The U.S. is not Miami and opinions on Cuba are far from hatred

The U.S. is not Miami and opinions on Cuba are far from hatred
By: 
Fecha de publicación: 
5 November 2021
0
Imagen principal: 

The United States is not Miami, nor does the far-right Cuban-American mafia based there controls the diversity of criteria as claimed, noted former Cuban ambassador to Washington, José Ramón Cabañas.

 

While talking to Prensa Latina, the current head of the Center for International Policy Research (CIPI) located in Havana, stressed that several people in Miami have a public discourse and another, way different, at home, a distortion aimed at being socially accepted in an opportunistic environment.

 

In the diplomat's opinion, the far right uses algorithms and communication strategies on social networks and digital platforms with repeated hateful messages, to convey the idea that there is a Cuban community with a same thinking.

 

According to Cabañas, this is a reaction of this sector to that 2015-2017 period of bilateral rapprochement in which almost five million people traveled in both directions and there was a setback in the reactionary agenda.

 

“What we have seen especially from 2018-2019 on, is a distortion triggered mainly by the political polarization within the United States. So, it is not surprising that these trends leaders are huge fans of President Donald Trump (2017- 2021)”, he pointed out.

 

But the United States is not Miami -he reiterated. The sort of coercion to which many Cuban artists are subjugated to take a position against the Cuban government does not occur at all in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles, which are capitals of culture.

 

Cabañas recalled that in 2017, Cuba was the main guest of the largest jazz festival in the United States and in 2018, more than 400 artists performed at the renowned Kennedy Center in Washington.

 

On the other hand, the diplomat believes that the right wing and its acolytes saw in the Covid-19 pandemic an event similar to the fall of the socialist bloc. That is why they have supported any extreme political action and the tightening of the U.S. blockade against Cuba.

 

"This is also very connected to the internal crisis in the United States. The current government does not have a strong coalition within the Democratic Party. All this makes the foreign policy of both parties pretty similar," he said.

 

The specialist recalled that the State is responsible for Washington's policy towards Cuba and has nothing to do with the man or women presiding over the White House.

 

Cabañas recalled that in the case of President Barack Obama (2019-2017), he also pursued the same goals but focused on a different approach, rapprochement instead of sanctions.

 

The expert pointed out that the Cuban community has a varied vision on these issues and the majority, according to surveys and studies, have a common concern, which is the family agenda.

 

"That is why people in Miami are asking today for the resumption of trips, remittances, visas and other measures that allow them to help their families here," he said.

 

In the expert's opinion, those embracing an extreme position are the same individuals with connections to regime change programs, financed by terrorism-related organizations, whose links with the subversion promoters have already been proven.

 

"This is a weak administration, incapable of understanding and approaching the Cuban phenomenon, which it is afraid of in some way. So the Republican Party has been filling those blank spaces," he stressed.

 

According to the former ambassador, it is not possible to believe that the Cuban vote defines the State of Florida, nor to thinking that the political color of that Cuban community is just one.

 

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff

Add new comment

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.