.S. Constitution like the enactment of the Patriot Act, and most recently, the National Defense Authorization Act keep getting passed by Congress and signed into law. Why did President Obama sign a law authorizing the indefinite military detention of U.S. citizens without legal due process? We all know very well the abuses that were committed by some of our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq during those wars. And Guantanamo remains in a boondoggle. In some respects, are we becoming as authoritarian as the Cuba we complain about? In prisons, we have a death penalty that is arbitrarily and questionably applied. Look as recently when Troy Davis was executed in Georgia. We have real human rights issues here at home to consider before our righteous indignation on other countries will actually mean anything other than a soundbite or a headline. Our hypocrisy weakens everything we say and stand for. That is a national reflection we must undergo if we are going to demand other nations of the world live up to a standard we expect.

So while my heart goes out for Wilman Villar Mendoza and his family, our inorganic and inauthentic public relation attempts to promote uprising in Cuba through our policies and the manner we call attention to dissidents and hunger strikers will continue to fail because they are just that. The more we meddle this way, the less effective we actually are in being of any positive influence on Cuba that could prevent such tragedies in the first place. These misguided efforts serve only a narrow political purpose to placate the pro-embargo hardliners with a false perception -- those who are deluded to believe that we are going to force change in Cuba with an embargo, travel restrictions, or even decrying the tragic death of a Cuban man who should not have died in the first place in his own country.

United States Cuba Relations: The Florida GOP Primary Cuba Weaklings-Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum

2012-01-21T15:59:00.003-05:00

The Florida GOP primary festival in earnest begins after South Carolina. In perennial fashion that is the GOP candidates approach to Florida politics and garner the hardline pro-embargo vote, it all comes down to a contest of the candidates yelling fire and brimstone on U.S. Cuba relations - just how anti-Castro can the candidate get and one up the other. Short of calling for a military invasion of Cuba, it is almost comical to hear just how tough the GOP candidates would be on Cuba if they were President. "Lets double down on failure" is their theme on U.S. Cuba relations. The truth is three of the candidates are weak on Cuba.

Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum are effectively clueless as to the realities of our relationship with Cuba. They have never visited the island and know only what they are told by the Cuban American hardline sextet in the Congress. They do not understand how our policies with Cuba are essentially mutually assured socioeconomic destruction and hardly the forbears of any real democratic influence. They do not appreciate how the Helms Burton Act is probably one of the worst pieces of legislation ever enacted by the Congress in recent history and how many problems it has created for our relations with other countries, and deprived the Executive branch of legitimate constitutional authority. They evidently know little about Cuban history and our sordid, corrupt dealings with past Cuban governments and leaders/dictators that led Cuba before its revolution. They hypocritically support taxpayer wasteful programs like Radio TV Marti and the USAID "democracy" programs that put Americans like Alan Gross in danger and do not promote democracy. But heck, they do want to balance the federal budget and stop squandering public money...

Instead of acknowledging the failure that fifty years of our policy of economic isolation and humiliation of Cuba, they still pander to this community (yes they do have lots of money and have been generally cohesive in voting). They would prefer to tell them what they want to hear instead of being leaders and telling them the truth they need to hear - that it is time to end the farce of our U.S. Cuba policy. The embargo and travel restrictions do not work. Our sanctions regime brings suffering to Cuba, the Cuban people, and ourselves. The "Cuba libre" vision they have is not even remotely possible in such an environment. The Cuban government and the Castros have effectively used their national sovereignty as the foil and shield against these abhorrent policies for fifty years. Democratic, pluralistic change will eventually evolve in Cuba. Yes, Cubans want change, but not at the dictates from our government nor their brethren in Florida and New Jersey, especially those who descended from the Batista generation and control the Congress for now. There are historical reasons that we seem to ignore why that is the case. A new generation of Cuban Americans with family and relatives on the island are going to change that dynamic. They are joined by millions of Americans from across the country who want to trade with and visit Cuba. They want a new relationship with our sovereign neighbors in Latin America, one that includes Cuba.

The Cuban Americans who continue to promote our failure are essentially becoming a lost generation, choosing to be powerless and delusional for the sake of being unwilling to admit the truth of our failure and being courageous and human enough to change. But hey, the politicians will take their money and votes and continue to tell them what they want to hear. In the documentary, Will The Real Terrorist Please Stand Up, one Miami hardliner radio talkshow host referred to her city as a city of "victims" as one of the justifications for our insane policies. Why aren't our political candidates and leaders reminding this community of the hard truth, that there is no power in being a victim?

Only one GOP candidate has a clue as to the direction we should take, Congressman Ron Paul (R-Tx). Like Senator Barack Obama was before he became President Obama, Ron Paul knows our embargo and travel restrictions are dinosaurs of a cold war and opposes these stupid policies. Paul understands the policy failure and the need to end American interference and institute policies of positive American influence. Similarly, Paul has suggested the one thing that is anathema to the hardliners in Florida, sitting down with our adversary and talking face to face to begin addressing a host of issues, most pressing the human issues of Alan Gross and the Cuban Five's imprisonments in both countries. Why must diplomacy lose in a world that urgently needs it right now?

Through their traditional election pandering, these GOP candidates, with the exception of Ron Paul, will prove just how weak, ignorant, and arrogant they intend to keep our country when it comes to U.S. Cuba relations. As it has been stated before, it is really only about votes and money. The truth, common sense, and rational thinking checked out on U.S. Cuba policy five decades ago. Will we have a President who will restore that to our foreign policy in the next term of office?

United States Cuba Relations - Will The Real Terrorist Please Stand Up - Review

2011-11-28T19:28:00.004-05:00

The late great U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY) once said "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." Saul Landau's hard hitting, eye opening, and compelling factual documentary, Will the Real Terrorist Please Stand Up, brings to the forefront a historical account of the tortured relationship between the United States and Cuba. Equally disconcerting is the apparent complicity and double standards of our own government's actions with respect to Cuba when applied to the notions of terrorism. Even Former Secretary of State Colin Powell's Chief of Staff, Col Lawrence Wilkerson USA Ret, calls the film, "Clearly shown and vividly documented the fact that the United States sponsors terrorism."

Highlighting the case of the Cuban 5, Landau presents in the words of the actual players and historical figures, how these five Cuban agents came to the United States to protect their own country from terrorist acts and plots of violent Cuban exiles who acted with impunity and disregard for innocent life and property both here in the U.S. and Cuba. One conclusion you draw from watching the historical events is the understanding that these kinds of acts and violence do not lend themselves to democracy or human rights. These warped sense of values and hypocrisy are an unfortunate part and parcel of our U.S. Cuba policy. When our government was presented evidence of the U.S. based terrorism from South Florida, the Cuban five were arrested while those involved in the violent activities still walk free to this day!

The five men, who are considered heroes in Cuba, faced their trials in Miami under considerable questions of legal fairness and received the stiffest sentences for their convictions. Now the five remain as another human stumbling block for improved relations between the United States and Cuba. There is a worldwide campaign now calling for the Presidential pardon or commutation and release of the five men. One of the five who has already served his term of incarceration, Rene Gonzalez, is currently being forced to remain in the United States to serve out his probation term of three years.

The documentary should be mandatory viewing by journalists and anyone interested in the subject of U.S. Cuba relations and history. The documentary DVD is available for sale and can also be watched on-demand online on Amazon.com. Buy one copy and send one to your Congressman and Senators too. The White House, State Department Cuba Desk and Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, and all of Capitol Hill should watch this important documentary.

United States Cuba Relations - JFK's Lost Opportunity

2011-11-24T10:29:00.001-05:00

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy ended many hopes and dreams for millions across the world. With respect to U.S. Cuba relations, many still wonder what might have been had President Kennedy lived. In understanding the roots of the U.S. Cuba relational conflict, President Kennedy recognized that the United States had a historical contribution in creating the conditions that led to the Cuban Revolution. Shortly before the tragedy of November 22, 1963, JFK had been contemplating a way out and forward with Cuba. Only one month before his assassination, President Kennedy gave an interview to Jean Daniel of The New Republic on October 24, 1963. (1) It is required reading for anyone seeking to understand the broader context of the breakdown in the relations and the irony that rose and still presides within the pro-embargo/anti-travel side of the issue to this day.

The most salient quotes from the article and President Kennedy were these:

"Every now and then I read articles in the European press pointing out that we Americans were blind to what was happening in the Cuban situation. I have just learned that General de Gaulle [French President Charles de Gaulle] himself regarded Communism in Cuba as nothing but the accidental and temporary form of a will to independence from the United States. Of course it is very easy to understand this ‘will to independence’ around President de Gaulle.”

John Kennedy then mustered all his persuasive force. He punctuated each sentence with the brief, mechanical gesture which had become famous:

“I tell you this: we know perfectly well what happened in Cuba, to the misfortune of all. From the beginning I personally followed the development of these events with mounting concern. There are few subjects to which I have devoted more painstaking attention. My conclusions go much further than the European analyses. Here is what I believe.

“I believe that there is no country in the world, including the African regions, including any and all the countries under colonial domination, where economic colonization, humiliation and exploitation were worse than in Cuba, in part owing to my country’s policies during the Batista regime. I believe that we created, built and manufactured the Castro movement out of whole cloth and without realizing it. I believe that the accumulation of these mistakes has jeopardized all of Latin America. The great aim of the Alliance for Progress is to reverse this unfortunate policy. This is one of the most, if not the most, important problems in America foreign policy. I can assure you that I have understood the Cubans. I approved the proclamation which Fidel Castro made in the Sierra Maestra, when he justifiably called for justice and especially yearned to rid Cuba of corruption. I will go even further: to some extent it is as though Batista was the incarnation of a number of sins on the part of the United States. Now we shall have to pay for those sins. In the matter of the Batista regime, I am in agreement with the first Cuban revolutionaries. That is perfectly clear.”

In reviewing the historical record, one has to contextually question what happened to Fidel Castro from being the man who proclaimed a belief in representative democracy in the Sierra Maestra Manifesto (2) and the restoration of the Cuban Constitution of 1940 (3), to becoming the Marxist Leninist Anti American Government figure he declared himself to be in 1961 and set Cuba on its present communist and socialist path.

The Cuban Revolution, political philosophy aside for a moment, sets a nationalistic expression that reflects the essence of being Cuban and what it stands for as a nation in Latin America. One interpretation is this: Cuba is unique. Cuba is sovereign. Cuba will only be governed and have its destiny determined by Cubans alone. It was a rejection of the manipulation and corruption that existed in Cuba and was encouraged sadly by our multinational companies and the Mafia. This nationalistic expression even extends into Cuban language and culture. One can see and hear this in the melodious Cuban form of Spanish, Cuban metaphorical euphemisms, and the unique and rich musical rhythms that give heart and soul to much of Latin music. Politically and most significantly, this nationalistic shield is the buffer and foil against all foreign attempts to control or manipulate it since January 1, 1959, including our misguided embargo and sanctions policies. That the Cuban government took the path that de Gaulle posited to President Kennedy is plausible when you examine what happened in 1959. The Cuban Revolution was still being fought even after Batista fled Cuba, only from different locations and many angles.

In April 1959, Fidel Castro visited the United States expecting to meet with President Eisenhower as the new head of state of Cuba. He was not received by President Eisenhower but instead by Vice President Richard Nixon, a diplomatic snub that likely sent a discouraging message. Castro came with two significant requests besides the general ones that a new head of government would normally make in establishing relations with us; the extradition of Batista regime officials who escaped or fled Cuba and the return of approximately $500 million dollars that were plundered from the Cuban treasury in the waning days of the Batista regime and deposited into U.S. banks. We rejected those requests. In addition, terrorist type attacks continued on Cuba from Batista loyalists, many who resided in Southern Florida or operated from abroad. This along with a host of other actions, ie. CIA sponsored assassination attempts on Castro, led to the total breakdown of relations, trust, and eventually led to the embargo.

After reading the Daniels interview with President Kennedy, one can surmise that JFK rejected the escalation of the conflict when he cancelled U.S. military support for the Bay of Pigs invasion on April 17, 1961 and recognized that even after the resolution of the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962 with the Soviets, he was searching for a way to restore relations with Cuba. That opportunity unfortunately did not come to pass. Had JFK lived and won a second term, perhaps there would not be the tragic history of the conflict that has ensued since 1959.

The ironies that remain is that the children of Batista loyalists who fled to the U.S. now serve in the U.S. Congress, including Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fl) and Fidel Castro's own nephew, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fl), the son of Batista ally, Rafael Diaz-Balart. The rejection by JFK of further escalation contributed to the political alignment of the hard line exile community toward the Republican party and dominance in South Florida politics. Miami became the heart of revisionist Cuban history ala Batista even with parks and streets bearing the names of Batista officials from pre-Castro Cuba. The Cuban Americans used their political skills to became the most favored Hispanic immigrant group with special treatment under U.S. law. The U.S. Embargo and anti travel sanctions became the religion of U.S. Cuba policy, despite their failure to bring democracy to Cuba and hypocrisy in our foreign policy. Alternately, what it became was a manipulative instrument of U.S. domestic politics translated into national congressional and presidential politics: Support the embargo and travel restrictions and get our votes and money too. Instead of these Batista legacies seeking a rational and intelligent way to reconcile with their brethren on the island, they still seek to continue this senseless fighting to maintain our policies of humiliation, isolation, hatred, and revenge. Democracy does not stem from these.

Whatever material things Cuban Americans lost in Cuba, their sacrifice was not in vain by what they gained in becoming a vibrant and more influential part of the United States Hispanic community. However the Batista legacies and hardliners are squandering whatever real influence they could have had with the island of their ancestors. Who is actually influencing Cuba now? The children of the Mariel boatlift and those who came to the U.S. afterwards and who have family and active roots still in Cuba. These are the Cuban Americans who will actually lead the way to Cuban and American reconciliation. (4)

In Cuba, while the Castros may have lasted so long in a tactically brilliant defense and use of Cuban nationalism to upstage the economic attack and isolation from us, the failures and limits of the Cuban political and economic system have also reached the plain view of the Cuban people and the entire world to see. But again, Cuba's future will not be decided by Cuban dissidents who are funded by the U.S. taxpayer nor will it be decided by our interference. There is a dissident movement in Cuba, but it is not the one we think or fund.

Perhaps when our contribution to the insanity that is U.S. Cuba policy ends with the lifting of our travel restrictions and the embargo, positive American influence can become a bridge to a reconciliation of two nations who by their people are really good friends. Cubans living abroad will reconcile with those who live on the island, and a new dynamic in U.S. Latin American relations, perhaps a "Partnership for Progress with the Americas" can truly begin. - Tony Martinez

References:

(1) Unofficial Envoy, An Historic Report from Two Capitals by Jean Daniel The New Republic, 14 December 1963, pp. 15–20

http://karws.gso.uri.edu/jfk/history/WC_Period/pre-wcr_reactions_to_assassination/pre-wcr_reactions_by_the_left/TNR--Unofficial_envoy.html

(2) The Sierra Maestra Manifesto, July 12, 1957

http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/cuban-rebels/manifesto.htm

(3) The 1940 Constitution of the Republic of Cuba

http://paxety.com/Site/1940Constitution.html

(4) "Pull of Family Reshapes U.S. Cuban Relations", Lizette Alvarez, New York Times, November 21, 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/22/us/cuban-americans-take-lead-in-building-ties-with-cuba.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all%3Fsrc%3Dtp&smid=fb-share

Radio Interview US1 Radio, Interview with Tony Martinez, November 15, 2011

2011-11-15T20:50:00.004-05:00

Radio Interview US1 Radio, Interview with Tony Martinez, November 15, 2011

United States Cuba Relations - Election Day Memo to the President

2011-11-08T14:12:00.006-05:00

To: President Barack Obama

From: Tony Martinez, Editor, U.S. Cuba Policy & Business Blog

Mr President, I submit these photos taken on the day of your election to the Presidency in November, 2008. This was the scene in Little Havana on Calle Ocho in Miami in front of the famous restaurant, Versailles. The restaurant, which serves great Cuban cuisine, is also the epicenter of the hardline pro-embargo Cuban American exile community. I was both shocked and ashamed at what I and others who worked tirelessly for your election witnessed when a Confederate battle flag was unfurled at the announcement of your victory and waved by those who cursed the historical moment of that day. But that is past now. What is important to remember now is this. No matter what you did in these four years regarding U.S. Cuba relations, nothing got them to change their thinking about you or the Democratic Party. You even changed your position from being against the embargo and the travel restrictions to supporting them when you went to get the support of this community as a Presidential candidate. It did not matter though. They did not give you their vote then. They will not give it to you or the Democratic party next year and certainly not to carry you in Florida. They did give you and the party leadership through Senator Bob Menendez and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz their money to cover their political bets. Remember the DNC dinner at the home of Gloria Estefan in Miami? She was on the radio recently on the Howard Stern Show where she shared with the audience that she did not give you any contribution (she did give the DNC a contribution by hosting the event at her mansion ) but that she got to speak with you one on one to discuss U.S. Cuba relations and her support for our hardline policies. She went out of her way to tell us she is supporting Herman Cain at the moment. I wonder if she still is as impressed with Mr. Cain today?

So if this particular community does not support your re-election, did not vote for you to begin with and will not do so next year, why do you listen to them on Cuba? The Cuban Americans who supported you because you ended the cruel Bush Cuba travel policy for families, and will likely support you again need to know much more from you than they have been shown over the last three years. Things are essentially stuck on our side when it comes to U.S. Cuba policy. They deserve better and our nation does too. Just like immigration needs to be solved in the next Presidential term of office, so does our Cuba policy.

Last month we were reminded by the community of nations for the twentieth time that we have taken the wrong approach towards our neighbor off the coast of Florida. Yet, we don't listen. Why? The embargo is a failed policy Mr. President. It is supported by those who do not believe in you or will not vote for you in Florida. So why continue this failure? How can our policies with Latin America be any different if we do not seek to end a policy that serves no legitimate purpose. Our policies with Cuba have neither brought democracy nor improved human rights there. They just bring misery. The political purpose it serves of posturing here among our candidates exacerbates the folly that the embargo has become. Has our policy of denying our own citizens access to Cuba and cutting off funding and access to economic markets in fifty years overthrown the Cuban government or brought any change? When does our failure end Mr. President? We all want better days for Cuba and the United States in Latin America.

What about Alan Gross, our citizen convicted and jailed for violating Cuban laws, sent to Cuba on the dubious "Cuba Democracy Program" of USAID? These programs waste taxpayer money and yield poor results. The idea that the Cubans will somehow decide out of the goodness of their hearts and free Gross is ludicrous when we hold five of their compatriots, the Cuban 5, here for violating our laws. Bill Richardson's unofficial efforts were unsuccessful in part because they were just that, unofficial. Official negotiations should and must continue even though there are those on Capitol Hill who do not want any negotiation between us and Cuba. Alan Gross' family is waiting for us to act now. You have the power to bring this matter to a swift, dramatic, and diplomatic resolution and have Alan home with his family by Hanukkah next month. Only you are going to have to be willing to confront those in Congress who do not want a solution to this problem, but the fantasy that we are just going to will Gross' freedom. Whenever you have confronted this do nothing Congress, you have been proven ultimately correct in your decisions.

When you do get re-elected Mr. President, and barring any major changes in the electoral landscape or a flavor rises from the Baskin Robbins Republican primary collection out there that a majority actually prefers over you and our party, make a commitment to change U.S. Cuba policy once and for all in your second term. Stop listening to failure. Do the unthinkable - go to Cuba yourself. Make a commitment to engage and resolve the outstanding human issues that have plagued the relationship. Take a stand for a new policy of positive American influence in Cuba and end our failed policy of interference in Cuba. This means lifting travel restrictions for all Americans and restoring basic trade and commerce. This is a far better, rational, and more intelligent approach than the stupidity and hypocrisy of the current policy. There will be cries of protest on a few streets in Miami and Union City and anger at you and the administration for saying enough with the nonsense of our policy that has only hurt us and the Cuban people and embarrass us as a nation. In Congress, but for the cries of the pro-embargo clique there, most will thank you for putting to rest an issue that has been long overdue and even thank you for the jobs created here and abroad with the end to our national insanity with Cuba. Democracy and human rights do not come through policies like ours.

In Cuba, well the United States will finally no longer be the scapegoat or the bane of Cuban nationalism that we have been made out to be and a justification for its authoritarianism. Cuba will undergo its own existential reflection and come to grips with the realities, frailties, and failures of its political system, leadership, and economy, just as we all must do to improve ourselves as a nation and its people. This is already happening now.

United States Cuba Relations - The Grand Delusion

2011-10-02T07:46:00.002-05:00

The definition of delusion is "a false belief held with absolute conviction despite superior evidence." Unfortunately, our current policy with Cuba is nothing more than a grand delusion. The grand delusion, that we can force Cuba to change with such abhorrent policies like an embargo and travel restrictions when in reality it empowers the authoritarian government we complain about and hurts the Cuban and American people we claim to care about, now that is a delusion. How can we rebuild our economies? How can we rebuild enough confidence to improve the relationship between our two countries?

Returning to the blog from a two month hiatus, I was struck by how little progress there has been with the efforts to free Alan Gross, our American citizen convicted of violating Cuban laws, and imprisoned now serving a 15 year sentence. The Alan Gross delusion - that we can continue to behave as we have towards Cuba and expect that Alan Gross will be released just because we say so. There were high hopes for his release too. But again, the atmosphere to support his release was poisoned by a series of our own actions which sent the wrong signals of our sincerity and intention that we would want Gross released in the first place. In early August, Gross lost his appeal to the Cuban Supreme Court. What happened only the week before his appeal to the Cuban Supreme Court in the U.S. Congress? Congress released the $20 million dollars in "Cuba Democracy" funds. Senator Kerry made a bad deal when he lifted that hold. This is the same source of public funding that Gross was compensated with and used to violate Cuban laws by operating with those funds in Cuba. So Cuba would release Gross and the very program that provoked his incarceration continues? What are we thinking?

Then in August just before the Congressional recess began, two measures supported by Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (Fl), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fl), and David Rivera (R-Fl) which would revert Obama travel policy for Cuban Americans back to the Bush era gained steam in two committees. Cuban American "leaders" hurting fellow Cuban Americans who have family and friends back on the island? What are they thinking? These folks are among the loudest hardline voices - two who are either connected to Castro by family relation and Batista regime position (Diaz-Balart and Ros-Lehtinen) and another, an opportunistic politician who only knows the politicial contributions he can garner from the community to exploit the issue as much as he can (Rivera). These elected Representatives have done nothing to help secure the release of Alan Gross, despite their exclamations to the contrary.

Then early last month, we saw the well intended effort of former Governor Bill Richardson to obtain Gross' release fail. Of that effort, and with my personal disclaimer that I have had the honor of working with Governor Richardson on these issues in the past, my only observation is that there was an obvious disconnect and lost opportunity between the Governor and the Cuban officials he dealt with. It is regretful that the Governor did not go as an official envoy of our country to negotiate Gross' release much to the chagrin of certain politicians here who would have barked at President Obama if he had done so. It is shameful that behind the scenes politics played a more important role than the humanitarian one required to win Gross' freedom. One other unfortunate consequence of the unsuccessful mission was the loss of Richardson to further work on improving relations with Cuba. Like the movie, Star Trek VI - The Undiscovered Country, a moment to create peace between two adversaries was frustrated once more by those who fear its possibility.

Now, to achieve the release of Alan Gross and all the other human beings caught in the sordid web of U.S. Cuba relations, negotiations should and must continue between both countries. Cuba repeated once more its public clue on just how fruitful negotiations could occur between us and them. We just refuse to pay attention. And they have our man, Alan Gross. Just don't ask for any help from the cadre of hardliners in Congress who while stating they want Gross' freedom, will do anything constructive to help create the environment upon which the resolution of this human crisis - those imprisoned in both Cuba and the United States, could actually occur. Why should they when they receive campaign contributions from the pro-embargo Borg in South Florida and New Jersey?

The sad fact is if there was authentic political will on the part of the Obama Administration, I truly believe Alan Gross would be back with his family right now in Potomac, MD. But the Administration has fallen for another delusion - that President Obama is going to get re-elected with the help of the Cuban American community in Florida. He will not get their votes, even if they gave him and the Democratic party some of their money. They are just covering their bets and they are long veterans of the Washington DC political game . And the votes President Obama could still garner from the moderate Cuban American voting bloc? Well he likely has lost many of them too. Not for what he has done but more for what he has failed to do in keeping with his declarations as candidate Barack Obama spoke about engaging Cuba as never before. Sadly President Obama has mirrored more of George W. Bush in this term of office than that of the Nobel Peace Prize winner he is supposed to be when it comes to Cuba. He still has time to change the path he has us on. More on this aspect in my next posting.

What about the oil delusion? Cuba is poised to begin drilling for oil to explore the vast potential that is within the Gulf of Mexico in their territorial waters. The next delusion - that we can somehow stop Cuba and its international partners from drilling with threats, hostility, and letters to the Chairman of Repsol, the Spanish oil company leading this effort. I am sure the executive retorted with a common Spanish expression when he received it. His staff probably researched and also noted that of the thirty four (34) signatories on that Congressional letter, most had never even traveled to Cuba and all have received campaign contributions from the pro-embargo lobby. How could anyone in their right mind take such a communication seriously? The fact is we should have, and could have, been involved with the oil drilling that is about to begin. At least some communication between our oil drilling engineers and theirs has occurred to allow for the technical assistance needed in the event of a oil spill. Hopefully, the Cubans did not consult with the parties involved with the Deepwater Horizon disaster for their oil exploration efforts.

The consequence of delusional thinking as we are told spiritually is suffering of oneself and the suffering of others. And that is what in one word our current approach to U.S. Cuba policy represents -suffering. Why and for what? - Tony Martinez, Editor

United States Cuba Relations - Brought to You by Hatred, Vengeance, Arrogance, and Retribution

2011-07-25T11:31:00.004-05:00

Dear Friends of Lifting the United States Travel Ban to Cuba; Removing the United States Embargo Toward Cuba; Removing Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terror List; seeking Justice for the Cuba Five; and the Return of Alan Gross from Cuba to his home in Bethesda, Maryland:

Please do not be dispirited with the recent efforts of Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fl), Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fl), and Rep. David Rivera (R-Fl) regarding their misguided efforts to change United States Cuba policy back to the George W. Bush Era. Their efforts, while appearing to be significant on the surface, are not. Even a cursory study by the media will reveal that their draconian measures will not succeed in this Congressional session. The three members of Congress in question are solely driven by hatred, vengeance, arrogance, and retribution. These are poor authors and drivers for effective foreign policy. In Diaz-Balart's and Rivera’s sophomoric efforts, their actions are guided by complete ignorance, as well. These two Congressmen are not highly respected by their fellow colleagues in both the Republican and Democratic parties. Hundreds, if not thousands, of pet and petty amendments and bills are introduced all the time, just to garner some political points and to pander to a radical constituency. What they have done is played a perception game. I expect that intelligent media will see through these shallow proposals.

Hopefully, the press will do some real journalistic research, and that they will also conclude that the provisions in question are “dead on arrival”. In short, it is inconceivable that the full House and Senate will allow three members with selfish agendas, acting against the best interests of the United States and the Cuban American community will undo a foreign policy provision that seems to be working to the satisfaction of all. The media should conclude that these members and their followers are driven solely by hatred, vengeance, arrogance and retribution and do not enhance the best foreign policy interests of the United States. - Albert A. Fox, Jr.

Interview with Tony Martinez, Radio Interview US1 Radio, July 21

2011-07-22T11:01:00.004-05:00

Interview with Tony Martinez, July 21

Radio Interview US1 Radio

United States Cuba Relations - The Ros Lehtinen-Szubin Cha Cha Cha

2011-07-21T10:48:00.002-05:00

We invite our readers to submit to our blog your response to Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's latest rant below to tighten U.S. Cuba travel sanctions enforcement through a letter to the Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control, Adam Szubin. OFAC is an office caught in the middle of this struggle as its good civil servants try to interpret the ever changing policy positions of whatever administration is in office at the time. While Mr. Szubin and his office actually have very serious things to worry about like terrorist financing and anti-money laundering efforts by individuals and organizations who indeed want to hurt our country, the Congresswoman would rather OFAC go after anyone promoting visiting Cuba. She would have our law enforcement jail and fine Americans for going to a Cuban beach or smoking a Cuban cigar as if that were disastrous to our country or that won't bring political change to Cuba. While OFAC is indeed required to enforce the law, is this the best use of our limited resources and foreign policy priorities? We know in Mrs. Ros-Lehtinen's mind and that of her political supporters, that it is. That is the problem. Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, our sanctions policy on Cuba have been and are a failure. You continue to promote a failed foreign policy that does not serve the interests of our country; hurts the Cuban people; does not promote human rights in reality; and trashes American constitutional principles. Cha Cha Cha...

We will publish the most intelligent and witty letters we receive. - Editor

Send your letters to: support@uscuba.biz

July 18, 2011 (WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, sent a letter today to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control regarding efforts by certain travel agencies to circumvent U.S. law by promoting tourist travel to Cuba. Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

“In accordance with its mandate and mission, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control must immediately take decisive measures to thwart ongoing efforts by some to undermine, and potentially violate, U.S. law regarding tourist travel to Cuba.

“Last week, we learned of a photo contest being held by the U.S. Interests Section in Havana which essentially promotes tourism to the island. This week, we see a local travel agency in the U.S. soliciting travelers for pre-packaged tours of Cuba.

“Not only is the Obama Administration easing sanctions on the Cuban regime, but it would appear they are also ignoring the regulations in place. It is critical that the Office of Foreign Assets Control strictly enforce U.S. regulations on travel to Cuba and duly impose the corresponding penalties.”

Text of the letter is as follows, and a signed copy may be viewed here:

July 18, 2011

The Honorable Adam J. Szubin
Director
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
U.S. Department of the Treasury
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20220

Dear Director Szubin:

I am writing to express my concern regarding efforts by certain travel agencies to circumvent U.S. law by promoting tourist travel to Cuba.

A recent piece in the Monroe News Star entices readers to travel on a seven night pre-packaged tour to Cuba by Monroe Travel Service, stating that the “first wave of pure tourists from America will hit the friendly skies Aug. 11.” The article offers an egregious misrepresentation of the current guidelines regulating travel to Cuba and is indicative of potential schemes by other travel agencies to encourage the participation of U.S. citizens in illegal tourist tours of Cuba.

With this in mind, I would like to request, within all applicable rules and guidelines, information regarding what measures OFAC may be taking to prevent or correct for this type of activity by travel agencies.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of this matter.

Sincerely,

ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN
Chairman

United States Cuba Relations – Political Delusions, Policy Illusions

2011-07-18T10:02:00.003-05:00

The Obama administration recently announced in a Statement of Administration Position, that it will veto the Treasury appropriations bill if it contains the offensive Diaz-Balart amendment in the final version. This action is consistent with our prediction that the measure will not pass the Congress. While this is good news, there is still little to celebrate. Nothing really has changed. Many keep hoping, wondering, and talking about change. What are we actually doing and who are we being as a community and a country for that change?

A friend commented to me that what is needed in U.S. Cuba policy is a psychotherapist, as no side in this debate can see things clearly and is ensconced in their own perceptions of reality. Everyone only wants to see what they wish to see instead of the truth. This duel of perception versus reality only contributes to the ongoing dysfunction that represents the politics and policy of U.S. Cuba relations.

The pro-travel side is outraged that Congressmen Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fl) , Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fl) , Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fl), David Rivera (R-Fl), and other pro-embargo stalwarts are throwing obstacles at expanded U.S. Cuba travel. Shall we expect any less from these politicians? They were supported by campaign contributions and elected by voters who believe in the embargo and travel restrictions! The solution to dealing with the likes of Diaz-Balart and company is actually a simple one. Un-elect them. Retire them from office. If these folks are no longer in Congress, guess what happens to U.S. Cuba policy? It changes for the better. Knock out just one of these embargo stalwarts from office and watch how the rest of the house of cards will fall apart. The travel restrictions will get lifted and the Executive branch will be empowered to begin a serious normalization discussion with Cuba.

Wait a second – how do you defeat and retire Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fl) or Ileana Ros Lehtinen (R-Fl) from Congress? You help as many legal immigrant residents in their districts become U.S. citizens. You register as many new voters as you can in their new soon to be revealed congressional districts. And, most importantly you raise money for their opponents and Members of Congress. Lots of money. Anytime a pro Cuba travel group asks you for financial support, respond with a few questions before you write that check. How politically effective is that group being in doing what is needed to change U.S. Cuba policy? How many immigrants have they helped become U.S. citizens? How many people have they registered to vote? How much money has the group’s members and staff personally contributed to candidates who think and agree with you? Now if they balk that nonprofits and NGOs cannot make political contributions which is true, there is no law prohibiting those individuals as citizens or legal residents from making personal campaign contribution to candidates who believe in the issues of their organization. We are all in this together or we will not win. We are not going to talk our way to lifting the travel restrictions or end the embargo or achieve this being divided. It is that simple.

The embargo stalwarts in Congress are not invulnerable. However, they will not be defeated by clever and rational op-eds, taking Members of Congress on trips to Cuba, signing petitions to President Obama, calling and emailing Congress, or conducting travel challenges. Those actions are well and good but sorry, no Cuban cigar. The two most powerful forces in the U.S. Congress are votes and money. Even the late Rev. Lucius Walker said the fight must be taken to the Congress. I hope Pastors for Peace will add the activities of U.S. citizenship applications, voter registrations, and that their individual members will raise money for congressional candidates to change our idiotic policies with Cuba. The focus needs to be on votes and money folks. Those are the only two things that will make our foreign policy tragedy in Cuba and mediocre political representation in Florida go away. The hardliners will remain in office as long as they choose if they are never challenged politically. Guess what the hardliners think about all of this? They could care less with what we think. In their minds, we are deluded because we want all Americans to freely travel to Cuba and we do not even play the political game. However, who is really deluded?

The hardliner illusion and delusion gets even more insidious. Most people, let alone their congressional colleagues, do not even know of Diaz-Balart’s and Ros Lehtinen’s family or political connections to the Batista regime that ran Cuba before Castro. While their families fled Cuba during and after the Cuban revolution, it would appear that it is not enough for them that the Cuban American community has been given every kind of political advantage over most other immigrant groups, ie. The Cuban Adjustment Act. This has helped make the Cuban American community the most successful Hispanic group in the U.S. Now they ascribe to the belief that they alone will dictate and control our sanctions policy over the island.

Whether it is from political meetings around the globe or a music concert where Diaz Balart recently sought to engage other organizations on his anti-Cuba tear or meeting with U2’s Bono fooling him into thinking he is going to start a movement by mentioning the name of a well known U.S. sponsored Cuban dissident. Note to Bono, please pay more attention to your fellow artist, Jackson Browne, who actually knows more about Cuba than Diaz Balart does. Jackson has actually been to Cuba. And Mario, why don’t you read Yoani Sanchez’s blog posting today, “The Bodies of Martyrs Would Be Borne by Us”. How about the embracing of our U.S. sponsored dissident émigrés like David Rivera recently did? How about Ileana Ros Lehtinen's letter rants to the Administration disregarding the reality of where our country stands with respect to our failed policies with Cuba? Last week, Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Bill Nelson (D-NJ) and Marco Rubio (R-Fl) were hosting the mother of a Cuban hunger striker who passed away in the Cuban prison system. And with their outraged expressions at the loss of this mother’s son in a Cuban jail, where was their equal outrage at the fact that the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world! What are these Senators doing about this in their own home states? Where is their outrage at the fact that the Cuban 5 imprisoned here had to wait almost a decade to be allowed a visit from their wives and families? Somehow these elected representatives believe in their own warped sense of reality that they are doing the right thing and could care less if they hurt their fellow Cuban Americans with families in Cuba, the Cuban people themselves, while trashing the U.S. Constitution and foreign policy in the process.

You see Cuban Americans with families in Cuba either do not vote or give them campaign contributions. Why aren’t these Congressmen focused on creating jobs in their districts, helping young people go to college, immigration reform, helping their constituents keep their homes from foreclosure, obtaining and keeping health insurance, paying down our national debt, and ending the Iraq and Afghanistan wars which are destroying our economy? No, Cuba is their main focus and their obsession, at everyone’s expense. They could care less if taxpayer money gets wasted like the one billion dollars spent on Radio TV Marti and other Cuba “democracy” programs. They could care less if these programs put Americans in danger in Cuba like what happened to Alan Gross. Hopefully, Cuba will do the wise thing and send Gross home free with a warning that the next time there will not be the same consideration extended anymore. Most of all, they could care less if their constitutients and Americans want to travel to Cuba freely or whatever gets trashed in the name of their Cuba agenda. Not until the Castros are gone is their bottom line. Foreign policy decisions based upon personal vendettas and biology is bad foreign policy. In this policy delusion, basic principles of sound diplomacy and international relations also get thrown out of the window.

Now what about Cuba and the Castro government? Well there are illusions and delusions over there too. There is an illusion that there is a dissident movement in Cuba. Actually, there are two dissident movements in Cuba. One is the very small U.S. sponsored movement which was referred to in a recent Wikileaks published cable written by the former Chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana and now U.S. Ambassador-Designate to Nicaragua, Jonathan Farrar. Even the hardliners had to bully Mr. Farrar and place his well deserved appointment into question at his Senate confirmation hearing for simply telling the truth. The U.S. sponsored dissident movement in Cuba is more astroturf than real sod. The other, authentic dissident movement in Cuba, is reflected by a genuine dissatisfaction throughout the general population with the state of the Cuban economy; the stagnation of its political leadership; and the lack of pluralism within Cuban politics and society. The Cuban people want change and it is delusional for its leadership to think that the current form and leadership of Cuba will resist change and transformation. Everything changes over time. Economically, it is delusional for them to believe that it is has to be one way or the other –when why not the best of both worlds when it comes to socialism and capitalism? These two imperfect systems actually balance each other’s defects. Too much of one does not work for the individual nor serve humanity. It is also delusional to think that everyone has to think one certain way or there should only be one political party and no freedom of the press.

However, this is a problem that must be addressed by the Cuban people who live on the island. American interference only hurts the Cuban people’s evolution. The best we can hope for is to develop policies of positive American influence. That is not possible with travel restrictions or an embargo. There is a Latin American aphorism, “Todo se consiga por la buena” – “Everything is possible through good”. Cuban Americans living in the U.S. and abroad have a tremendous capacity to be a positive social and economic influence on their relatives and ancestors. Unfortunately, following the path of the hardliners has brought us very little influence in Cuba and empowered the very repression we complain about.

It is time to awaken from the delusions and illusions we have been under when we it comes to U.S. Cuba policy and politics. Time to get real, get to work, and walk the talk…

-Tony Martinez, Editor

United States Cuba Policy - The Diaz-Balart Washington DC Two Step

2011-06-30T08:23:00.001-05:00

All of us who work so tirelessly to lift the United States travel ban toward Cuba; to remove Cuba from the list of terrorist countries; who seek justice for The Cuba Five; and who want to enhance United States/Cuba relations in general; should not be dispirited because of Mario Diaz-Balart’s Amendment to the Treasury Appropriations Bill last week. As we all know, the amendment basically turns the clock back to the provisions regarding travel to Cuba in the last Bush Administration.

We must not confuse the “cheese and the trap.” A mediocre Congressman like Mario Diaz-Balart and his cabal, David Rivera, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz are doing nothing more than the famous “Washington two-step.” This action by Diaz–Balart and his cohorts was expected, predicted, and at the end of the day, means nothing. That provision will not pass the Congress. Repeat, that provision will not pass the Congress. We play into our opponents’ hands if we make a big deal of this action. Then at the conclusion of this Congress, when it does not pass, it will appear we have accomplished something, when in reality, we have just wasted time and energy.

Where should we be focusing our attention? We need to continue to communicate with The White House, the State Department and OFAC. We must strongly express our great disappointment with them and our “friends” in the Congress. In addition, where we can, we must find a way to raise money for the political campaigns of our “friends”. Our “friends” in the Congress, The White House, the State Department and OFAC need to know, that we know, they are doing nothing of substance to enhance US/Cuba relations nor to meaningfully lift the travel ban. If we are intellectually honest with ourselves, we will acknowledge that a mediocre Congressman like Mario Diaz-Balart, is not the problem. Our problem is our “friends” who do not fight for us with the enthusiasm that is needed to succeed.

Let us speak with one voice and get our “friends” to stop making statements that sound good, but in reality, accomplish nothing. - Albert A. Fox, Jr.

Editor's Note: Albert A. Fox Jr. is an expert on U.S. Congressional politics and procedure with more than four decades of experience and is a former Congressional candidate himself. Mr. Fox is also Chairman of the Alliance for Responsible Cuba Policy.

Radio Interview US1 Radio, Interview with Tony Martinez, June 29 2011

2011-06-29T12:19:00.003-05:00

Interview with Tony Martinez, June 29 2011

United States Cuba Policy: Cuba Travel? You Are Not Serious

2011-06-24T17:22:00.004-05:00

It has been about two months since I last posted. However, with yesterday’s news that the House Appropriations Committee voted to reverse the Obama Cuba Travel Regulations back to the insane Bush ones, serious attention must be paid to politics now with good news and bad news. First the bad news. In the interim since the new Obama travel regulations came out, the blogosphere and social networks responded happily to the morsel that was given and then wondered “why is OFAC taking so long and being so slow on licenses?” “Why can’t President Obama just lift all the travel restrictions?” Now that the House Appropriations Committee voted to reverse the travel regulations, the reaction has been, “the hardliners just made 400,000 enemies”.

Oh really? How will the pro-travel community ever demonstrate that when it does not organize itself and express itself politically through the only thing that matters in politics and in Washington DC – votes and money? The Congressmen who voted for that measure in Committee know two things about U.S. Cuba policy. First, there is a real constituency who wants to strengthen the travel restrictions and keep the embargo. Second and most importantly, they vote AND they make contributions to candidates who think just like they do. Kudos go to the embargo PAC. Now how does this operate in the mind of a Congressman? Let’s consider for a moment that you are Congressman X. On one side you have a constituency that approaches you and tells you “hey, we want to keep the embargo in place and we do not want travel restrictions to Cuba lifted. We vote and by the way here is a check to your campaign because we want Congressmen who will stand with us. Be part of freedom and democracy, blah blah blah. We have also helped elect six pro-embargo Cuban American members of Congress and we have the Chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee with us too. “ On the other side you hear from people who call, email, and visit your office and tell you how positive it will be to open travel to Cuba for all Americans, that we need to end a foreign policy failure, and that we need to unite Cubans and their families. And after that presentation you hear “Thanks Congressman X”. Now which side of the issue is more serious? Which side is more committed to their position on the issue? This is how Washington DC works folks.

To make the proposition of supporting travel restrictions no sweat for the misguided Congressmen who support these insane restrictions, there is no political downside for them. There is no competition in their districts who will organize against him/her or raise money for his/her opponent next November. Being for travel restrictions and the embargo is actually safe political bet to play if you are a member of Congress right now. Money creates perception.

Then disaster strikes like this past Thursday and pro-travel supporters go into reactive panic mode. The grassroots pro-travel side says, “what are we going to do?”, “We don’t have money. “ “I don’t have even $25 to put up and contribute to a political action committee that will support candidates who will support changing our insane Cuba policies once and for all.” “I will not support this or that group.” “I don’t like this person or that person, so I won’t get involved.” “I want to do things differently.” “Nonprofits cannot get political.” – Which is true. But every each and every individual who works for a think tank or a nonprofit who is a U.S. citizen or legal resident can make a political contribution and can be political. “What good will my $25 do?” Ask President Obama from the 2008 campaign or Michele Bachmann now (see today’s AP Newstory “Small Checks Drive Michele Bachmann's Big Bucks”) , what the power and the difference lots of little contributions can make over a few fat ones. You see the pro-embargo side relies on a small group of wealthy hardline Cuban Americans for their political money. We have thousands more than they do. We are just not organized, yet.

What will happen when lets say the 29,000 plus people who say they “like” the End the Cuba Travel Ban on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/endthetravelban actually backed that up with a contribution of $25 to a political action committee like the U.S. Cuba Now Political Action Committee, www.uscubanowpac.com ? Or the 400,000 Americans and residents traveling to Cuba legally actually donated $5 to a political action committee that supports ending the travel ban? Now we’re talking serious political money. Everyone in Congress or running for Congress will know about this issue and who is really committed. “Who is going to get this money?” Candidates like Jeff Flake (R-Az) running for the U.S. Senate, who is needed there to stand up to Marco Rubio and Bob Menendez. Jim McGovern (D-Mass) so he can stand up to Mario Diaz-Balart, David Rivera and Ileana Ros Lehtinen. And others who stand for this issue because they believe in it. They need our help or they won’t be more of them in the next Congress. There will be more like Diaz Balart and Ros Lehtinen. A political message needs to be sent to these embargo stalwarts by contributing to the candidates running against them.

The pro-travel side got slapped in the face on Thursday in the only arena where this issue really matters now, in the Congress. You see it is going to take more than just phone calls, emails and just being reactive in order to change U.S. Cuba policy.

Here are the eight rules that when followed will change U.S. Cuba policy once and for all. There are no exceptions to these rules. They were not made up by me, but by the very nature of our political system.

1) It will require an Act of Congress to lift the travel ban for all Americans.

2) It will require an Act of Congress to end the embargo on Cuba.

3) The President of the United States does not have the power on his own to do this. Congress took it away from the Executive with the Helms Burton Act. It must be restored to the Executive Branch.

4) In order to get an Act of Congress, it requires passage in the Senate and House of Representatives. To get a measure passed in either body, it requires two things; political action and lobbying.

5) Lobbying without political action is ineffective.

6) Political action makes lobbying real.

7) Contributing to a political candidate, regardless of the amount indicates commitment to the candidate and the cause you represent.

8) Transformation does not tolerate mediocrity.

The bad news is the pro-travel side of U.S. Cuba policy does not follow the rules. The pro-embargo side has followed the rules unchallenged by the opposition and now has much to show for its efforts. You are for travel to Cuba for all Americans? You can’t be serious. Prove it. We do not speak with one united voice. We are not political. At least, not yet. You can change that right now. Are you registered to vote? Are your friends registered to vote? If you are Cuban and a legal resident of the United States and have family on the island, do you qualify for U.S. citizenship now, so you can register and vote? Become a U.S. citizen. And most importantly if you really do want to change U.S. Cuba policy, get your checkbook or credit card out and go online and make a contribution to U.S. Cuba Now. Today.

Now here is the good news. There are more of us than there are of them. It is time to prove it in votes and money. What happened in the House Appropriations committee can and will likely be stopped. Only if you choose to finally get serious on this issue, follow all the rules of the political game, and play to win.

Radio Interview US1 Radio - April 26, 2011

2011-04-26T21:36:00.001-05:00

Discussing current state of U.S. Cuba relations and travel regulations

United States Cuba Relations - Splitting Hairs and Gerontocracy

2011-04-24T20:04:00.003-05:00

There have been several major events on the U.S. Cuba relations front since we last posted. The first was Cuba's Communist Party Congress. The second was the U.S. Treasury OFAC publication of its guidance and application of new travel regulations to Cuba on April 19, 2011.

The Duel of the Gerontocracies in Havana and Miami

Rather than repeat what has already been said in the blogosphere and the news, we make the following observations - Two thirds of the Cuban population know only two things their entire lives; the U.S. embargo and a Castro leading their government. Now the one part of that equation that we actually have control over is the embargo and travel sanctions. The second, whether a Castro will continue to rule Cuba indefinitely seems to have been answered with the pronouncement of term limits. Yet Cuba remains with a very elderly leadership in place and will still have to wait for several more years for Raul Castro to retire. The more fundamental question is how does that political leadership connect with its youthful majority population? Young people in Cuba have a genuine right to question what their government has achieved for them. The expectation that their government reform their system to respond to their desires is only rational. Will the proposed political and economic reforms be enough? They like all young people throughout the world want a future worth having. That is the obligation owed to them by their elders. Power should and ought to transfer and flow, regularly. That is one of the hallmarks of real democracy. There is a time for retirement and a place for elder leaders and allowing the younger generations to have dominion and decision over their nation's future. This is an issue that obviously will be answered at a future date.

Meanwhile in Miami, we endure our own gerontocracy of thinking that does not accept the reality of the failure of our policies nor the pain and suffering heaped upon the Cuban people through our embargo and sanctions policies. It does not matter that our policies don't work. Yet there always seems to be a justification to keep the failure going. Regardless of whether our policies work, votes and money from this anachronistic way of thinking keep the policy going in Washington DC. Whatever influence Miami hardliners have on Cuba, it is neither positive nor constructive.

Splitting Hairs on Travel

One of the most uneviable positions working for the federal government has to be working at the U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control ( OFAC ), Cuba division. The people there often have a difficult job. These folks literally have to split hairs in policy interpretations and turn logic on its head often to carry out the political whims of whoever is controlling U.S. Cuba policy at the moment.
That is just what happened with these new set of regulations. There is analysis on them and the plethora of logical inconsistencies in detail at
http://cubapeopletopeople.blogspot.com/2011/04/preliminary-analysis-of-ofac-travel.html

A good question for the Congress to ask the Treasury Department and the White House is who are the individuals actually formulating our U.S. Cuba policy guidelines and what are the logical rationales for these positions? These should be made public and put on the record for all to read and question the thinking that went behind these regulations. The bottomline is that there will be a little more travel to Cuba under these guidelines. However, these new travel rules are not the great fulfillment of the campaign pledge made by President Obama that he would change the dynamics of our policies with Cuba. There is not much to celebrate with these travel regulations. As Americans, we should be fighting to lift the unjust travel ban in Congress and have our voices heard politically in the next election campaign, just like the pro-embargo people are already doing to keep the insanity in place. What can you do? When the congressional and presidential campaign workers start calling you and ask for a campaign contribution for their candidate, let them know how disappointed you are with our travel policy to Cuba and ask what are they going to do in the next Congress and administration to lift the travel ban completely. It may be the only time they may actually listen to you. - Tony Martinez

U.S. Cuba Relations/Business Panel Discussion - Conference Announcement

2011-03-30T10:31:00.001-05:00

Open publication

United States Cuba Policy - Gross Realities and the Carter Imperative

2011-03-28T20:44:00.002-05:00

Since our last posting, much has happened in Cuba. Alan Gross was tried and convicted of violating Cuban laws and sentenced to 15 years in prison. With the hopes that a humanitarian settlement of this case is achieved, former President Jimmy Carter is in Havana meeting with President Raul Castro and other Cuban government officials, doing the very thing our government should be doing officially, sitting down with our adversary and holding conversations at a higher level. Now the idea of our government having conversations let alone negotiations with Cuba is unthinkable in the position of the pro-embargo bloc that politically controls and manipulates our policy on Cuba. The truth is only a dialogue is the pathway to the peaceful resolution of our differences. However in order to have a dialogue, it requires mutuality of the parties, something we refuse to acknowledge in word and deed. It took the Catholic Church to negotiate and obtain the release of political prisoners. And it may take a former U.S. President to get the release of an imprisoned American who violated another country’s laws, even laws that we would disagree.

Cuba finally did the right thing in releasing all of its political prisoners. But then we chastised Cuba on its human rights, which could be a legitimate criticism if we treated Cuba like some other countries that have equally or more atrocious human rights violations. Ironically, we have diplomatic relations with those countries, not Cuba. Whatever moral superiority of our position on human and civil rights we possess, we lose it with our foreign policy hypocrisy. The Congress and the White House play a blind eye to it on Cuba because of the political purse strings involved. We still continue to use taxpayer money to finance Cuba “Democracy” programs. When will those failures end? Interference in Cuba simply has not worked and has only empowered the repression that everyone complains about. When are we going to cease being an international embarrassment in the treatment of our own citizens who can freely travel to any nation on the planet except Cuba?

All eyes are on Havana now where the gentleman from Plains, Georgia, a Nobel laureate, and a historical peacemaker statesman is engaged with our challenging neighbor in search of the pathway to better understanding and relations. He is there out of the knowing that the key to change lies in dealing with our neighbors as they are first, not as we would like them to be. May his efforts bear good results, improve relations, and bring Alan Gross home.

United States Cuba Relations - Terror List Games

2011-02-19T09:35:00.008-05:00

CAs the popular gameshow Jeopardy is played by answering to the clue in the form of a question:

This nation is the only country on the U.S. State Sponsors of Terror List that is held to a singular standard that is not applied to any other? Answer: What is Cuba! Ding Ding Ding... Correct

Yesterday in response to Governor Richardson's bold recommendation at Brookings to take Cuba off the terror list, Foreign Policy published an article "It's not time to remove Cuba from the Terror List" http://shadow.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/02/18/its_not_time_to_remove_cuba_from_the_terror_list written by Jose R. Cardenas. We believe that it is important that an open and public debate be held on this issue as it is important that some objective criteria be applied regarding the Terror List designation. And most importantly that the standard be applied to every nation. Isn't that the American way of fairness?

It is interesting that Mr. Cardenas begins his article with a subtle and disrespectful attack on the credibility of Governor Richardson. Far from being a “self-styled” diplomatic troubleshooter, the historical record of Governor Richardson’s public and diplomatic service (Congressman, Energy Secretary, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations) makes him a diplomatic troubleshooter in fact and deed and credible in his recommendations. This is part of the tactics of the pro-embargo intransigence that exists.

The political agenda of the pro-embargo lobby is to make sure that Cuba stays on the Terror List and Mr. Cardenas' article here is consistent with that end. It is a clearly stated goal on one of their websites! Why? For as long as Cuba is on the Terror List, another law, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act applies depriving nations on that list sovereign immunity in our courts. This spawned the Cuba litigation cottage industry in South Florida where private plaintiffs sue Cuba and obtain multi-million default judgments which those parties seek to collect on any Cuban assets in the U.S. This is part reason why it costs so much to make a long distance call to Cuba averaging around $1.00 per minute and routed through third countries. It is also why President Obama’s telecom initiatives for Cuba have not yielded any positive results.

Mr. Cardenas uses historical data to make his case. Very old historical data. Logically and rationally, the Terror List is supposed to accurately reflect whether a nation on that list ultimately poses a threat to Americans’ safety and interests by virtue of that nation’s current activities. Despite the reprehensive political system and repression that exists there, Cuba does not export terror now. Americans who visit there are generally safe and free from kidnapping, murder, or attacks on their persons that frequently occur now in Mexico and the Middle East. If Cuba does deserve the designation, then make the case in public now based upon current factual and verifiable information. Present the evidence and let us hold every other nation in the world to the same standard. If we do that the list will include many more nations. Embargo and block travel to those countries too.

The tyranny Mr. Cardenas refers and we also object to can only be removed by the Cuban people who live on the island, not the U.S government or even the Cuban American community here. And we cannot object to such tyranny in one place in the world and yet tolerate it in so many other places. The nations of the world laugh at our hypocrisy. We are deluded believing that it does not go unnoticed. It is our responsibility to empower democracy and freedom by example and by influence. That does not happen with an embargo, travel restrictions, or the misguided political application of the terror list designation.

-Tony Martinez

President's Day Weekend Viewing - Zeitgeist Moving Forward

2011-02-17T15:36:00.006-05:00

This weekend we depart from the subject matter of United States Cuba relations to examine relations in a much broader context -- how each of us are taught to see the world and each other. With the dramatic problems, crises, wars, and ongoing destruction of our environment and planet, we must step back and think critically about where we are going, what are we creating with the decisions we make as individuals and as nations. With this in mind, we invite you to watch the documentary Zeitgeist-Moving Forward. For those of you who speak Spanish, this documentary is subtitled in more than 39 languages, including Spanish. Just click on the CC button on your viewer to activate the Spanish subtitles. It is worth the two and half hours of your time and you will be all the more wiser and empowered after you watch it. For some it will change your life and how you see yourself and our world. And you will save the cost of going to the movies this weekend! Have a great weekend -

Tony Martinez

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aLGFZDiwRs

United States Cuba Relations - The Richardson Perspective

2011-02-17T15:35:00.006-05:00

Former Governor Bill Richardson spoke at the Brookings Institute on Tuesday, February 15, 2011. The transcript of his remarks are available to review/download on the blog.

Richardson's most important assertions for the pathway to improved relations between the U.S. and Cuba rely upon a basic premise of reciprocity between the parties. This is different than the quid pro quo approach that has been the operating standard for much of the last fifteen years. Both sides know very well what steps need to be taken to improve the relationship. The issue is for each side not to wait for the other to act, but do what is necessary to change the policy that both countries apply to each other and their respective citizens. There are steps that each side can take right now and upon those actions, conditions will be set to tackle the more complicated ones. Most significantly he called upon the Cuban government to release Alan Gross and the U.S. Congress to review, modify and terminate where necessary, the USAID funding for the "Democracy" programs which are at the root of Mr. Gross' incarceration. He also called for the President to remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terror List, noting that Cuba being on the list is more emotional than rational or logical. Removal of Cuba from that list is essential to set conditions in place to allow U.S. telecoms to establish an affordable infrastructure to bring down the high cost of telephone calls to Cuba, now averaging around $1.00 per minute. Americans and Cuban Americans with relatives and friends in Cuba continue to pay this high cost. This issue has been discussed at length on this blog and we invite readers to look back at our archives for the discussions.

Similarly, a distinguished attorney, Stephen F. Propst, from the law firm of Hogan Lovells, provided a comprehensive paper on Presidential Authority To Modify Economic Sanctions Against Cuba, a paper you can view and download here on the blog. Pay careful attention to pages 13-18 where he explains in detail how President Obama can do much more to help change the equation on the U.S. Cuba stalemate. It is interesting to note that the pro-embargo side's counter to the Probst paper was to republish the Conference Report to the Helms Burton Act!

-Tony Martinez

Presidential Authority To Modify Economic Sanctions Against Cuba

2011-02-17T15:34:00.007-05:00

Open publication

Brookings Institute - U.S. Cuba Relations Moving Policy Forward in 2011

2011-02-17T15:34:00.006-05:00

Open publication

United States Cuba Relations: Senator Marco Rubio's Cuba Follies Begin

2011-02-17T14:37:00.001-05:00

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

SENATOR MARCO RUBIO’S CUBA FOLLIES BEGIN

PUBLIUS. Mr. President, the junior Senator from Florida, Mr. Rubio, and the Senator from New Jersey, Mr. Menendez, recently offered Senate Amendment 61 to S. 233, the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act. The effect of the amendment if adopted by the Senate would block the implementation of President Obama’s recent travel announcements to Cuba. Under the veil of blocking “expansions of flights to locations in countries that are state sponsors of terrorism", the Senators seek to stop the progress that has been made and continues by virtue of the fact that more Americans are now allowed to travel to Cuba. This is something urgently needed if we are ever going to become a positive influence on our island neighbor to the south. It is interesting to note that these two Senate sponsors have never traveled to Cuba. There are actually members of the Senate who know more about Cuba than these two sponsors claim to know! Last year 400,000 Americans traveled to Cuba legally. What the people need is a member of the Senate to introduce a substitute amendment requiring Senators who introduce such amendments like the Rubio Menendez Amendment to be required to personally visit the named countries first on the “terror list” before introducing them. This list is more a political tool than a reflection of reality. Most Senators who have been to Cuba know that despite the objectionable political system and the repression that exists there, Cuba does not export terror and Americans who visit there are generally safe and free from kidnapping, murder, or attacks on their persons that frequently occur now in Mexico and the Middle East. And if Cuba does as the designation alleges, then make the case in public now and present the evidence and hold every other nation to the same standard as Cuba and put those nations on the list and block travel to those countries too. Every Senator that has been to Cuba knows that the embargo and the travel restrictions have done nothing to bring democracy and change to Cuba. More than two thirds of the current population of Cuba know only two things their entire lives, the U.S. embargo and a Castro running the government of Cuba. It behooves the Senate to remove the one condition it actually has the power to do, lift the travel restrictions and end the embargo. Then let the Cuban people on the island decide who should run their country. Let America become a positive influence upon the Cuban people instead of an instigator. Democracy is influenced by others, not imposed.

The Senator claims he cares about the plight of Alan Gross, an American USAID contractor imprisoned in Cuba who now awaits trial for violating Cuban laws. While everyone hopes that Cuba will free Alan Gross, it is incumbent upon the Congress to act to insure that no one else gets tangled in the sordid web that is the so-called Cuba “democracy” programs. These programs do not bring democracy to Cuba and in the spirit of cutting the budget should all be reviewed and eliminated. Furthermore at a minimum, full disclosure is needed in these programs to protect parties who potentially risk imprisonment abroad for their activities related to the use and expenditure of those funds.

Finally, one other question deserves an answer from the Senator from Florida. Why would the Senator, a conservative Republican, seek to block an initiative that will create hundreds of new jobs and millions in commerce for his state and stimulate market forces? Does the Senator only wish to serve one term representing Florida in the Senate? Just who is the Senator representing? Certainly not the people of his state. The Senate need not be the refuge of hypocrisy nor its members be its promoter.

-For the People and By the People