Conservatives Miss IOP Forum on Cuba

Conservatives who do not favor normalizing relations with Cuba cancelled plans to participate in a Kennedy School panel held last night, resulting in a one-sided discussion that speakers said was indicative of the poor relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

Ramon Bueno, who helped organize the panel, said two leaders of the conservative movement against normalizing relations with Cuba refused to participate in last night's discussion, after previously agreeing to debate the issue with others who support negotiations.

"I think it's reflective of the climate in Cuban-American relations," Bueno said. "We spent three to four weeks making phone calls to anyone considered a hardliner in the world of Cuban issues. I would have thought the conservatives would have wanted a chance to speak their views, but they only wanted to dictate their terms."

Bueno said that one conservative, Jorge Mas Canosa, agreed to participate in the discussion only if another panelist, Francisco Aruca, was removed. Aruca, a member of the Democratic Party's Business Council, said last night that Canosa accused him of choosing his political views to promote his business, which arranges visits to Cuba for Cuban-Americans.

"Canosa basically slandered Mr. Aruca," said Bueno. "He suggested we change the format of the panel if we wanted him to speak."

In addition, Luis Lauredo, another opponent of normalized U.S. relations with Cuba who is co-chair of the National Hispanic Democrats, cancelled one week ago without providing the replacement he promised in case he could not attend the event, Bueno said.

The panel, which attracted an audience of about 65 people, was cosponsored by the Kennedy School's Hispanic Caucus and the Cuban-American Committee Research and Education Fund. Members of the fund said last night they back attempts to negotiate with Cuba.

The three remaining panelists all agreed that the U.S. should negotiate with Cuba.

"Doesn't it make sense to sit down and negotiate so that Cuban-Americans can go and visit their families? The U.S. is the only government that has not reached terms with Cuba," said Wayne Smith, the former head of the U.S. Mission in Havana.

Enrique Balroya, associate dean of the University of Miami's School of International Studies, said that if Cuban leader Fidel Castro had cared about the country's welfare, he would have already attempted to repair relations with the U.S.

"Let's build bridges," said Balroya. "Why? We have no influence now. As Wayne [Smith] said, it's better to buildbridges than to have no contact at all. Let it bethat Castro is the one who says no peace talks."

Aruca said he is most concerned about theconditions among the large Miami community ofCuban-Americans. "Family needs have nothing to dowith ideology," said Aruca. "A good segment of thecommunity wants to visit relatives in Cuba. Thosewho oppose this usually don't have relativesthere."

Balroya said Castro did not wantCuban-Americans to visit Cuba because after aperiod of relaxed rules about visitation in the1970s, "human contact destroyed the myths that theMiami community hated the guts of their Cubanrelations."

In 1986, Aruca said, Castro lowered theexorbitant tourist prices originally intended todiscourage Cuban-American visitors, but has sincelimited the number of visitors allowed from theU.S.

Despite these developments, Smith said he isoptimistic about the chance of negotiations withthe Cubans.

"I think Bush will go further in terms ofbringing about a rational relationship with Cuba,"he said. "The Reagan Administration started offtough, but they ended up sitting down and talking.I think this will continue.