F.A.C.E. Obama’s Cuba move is misguided

F.A.C.E.: Obama's Cuba move is misguided
12/21/2014 2:00 PM 12/22/2014 7:15 PM

What's next for the Cuban people?

F.A.C.E., Facts About Cuban Exiles, usually does not enter the strictly
political arena, but as its name implies, it is an organization that
aims to tell the truth.

President Obama, in his broadcast to the nation, dedicated some words to
those of us in the Cuban exile community that might be opposed to his
unilateral decision to reestablish full diplomatic relations with Cuba,
a country that his own administration still regards as a terrorist state
(the cart before the horse). Hence we feel obliged and eager to reply.

An innocent American has been exchanged for three criminals who
conspired with the Castro regime to down over international waters two
American airplanes belonging to Brothers to the Rescue on Feb. 24, 1996,
killing three Americans and a U.S. resident. They were on patrol to
rescue rafters escaping Cuba.

These criminals, some serving a life sentence, were convicted by a
federal jury on which no Cuban Americans sat.

The innocent American, Alan Gross, served five of 15 years for bringing
cell-phone and Internet technology to the Jewish community in Havana,
precisely one of the areas in which the president now plans to expand
opportunities for U.S. business in Cuba.

President Obama also called for Congress to repeal the 1961 embargo,
alleging that the United States is the only country in the world that
restricts trade with Cuba, thereby making the embargo ineffective.

Never mind that, in spite of the fact that all other countries trade
with Cuba, the communist economy has led the country to ruin.

And so, the "Yankee Go Home" philosophy of the Castro brothers is
responsible for shortages of sugar and other staples in Cuba.

But by far the greatest shortages in Cuba are freedom of the press,
expression, assembly and religion, while in great supply are lies,
injustice, and persecution of anyone that emerges as a business or
political leader.

The military junta governing Cuba is broadcasting its victory over
Yankee Imperialism while at the same time Dictator Raúl Castro continues
to charge that the U.S. is holding a "blockade" against Cuba.

The new U.S. ambassador to Cuba will need to quantify the great progress
that President Obama expects to take place in the areas of human rights
and basic economic and political freedoms while simultaneously being
constantly attacked by the single, official, and totalitarian regime press.

There will not be a party in Miami until the Cuban people are free and
there are political parties in Cuba.

The "blockade" continues, but by Castro on the Cuban people. A new
business model has been created, spies for hostages.

And there is a great supply of Cuban spies in the United States and a
great supply of potential American tourists and businesspeople now
available for the taking.

EMILIO PALOMO, F.A.C.E. PRESIDENT-ELECT, MIAMI

Source: F.A.C.E.: Obama's Cuba move is misguided | The Miami Herald -
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article4706523.html