Posted on Sun, May. 25, 2008
By TAL ABBADY
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
MIAMI --
Barack Obama laid out his vision for U.S.-Latin American relations
Friday, including a pledge to allow unfettered family travel and
remittances to Cuba.
The Illinois senator and presidential hopeful spoke at a Cuban
Independence Day luncheon hosted by the Cuban American National
Foundation, an appearance designed to attract a critical bloc of voters:
Hispanics. The crowd of 900 - a mix of activists, lawyers and retirees
eager for a fresh approach to Cuba - received Obama with warm applause.
Many in the audience are former Bush loyalists disenchanted with the
Republican Party.
Obama offered a sharp rebuke to the Bush administration for sacrificing
U.S. interests in Latin America to pursue its goals in Iraq.
"Since the Bush administration launched a misguided war in Iraq, its
policy in the Americas has been negligent toward our friends,
ineffective with our adversaries, and disinterested in the challenges
that matter in people's lives," he said.
Obama said he would maintain the economic embargo against Cuba, but
immediately end all restrictions on family travel and remittances and
seek dialogue with the Castro government.
"It's time to let Cuban Americans see their mothers and fathers, their
sisters and brothers. It's time to let Cuban American money make their
families less dependent upon the Castro regime," he said.
In his introduction of Obama, foundation chairman Jorge Mas Santos
referred to the Bush administration's travel and remittance restrictions
as the "handcuffs that have prevented us from becoming active
participants in destabilizing" Castro's government.
Obama rebutted the criticism of the presumptive Republican presidential
candidate, Sen. John McCain, who has accused him of changing his
position on the Cuba embargo and lacking the experience to be a
firm-handed world leader.
"Every four years, (presidential candidates) come down to Miami, they
talk tough, they go back to Washington, and nothing changes in Cuba.
That's what John McCain did the other day," said Obama, referring to
McCain's Tuesday speech in Miami before a crowd filled with
Cuban-American hard-liners.
Obama's visit to the Cuban exile community resonated on the island
itself. Dissident economist Oscar Espinosa Chepe co-wrote a letter in
support of Obama that was intended to reach him at the event.
"A more creative policy toward Cuba ... would help in the transition
toward democracy," the letter read. The authors wished Obama every
success in advancing his "great and reasonable proposals."
On Latin America, Obama said he would establish a regional energy
initiative, open more consulates and create a regional security
initiative to combat the drug cartels and gangs that paralyze daily life
in parts of the hemisphere.
Many in the audience, like Cuban-American activist and attorney Pedro
Freyre, who voted for Bush in 2004, liked what they heard. "He made a
difference. He couched his policy initiatives clearly," said Freyre, who
calls himself a swing voter.
When asked why we might vote for Obama, he said Bush "has been unfocused
on Cuba because of the Iraq blunder."
"It's a really good time to rethink our policy on Cuba," Freyre said.
Obama hopes his visit to Miami will encourage Hispanics to rethink their
support of his Democratic opponent.
In the Democratic primaries so far, Hispanics have voted for Hillary
Clinton two to one over Obama, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. In
Florida, Clinton won nearly 60 percent of the Hispanic vote, compared
with Obama's 30 percent.
Clinton, who made unexpected appearances in South Florida to coincide
with those of her rivals, is expected to win the Puerto Rico primary on
June 1. But she lags behind Obama in delegates and popular votes.
At the Obama event, undecided voter and Miami attorney Fernando Aran,
50, described Clinton as someone who "has worked hard on our issues."
"Now Obama is the rising star and he needs to earn our trust," Aran said.
No comments:
Post a Comment