[Marxism] Exiles cheer Obama at CANF luncheon in Miami

[Walter Lippmann <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

MIAMI HERALD 
May 23, 2008

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/cuban_colada/2008/05/exiles-cheer-ob.html

Exiles cheer Obama at Cuban American National Foundation luncheon in Miami

When Barack Obama on Friday addressed the annual Cuban American
National Foundation Cuban Independence Day luncheon he probably
expected his audience to consist largely of longtime Cuban exiles who
fled after Fidel Castro's revolution triumphed 49 years ago. (The
photo shows Obama with Cuban American National Foundation chairman
Jorge Mas Santos before the senator's speech).

But among the estimated 900 guests at the cavernous soft-lit ballroom
of the downtown Miami hotel where Obama spoke were about a dozen
recently-released political prisoners or recently-arrived former
Cuban dissidents.

They are examples of the very people on the island who are now at the
center of exile debate about possible change in Cuba and the ones who
would be affected the most by any change of American policy toward
the island.

Among the newly-arrived Cubans who sat at the "dissidents'' table was
former political prisoner Hector Palacios who arrived in Miami only
last month for a short stay.

Palacios has said he plans to return to Cuba in a few weeks to rejoin
the dissident movement that peacefully seeks democracy on the island.
(Photo shows Palacios meeting with Obama after the speech in Miami
Friday).

Palacios, 64, was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being
arrested during a government crackdown against dissidents in 2003. He
was released from prison on Dec. 6, 2006 for medical reasons. He was
allowed to travel to Madrid, Spain, and then Miami in October.

In an interview with The Miami Herald seconds after Obama finished
speaking at the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Miami, Palacios
said he welcomed the Democratic Party presidential candidate's
remarks on Cuba.

"He spoke about Cuba and that for me has been very important,''
Palacios said, adding: "And what Obama intends to do about Cuba
includes many things that I share. This is not the moment to fence in
the people of Cuba. This is the moment to open the doors so Cubans
and Americans can go there. We cannot subject the people of Cuba,
after 50 years of war, to one more war and we cannot continue killing
each other. Changes in Cuba are taking place and people have not
realized this. Fidel Castro is no longer there but the people are and
the people are stronger than ever.''

Many Cuban exiles are critical of Obama because they reject his prior
statements that he would meet with Raul Castro.

In his speech, Obama said he would not meet Castro "for tea'' but to
discuss substantive policy differences between the two countries.

"There will be careful preparation,'' Obama said. "We will set a
clear agenda. And as president, I would be willing to lead that
diplomacy at a time and place of my choosing, but only when we have
an opportunity to advance the interests of the United States, and to
advance the cause of freedom for the Cuban people.''

When he arrived and left, Obama received a standing ovation and was
repeatedly interrupted by applause and cheers.

-- Alfonso Chardy


=========================================
     WALTER LIPPMANN
     Los Angeles, California
     Editor-in-Chief, CubaNews
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/
     "Cuba - Un ParaÃso bajo el bloqueo"
=========================================

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