Out of all the days to be busy at work, today, when all of
the announcements about Cuba started to circulate and my phone kept buzzing
with tweets, texts and Facebook updates.
First and foremost, trading 3 Cuban Terrorist for Alan Gross, who was incarcerated
for “acts against the independence or the territorial integrity of the
state" in March 2011. This is a travesty! How can we let these people off after the crimes they have committed! Although the
Obama administration would try to have us believe that freeing Gross and the 3
Cuban spies were independent of each other[1],
it is highly unlikely that was the case. We are setting a dangerous precedent.
Though I truly wish that I could one day visit Cuba and see
the and where my grandparents married and started their family, as well as my
wife’s family, I think that Obama’s decision today will ultimately cause more
harm than it does good. If we look at
Venezuela, we see a government that is structured similarly to that of Cuba’s today, but
with more money/resources. By “opening
up” these talks, we will be making the Cuban government wealthier, while the
Cuban people will continue to struggle.
Yes, the same Cuban government that my grandparents and my
mom fled from on a boat, leaving behind everything they had worked for and
their lives. The same Cuban government,
which had people threaten my wife’s grandfather that they would send him to “El
Paredon” (wall where they line you up and shoot you via firing squad) just
because he was outspoken and opposed the new regime. The same Cuban government, which orphaned
many children and widowed many wives.
The same Cuban government that forced tens of thousands of people to
risk their lives by trying to float 90 miles to freedom in makeshift rafts. That government is the one that will benefit, NOT the people!
I would love to see the land where my wife’s family, as well
as my mom’s, comes from. However, I will
not be stepping foot on this island until is completely free. I understand that many people will argue that
Obama’s actions will ultimately be helping out the Cuban people on the island,
it will not.
The reaction of the Cuban community in Miami is not one of
just stubbornness, or Old School vs. New School, or even Republicans vs.
Democrats, rather, it is about standing
up for what we believe is right and not giving in to a regime that has murdered
so many and will not change the way they have operated for more than 50 years!
[1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/12/17/obama-says-alan-gross-wasnt-traded-for-cuban-spies-thats-a-very-tough-sell/
