President Donald J. Trump announced his new Cuban policy to about 1,000 enthusiastic mostly Cuban American supporters at the Manuel Artime Theater in Little Havana, Miami, Florida on June 16, 2017.
On June 16, 2017, President Trump announced his new Cuba policy partially reversing Obama’s shameful unilateral concessions to the Castro´s regime in return for nothing. President Trump said he would restrict travel to Cuba and prohibit U.S. business dealings with companies tied to the Cuban military and intelligence services. Diplomatic relations with Cuba, including renewed embassies in the respective country’s capitals, will continue. President Trump pledged to reverse Obama’s new approach to Cuba as part of last year’s presidential campaign, especially during appearances in Florida.
President Donald J. Trump signing executive orders regarding his new Cuban policy after he spoke. From left to right appears in the picture Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, Republican Congressman Mario Díaz Balart from South Florida, Governor of Florida Rick Scott, Republican Senator Marco Rubio from Florida, former political prisoner Cary Roque, Vice President Mike Pence, and Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta. Congressman Carlos Curbelo from South Florida, former political prisoner Ángel de Fana, and dissident Jorge Luis García Pérez “Antunez” appear in the back.
The White House Presidential Policy Directive has eight pages and five points and says the following: “The new policy centers on the belief that the oppressed Cuban people — rather than the oppressive Castro regime’s military and its subsidiaries — should benefit from American engagement with the island. My administration’s policy will be guided by key U.S. national security interests and solidarity with the Cuban people. I will seek to promote a stable, prosperous, and free country for the Cuban people. To that end, we must ensure that U.S. funds are not channeled to a regime that has failed to meet the most basic requirements of a free and just society.”
“My administration’s policy will be guided by key U.S. national security interests and solidarity with the Cuban people. I will seek to promote a stable, prosperous, and free country for the Cuban people. To that end, we must ensure that U.S. funds are not channeled to a regime that has failed to meet the most basic requirements of a free and just society.”
In this picture appear from left to right some volunteers of the Trump campaign in Miami-Dade County, Florida Xiomara Mastrapa, Chiqui Lamar, George Garces, Haydée Prado de Varona, and Frank de Varona at the Manuel Artime Theater in Little Havana, Miami, Florida.
When President Trump stepped off Air Force One at 12:25 p.m., he was greeted by Florida Governor Rick Scott, Cuban dissident and former political prisoner Jorge Luis García Pérez “Antunez,” and former political prisoners Ángel De Fana and Cary Roque. Waiting for him at the theater were dissidents Antonio Rodiles and Ailer González. President Trump announced that communist Cuba did not allow two others, José Daniel Ferrer and Berta Soler, to fly to the United States for the event.
Cuban opponent Jorge Luis García Pérez “Antunez”, who was imprisoned for 17 years from 1990 to 2007, spoke with Frank de Varona at the Manuel Artime Theater.
Under a strict interpretation of the president executive orders, a United States citizen cannot stay in a hotel owned by the Cuban regime, eat in at government restaurant or nightclub, fly in a government aircraft, rent a government automobile, or use a tourist bus because they are run or controlled by the military Grupo de Administración Empresarial, S.A. (GAESA).
General Luis Alberto Rodríguez López Calleja is or was Cuban bloody dictator Raúl Castro’s son-in-law. More than half of Cuba’s business activities are run through General Rodríguez López Calleja.
GAESA is administered by General Luis Alberto Rodríguez López Calleja, who is or was the Cuban bloody dictator Raúl Castro’s son-in-law. GAESA is the business arm of the Cuban military that controls approximately 60% to 80% of all businesses in the island. The prohibition includes any subsidiaries or affiliated companies, along with other state-controlled entities.
GAESA operates in virtually every profitable area of the Cuban economy, controlling hotel chains, car rental agencies and sales companies, banks, credit card and remittance services, supermarkets, clothing shops, real estate development companies, gasoline stations, import and export companies, shipping and construction companies, warehouses, and even an airline. GAESA is the owner of the Gaviota hotel chain, which owns nearly 29,000 rooms in Cuba and serves an estimated 40% of the entire nation’s foreign tourism. Gaviota has signed management contracts for 83% of its rooms with international hotel chains, including Spain’s Meliá and the Swiss-based Kempinski.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump spoke at the Museum and Library of the Assault Brigade 2506 in Miami, Florida. Behind Donald Trump are the brigade flag and the pictures of the heroes who died trying to free Cuba. During Donald Trump’s visit, he promised the Bay of Pigs veterans that he would make changes to the Cuban policy made by President Barack Obama and supported by Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
The place chosen for the unveiling of President Trump’s new Cuban policy was the Manuel Artime Theatre, named after a late leader of Assault Brigade 2506. This writer participated at the age of 17, together with his brother and several cousins, in the Bay of Pigs invasion of April 17, 1961.
On late October 2016, at the Bay of Pigs Museum and Library in Little Havana, Republican candidate Donald Trump appeared before the Brigade 2506’s Veterans Association, which had given him its endorsement. Presidential candidate Trump said the following: “The United States should not prop up the Castro regime economically and politically, as Obama has done and as Hillary Clinton plans to do. They don’t know how to make a good deal, and they wouldn’t know how to make a good deal if it was staring at them in the face.”
On June 17, 2017, Patricia Mazzei wrote an article titled “In Miami, Trump toughens Obama Cuba policy ‘like I promised’” which was published in the Miami Herald. The reporter explained that President Trump gave a 38-minute speech in which he delighted in the crowd’s energy. Trump said he would hold Cuban leaders accountable for human-rights violations and push them to open their economy to loud cheers from the crowd.
The president stated the following: “Effective immediately, I am canceling the last administration’s completely one-sided deal with Cuba. Our policy will seek a much better deal for the Cuban people and for the United States of America.”
“We will not lift sanctions on the Cuban regime until all political prisoners are free, freedoms of assembly and expression are respected, all political parties are legalized and free and internationally supervised elections are scheduled.”
“We will not be silent in the face of communist oppression any longer. Last year I promised to be a voice against oppression … and a voice for the freedom of the Cuban people. You heard that pledge. You exercised the right you have to vote. You went out and voted — and here I am, like I promised. To the Cuban government I say, put an end to the abuse of dissidents. Release the political prisoners. Stop jailing innocent people.”
“Open yourselves to political and economic freedoms. Return the fugitives from American justice, including the return of the cop killer Joanne Chesimard. And finally, hand over the Cuban military criminals who shot down and killed four brave members of Brothers to the Rescue who were in unarmed, small, slow civilian planes.”
Veterans of the Bay of Pigs invasion, veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States, Trump campaign workers, local politicians, and activists sat on risers behind the president and others in the audience. President Trump said during his speech that when rebels captured Santiago de Cuba in January 1959, they shot 73 individuals.
Famous orchestra conductor and violinist Luis Haza played “The Star-Spangled Banner” to the delight of the audience.
One of the men who were shot without due process was a police captain who had a five-year-old son named Luis Haza. Luis eventually became a virtuoso of the violin. When he was 12 years old, the regime authorities asked him to play the violin for a communist meeting, but he refused. The communist took him out of his house and forced the boy to play the violin.
Young Luis played the Star-Spangled Banner to the surprise of the communists who remained silent. President Trump said that when the young boy grew up he became a world-famous violinist and orchestra conductor. At one point, President Trump brought dissident and violinist Luis Haza to the stage. He then played “The Star-Spangled Banner” while many in the audience cried.
Joining President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence on stage were the architects of the new Cuban policy, Republican Senator from Florida Marco Rubio and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart from South Florida. Florida Governor Rick Scott and Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera spoke at the meeting. Senator Marco Rubio, Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, Representative Carlos Curbelo, and Labor Secretary Alex Acosta flew from Washington, D.C. aboard Air Force One.
Senator Marco Rubio and President Trump exchanged stories at the Manuel Artime Theater.
Speaking ahead of President Trump’s announcement about changes in USA-Cuba policy, Senator Marco Rubio said President Trump’s announcement may be the start of freedom for Cuba. Senator Rubio stated the following: “You mark my words: Whether it’s in six months or six years, Cuba will be free. I believe that the people on the island — and history — will say that perhaps the key moment in that transition began on this day, here in this theater, with each of you and a president that was willing to do what needed to be done.” Senator Marco Rubio wrote this writer and others a letter stating the following: “Frank,
I’m headed to Miami, Florida with President Trump to help him announce the strengthening of the United States’ policy toward Cuba. It’s very simple, this new policy directive reverses the Obama Administration’s support for the communist Castro regime and its military apparatus, and aligns the United States with the Cuban people.”
“The policy centers on the belief that the oppressed Cuban people-rather than the oppressive Castro regime’s military and its subsidiaries-should benefit from American engagement with the island. This will be the first time in several decades that the Cuban people will have an economic advantage over the Cuban military.”
“We will prohibit financial transactions with Group de Administración Empresarial, SA (GAESA) and its affiliates, subsidiaries, and successors. In turn, we will empower the Cuban people to develop greater economic independence and ultimate political liberty.”
“With Raúl Castro and most of his closest advisors in their eighties, Cuba, one way or another, will soon have a new generation of leaders. By channeling funds away from the Castro regime and its military apparatus and towards the private citizens of Cuba, we will empower Cuba’s rising generation economically in the near term and politically over the long term.”
“This policy will better protect the United States’ national security interests in the Western Hemisphere while advancing human rights and universal values that Americans hold dear. The Castro regime and its military apparatus continue to systematically suppress the Cuban people’s legitimate aspirations for freedom, self-determination, and prosperity, and also continue to prop up the imploding Maduro dictatorship’s violent efforts to crush the Venezuelan people’s legitimate demands for elections and a return to democracy. Finally, America’s relationship with Cuba will depend entirely on the Cuban government’s willingness to expand the Cuban people’s political freedom, respect their universal rights, and allow freedom of press as well as free and fair democratic elections. Thank you for all of your support.”
Thanks, “
Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart remembering President Barak Obama trip to Havana, Cuba last year said, “You will no longer have to witness the embarrassing spectacle of an American president doing the wave at a baseball game with a ruthless dictator.”
Ladies in White write open letter to President Donald J. Trump
Berta Soler is the leader of the Ladies in White (Damas de Blanco), an affective dissent group. June 6, 2017
Dear Mr. President,
In my capacity as leader of the Cuban non-violent human rights defenders, the Damas de Blanco, I am honored to convey to you the warmest thanks from all the members of our organization, including our four Damas recently sentenced to up to 3 years in prison, for your kind mention of our struggle.
These days, Mr. President, when most of the World responds with a deafening silence to the harassment, arbitrary detentions, beatings, house searches, and robberies against peaceful opponents, human rights activists and defenseless women, your words of encouragement are most welcomed.
Sadly, Mr. President, words of encouragement to the victims are not enough to placate the hateful ire of Raúl Castro. During his visit to Cuba, your predecessor, Barack Obama, showered us with beautiful words of good will, encouragement and great expectations for a better future through a new policy of improved relations and lifting of sanctions. I, Berta Soler, was one of the few who told President Obama that his policy was condemned to failure; that the Castro regime would take as much as it could from the good will of the United States government without giving up a bit of control or reducing its repressive actions. Unfortunately, time proved that I was right.
Ladies in White and other opponents of the Cuban tyranny are beaten up and arrested during President Barack Obama visit to Cuba.
Taking advantage of the lack of pressure from the United States, the Castro regime increased its repressive actions to levels not seen since the Black Spring of 2003 when 75 peaceful dissidents were sentenced to terms of imprisonment of up to 25 years. That was when our organization, the Damas de Blanco, was born to fight for the release of our husbands, fathers and sons imprisoned under miserable conditions far away from their families. Today, we continue to fight for all the political prisoners, more than a hundred, and for respect to the inalienable rights of the Cuban people.
But, we need your help Mr. President; we need your support. For more than half a century, our nation has suffered under a merciless totalitarian regime. We will continue to fight for our rights because we recognize it is our duty to free ourselves, but we can’t do it alone. It is also the duty of the freedom loving peoples of the World. The United States must continue to be the first defender of those who lack rights and freedoms in the world. The free world must isolate and punish unrepentant dictatorships and send a strong message to the tyrants that they will no longer be allowed to commit their crimes with impunity.
Sincerely yours,
Berta Soler, Leader of the Ladies in White (Damas de Blanco)
Conclusion
Freedom-loving Cubans in the island and Cuban Americans in the United States are very grateful to President Donald J. Trump for the first steps taken to partially reverse the shameful unilateral concessions given by President Obama to the Cuban communist regime without a Quid Pro Quo or nothing in return. Today in Cuba there is more repression, beatings of peaceful opponents, and arbitrary arrests than before the restoration of United States diplomatic relations with communist regime and the many concessions given by President Obama. The strengthening of the United States’ policy toward Cuba is most welcome. As stated earlier, Cuba is a merciless totalitarian state.
As Senator Marco Rubio stated in a letter to this writer, “The Castro regime and its military apparatus continue to systematically suppress the Cuban people’s legitimate aspirations for freedom, self-determination, and prosperity, and also continue to prop up the imploding Maduro dictatorship’s violent efforts to crush the Venezuelan people’s legitimate demands for elections and a return to democracy.”
Cuban Americans were very pleased to hear President Trump blasting the enormous abuses of human and civil rights by the Castro regime. It was reassuring to hear the president saying that the United States commercial embargo would remain in place until the communist oppressive regime take steps to open up Cuba.
Upholding the Helms- Burton Law is crucial. Restating the important parts of the Helms- Burton Law was necessary and President Trump did it in his speech. The president stated the following: “We will not lift sanctions on the Cuban regime until all political prisoners are free, freedoms of assembly and expression are respected, all political parties are legalized and free and internationally supervised elections are scheduled.”
President Trump spoke how Cuba sent illegal weapons to North Korea and helps the regime in Venezuela to oppress its people. Yet, the president did not state that he wants to place Cuba back in the list of terrorist-supporting nations. Nor did the president say that he wants to put Cuba back in the list of nations that participate in human trafficking. It is very important that President Trump takes these two actions very soon.
President Trump’s new Cuban policy allows United States airlines and cruise lines to continue providing service to the island. With the restrictions on travel, it is likely that the numbers of Americans visiting Cuba will diminish, thus reducing the cash flow to the Cuban military. However, the Treasury Department must strictly enforce the new travel restrictions to the full extent of the law. Otherwise, American tourists will continue to stay in military-owned hotels, using military-owned taxis, and eating in military-owned restaurants and nightclubs.
It is unfortunate that some Republican senators from farm states such as Republican Senator John Boozman from Arkansas criticized the president’s new Cuban policy. These Republican and Democratic senators think that it is a great idea for farmers in their states to sell poultry, rice, and other products to Cuba on credit.
Cuba has never paid back any ill-advised nation or corporation which sold products on credit to the military in island. Perhaps, the majority of Americans do not understand that the Export and Import Bank pays in cash when American corporations sell products on credit to nations that have no credit and never pay back what they received. American taxpayers are swindled in each of these transactions. This practice must be stopped. The Export and Import Bank needs to be abolished as it is welfare for rich corporations. The Cuban corporations controlled by the military never pay back what they purchase. If American farmers want to sell their products in Cuba, let the military pay in cash for what they buy.
The new Cuban policy has the goal of weakening the military dictatorship by denying it easy access to dollars through the military-owned tourist industry and by restricting travel. However, none of these announced measures will overthrow the Cuban communist regime, which is the longest and harshest military dictatorship in the Western Hemisphere. Cuba can still buy what it needs from other nations and receive their tourists in military-controlled businesses. It is important that all Western nations condemn the rogue and illegitimate Cuban regime as they did with South Africa during apartheid. Sadly, instead of implementing economic sanctions in Cuba, Western nations have continued to do business as usual with the military dictatorship for many years.
Venezuela and Cuba are strong allies and both nations assist Islamic terror groups. There is a Hamas office in Havana. Cuba has always been a center of terrorism. Similar to Venezuela, the Cuban military participate in drug trafficking. Cuba has an occupation Army in Venezuela assisted by its intelligence services. Venezuela sends financial help to Iran’s militia Hezbollah. Venezuela sends uranium to Iran, a close ally. The fates of their communist regimes are interrelated. Venezuela and Cuba are a national security threats to the United States and both are close allies of Russia and China.
Obviously, the Cuban people need to take to the streets as the brave people in Venezuela are doing for over two months and demand freedom and democracy. Declaring a nation-wide strike and refusing to cooperate with the communist regime would be an important first step.
President Trump needs to sanction economically the high officials in the regime and high ranking military officers of both nations. Frequently, these oppressors come to the United States to invest in property with the stolen funds from their nations. Freezing their assets of the high-ranking oppressors in the United States is an effective way to punish those who abuse their fellow citizens.
If President Trump wants to implement regime change in communist Venezuela and Cuba, he needs to implement an economic embargo in Venezuela and stop purchasing petroleum from that terror narco nation. The communist regime in Venezuela could not survive a total economic embargo from the United States. If democracy were to be restored in Venezuela, that nation would cease supplying free oil to communist Cuba. The Cuban regime would also collapse in a short time.
This writer realizes that those drastic steps are very difficult to implement by the Trump administration. International bankers, other nations, and the globalist elite of the New World Order would oppose such a policy labeling it as inhumane. It is inhumane for Western nations to remain silent to all the killings, beatings, arrests, and to conduct business as usual with these two unrepented bloody regimes.
If such a courageous regime change policy were implemented successfully by President Donald Trump, he would go down in history as the Liberator of two savage and bloody communist regimes that have brought much suffering to their people and other nations throughout the world. Mr. President Make the Americas Great and Save Again!
