Cuban-American lobby
Encyclopedia
The Cuban-American lobby describes those various groups of Cuban exile
s in the United States
and their descendants who have historically influenced the United States' policy toward Cuba. In general usage this refers to anti-Castro
groups.
.
Two United States Senators:
Four are United States Representatives
:
Cuban exile
The term "Cuban exile" refers to the many Cubans who have sought alternative political or economic conditions outside the island, dating back to the Ten Years' War and the struggle for Cuban independence during the 19th century...
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and their descendants who have historically influenced the United States' policy toward Cuba. In general usage this refers to anti-Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
groups.
Organizations
- Center for a Free CubaCenter for a Free CubaThe Center for a Free Cuba is a Washington, DC-based Cuban democracy organization. It states that it is "is an independent, non-partisan institution dedicated to promoting human rights and a transition to democracy and the rule of law on the island...
- Cuba Democracy CaucusCongressional Cuba Democracy CaucusThe Cuba Democracy Caucus is a bicameral and bi-partisan congressional group that was created in 2004 with the stated purpose of "promoting discussion and proactive policies designed to hasten Cuba's transition towards a free and democratic society."...
- Cuban American National Foundation
- Cuban Liberty CouncilCuban Liberty CouncilThe Cuban Liberty Council is a not-for-profit organization whose stated goal is to promote liberty and democracy in Cuba.- Activities:CLC was founded October 10, 2001...
- US-Cuba Democracy PACUS-Cuba Democracy PacThe US-Cuba Democracy PAC is an American special interest group that lobbies the United States Congress and White House with the stated goal of "promoting an unconditional transition in Cuba to democracy, the rule of law, and the free market."...
Cuban Americans in the United States Congress
Six Cuban Americans currently serve in the United States CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
.
Two United States Senators:
- Marco RubioMarco RubioMarco Antonio Rubio is the junior United States Senator from Florida . A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives ....
, RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... - Bob Menendez, DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Four are United States Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
:
- Mario Diaz-BalartMario Diaz-BalartMario Rafael Diaz-Balart Caballero is the current U.S. Representative for , serving since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected in 2010 to succeed his brother, Lincoln Diaz-Balart. The district includes the city of Hialeah, along with several of Miami's southwestern suburbs...
, Republican, Florida's 21st congressional districtFlorida's 21st congressional districtFlorida's 21st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Florida. Based in South Florida, the district is located in Miami-Dade County and includes many of the western suburbs of Miami such as Hialeah, Olympia Heights, and Cutler... - David RiveraDavid RiveraDavid Mauricio Rivera is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He is a Miami-based public affairs consultant and formerly represented District 112 in the Florida House of Representatives....
, Republican, Florida's 25th congressional districtFlorida's 25th congressional districtFlorida's 25th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Florida. Based in South Florida, the district includes parts of Collier, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties... - Ileana Ros-LehtinenIleana Ros-LehtinenIleana Ros-Lehtinen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1989. She is a member of the Republican Party....
, Republican, Florida's 18th congressional districtFlorida's 18th congressional districtFlorida's 18th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Florida. Based in South Florida, the district includes portions of Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. The Miami-Dade section includes most of the city of Miami, the South Beach section of Miami Beach, and many of... - Albio SiresAlbio SiresAlbio Sires is the U.S. Representative for , serving since a special election in 2006. The district includes most of Jersey City, as well as most of the Latino neighborhoods of Newark. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
, Democrat, New Jersey's 13th congressional districtNew Jersey's 13th congressional districtNew Jersey's Thirteenth Congressional District was created starting with the 73rd United States Congress in 1933, based on redistricting following the United States Census, 1930. It is currently represented by Democrat Albio Sires...
Cubans in public service with United States federal government
- Eduardo AguirreEduardo AguirreEduardo Aguirre Reyes, Jr. , is a principal in Atlantic Partners, an international consulting firm, based in Houston....
, former United States Ambassador to SpainUnited States Ambassador to Spain-Ambassadors:*John Jay**Appointed: September 29, 1779**Title: Minister Plenipotentiary**Presented credentials:**Terminated mission: ~May 20, 1782*William Carmichael**Appointed: April 20, 1790**Title: Chargé d'Affaires...
and Andorra http://groups.google.com/group/soc.culture.venezuela/browse_thread/thread/006e84500a40fd35/61db683fb6165579 - Ana Carbonell, Chief of Staff for Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart
- Adolfo A. Franco, former Assistant Administrator for United States Agency for International DevelopmentUnited States Agency for International DevelopmentThe United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...
Latin America and the Caribbean http://www.usaid.gov/about_usaid/bios/bio_aafranco.html (U.S. Agency for International Development) - Emilio GonzálezEmilio T. GonzalezEmilio T. Gonzalez, Ph.D, served as the Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services , an Under Secretary position within the Department of Homeland Security. Appointed by President Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in December 2005, Dr...
, former United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
colonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and former director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Service. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14139795.htm - Carlos GutierrezCarlos GutierrezCarlos Miguel Gutierrez is an American former CEO and former U.S. Cabinet Member who is currently a Vice Chairman of Citigroup's Institutional Clients Group. He has previously served as the 35th U.S. Secretary of Commerce from 2005 to 2009...
, former KelloggKellogg CompanyKellogg Company , is a producer of cereal and convenience foods, including cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, fruit-flavored snacks, frozen waffles, and vegetarian foods...
CEO and former United States Secretary of CommerceUnited States Secretary of CommerceThe United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce"...
http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/29/news/newsmakers/commerce_secretary/ - Nilda PedrosaNilda PedrosaNilda Pedrosa is currently the Assistant Dean for Development & External Affairs at Florida International University College of Law.-Background:...
, Chief of Staff for Representative Mario Diaz-Balart and former Senior Policy Director for Senator Mel Martinez
Other politically active Cuban Americans
- Mauricio Claver-CaroneMauricio Claver-CaroneMauricio Claver-Carone is a prominent advocate in support of the policy positions that the United States has taken against the current Cuban government.-Background:...
, Washington Director of the Cuba Democracy PAC - Gus Machado, Treasurer of the Cuba Democracy PAC
- Remedio Diaz Oliver
- Otto ReichOtto ReichOtto Juan Reich , a Cuban-American, is former senior official in the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush...
, former senior official in the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. He held the position of Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere AffairsAssistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere AffairsThe Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs is the head of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs within the United States Department of State, the foreign affairs department of the United States federal government. The Assistant Secretary of State guides operation of the U.S...
and US Special Envoy to the Western Hemisphere for the Secretary of StateSecretary of StateSecretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
in the Bush administration. - Armando F. Valladares, former Cuban prisoner for twenty-two years, American ambassador to the Human Rights Commission of the UN in GenevaGenevaGeneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
during the administrations of Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and George H.W. Bush, and author of the book-testimonial Contra toda esperanza (Against All Hope) about his life in Cuban jails.
Politically active Cuban authors and academics
- Frank Calzón, Executive Director of Center for a Free Cuba http://cubacenter.org/en.
- Antonio de la Cova, academic http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/home2.htm
- Carlos EireCarlos EireCarlos M. N. Eire is the T. Lawrason Riggs Professor of History and Religious Studies at Yale University. He is a historian of late medieval and early modern Europe.- Career :Before joining the Yale faculty in 1996, he taught at St...
, T. Lawrason Riggs Professor of History and Religious Studies at Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and author of Waiting for Snow in HavanaWaiting for Snow in HavanaWaiting for Snow in Havana: Confessions of a Cuban Boy is a 2003 book by Carlos Eire and winner of the National Book Award. The book is autobiographical,about the author's experiences as part of Operation Peter Pan.-Author:... - Andy GarcíaAndy GarcíaAndrés Arturo García Menéndez , professionally known as Andy García, is a Cuban American actor. He became known in the late 1980s and 1990s, having appeared in several successful Hollywood films, including The Godfather: Part III, The Untouchables, Internal Affairs and When a Man Loves a Woman...
author, actor, producer, director - Rafael Román Martel poet, journalist
- Ricardo Pau-LlosaRicardo Pau-LlosaRicardo Pau-Llosa is a Cuban-American poet, art critic of Latin American art in the US and Europe, and author of short fiction.-Life:...
, poet and pioneering critic and curator of modern Latin American art - Enrique RosEnrique RosEnrique Ros is a Miami based Cuban-American businessman and activist opposed to Cuban president Fidel Castro. He is the author of Revolucion de 1933 en Cuba and other books....
, prolific author on historical topics
Spanish Media
- Ninoska Pérez CastellónNinoska Pérez CastellónNinoska Pérez Castellón is a prominent member of the Cuban exile community in Miami, and outspoken opponent of Fidel and Raul Castro. In relation to this mission of hers, she was one of the founding members of the Cuban Liberty Council with her wife Roberto Martin Perez.She is a notable Spanish...
, prominent Cuban radio and television talk show host - Tomas Garcia Fuste, prominent Cuban radio and television talk show host
See also
- Cuban AmericanCuban AmericanA Cuban American is a United States citizen who traces his or her "national origin" to Cuba. Cuban Americans are also considered native born Americans with Cuban parents or Cuban-born persons who were raised and educated in US...
- Cuba-United States relationsCuba-United States relationsCuba and the United States of America have had an interest in one another since well before either of their independence movements. Plans for purchase of Cuba from the Spanish Empire were put forward at various times by United States...
- Diaspora politics in the United StatesDiaspora politics in the United StatesDiaspora politics in the United States is the study of the political behavior of transnational ethnic diasporas, their relationship with their ethnic homelands and their host states, as well as their prominent role in ethnic conflicts. This article describes case studies and theories of political...
- Ethnic interest groups in the United StatesEthnic interest groups in the United StatesEthnic interest groups in the United States are ethnic interest groups within the United States which seek to influence the foreign policy and, to a lesser extent, the domestic policy of the United States for the benefit of the foreign "ethnic kin" or homeland with whom the respective ethnic groups...
- Lobbying in the United StatesLobbying in the United StatesLobbying in the United States targets the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and state legislatures. Lobbyists may also represent their clients' or organizations' interests in dealings with federal, state, or local executive branch agencies or the courts. Lobby...
- Opposition to Fidel CastroOpposition to Fidel CastroThe Cuban dissident movement is a political movement in Cuba whose aim is "to replace the current regime with a more democratic form of government". According to Human Rights Watch, the Cuban government represses nearly all forms of political dissent....
- Foreign policy interest groupForeign policy interest groupA foreign policy interest group, according to Thomas Ambrosio, is a domestic advocacy group which seeks to directly or indirectly influence their government's foreign policy.-Historic development:...
External links
- Anti-Castro Politicians Frozen Out as U.S. Eases Island's Isolation by Daniel Dombey, Financial Times, June 3, 2009