[Marxism] Jose Pertierra: "The United States of Miami"

["Walter Lippmann" <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

(This article appeared on the Rebelion website in Spain
and was published in Juventud Rebelde in Havana as well.
The author was also one of the attorneys working with
Juan Miguel Gonzalez during the struggle for Elian.)
========================================================

The United States of Miami
By: José Pertierra (Rebelión)
April 18, 2005

A CubaNews translation by Ana Portela.
Edited by Walter Lippmann
Web-posted with graphics in Spanish and English:
http://www.walterlippmann.com/docs130.html 

If Posada Carriles were a Cuban artist instead of a
terrorist, things would be quite different.

He wouldn?t have a chance of getting a visa to enter the
United States. Cuba is one of the seven countries labeled
by the United States as terrorist-nations. This is the
pretext under which the Bush Administration denies the visa
requests of Cuban musicians, poets, journalists, writers
and scholars for the simple reason that since they live and
work in Cuba they are employed by the government and belong
to the union of writers and artists (UNEAC). Such
?dangerous? personalities as Cintio Vitier (poet), Chucho
Valdés (pianist), Ibrahim Ferrer (singer), Omara Portuondo
(singer), Carlos Varela (singer songwriter), Victor Casaus
(poet), Pablo Armando Fernández (poet), Hedelberto López
(writer), Gerardo Alfonso (singer songwriter) and many
others today are "threats" to U.S. national security.

What kind of war against terrorism is this? The Department
of Homeland Security denies visas to Cuban poets and
artists but allows terrorists to come in and stay. The
latest Cuban terrorist to arrive in Miami, the capital of
terrorism, confident of soon getting asylum is Luis Posada
Carriles: the one responsible for blowing up a Cuban
passenger plane killing 73 persons including many of the
members of the national fencing team. Posada has also
confessed to the New York Times be the intellectual author
of the 1997 terrorist bombing campaign against the Cuban
tourist sector that killed an Italian tourist and wounded
11 persons.

The immigration laws are clear: a terrorist is ineligible
for citizenship, residence, asylum, suspension of
deportation and, any kind of visa to the United States. No
waiver is available to allow him immigration benefits or to
prevent his deportation. However, Miami seems to be another
planet where US laws have no jurisdiction. Or is it that
the rules of Miami are now the laws of the nation?

Dozens of terrorists walk the streets of Little Havana with
impunity. In 1989 the Department of Justice considered
granting asylum to Posada?s buddy and partner in crime,
Orlando Bosch, and concluded that the U.S. ?cannot shelter
a person who advocates injuring or killing innocent
persons. The security of this nation depends on the
possibility of convincing other nations not to harbor
terrorists. We cannot shelter Dr. Bosch and maintain our
credibility?. Applying the rule of law to Bosch's asylum
request, the Department of Justice ruled that he did not
qualify, because of his past crimes, including acts of
terrorism many of which he has admitted. However, the case
was heard in Miami where the rules of the game are
different. Bush Father overruled the decision of his own
Department of Justice and granted the terrorist parole for
"humanitarian reasons" on July 19, 1990. Bosh is now a
permanent resident of the United States.

We are witnessing the Miamification of the United States.
Intolerance and the glorification of violence are
prevalent. The possession of firearms is commonplace.
Healthy immigrants have fewer civil rights than a US
citizen in a vegetative coma, as the recent case of Terri
Schiavo illustrates. Military displays are part and parcel
of nationally televised sports events. The Robert F.
Kennedy Stadium in Washington D.C. will soon be known as
?Armed Forces Field?. In the name of democracy the
government indefinitely detains, tortures and sometimes
even murders its prisoners. Countries that disobey obey the
orders of the Emperor are bombed, invaded and occupied. In
the meantime, many US citizens do not tire of repeating the
mantra that Americans live in the best country in the world
and that this is a true democracy.

Posada is no fool. He knows that, according to the law, 
he does not qualify for asylum, or residency. However,
although born in Cuba, he knows that his Master is the
United States government and, as we were reminded a few
days ago by his lawyer he was sired by the CIA. He thinks
this is enough for Bush Junior to bestow on him the same
present that Daddy Bush gave Orlando Bosch: a green card
and a parade in Miami. He knows that in Miami it's better
to belong to the CIA than to the UNEAC, and it's better to
be a terrorist than a poet.

José Pertierra is a Cuban lawyer. His offices are in
Washington, D.C.





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