Alan Gross’ release is not convenient for some people in U.S.

By M. H. Lagarde

Cuban extreme right, based in U.S., takes advantage of every opportunity to hinder any attempt to improve U.S. relations with the Caribbean island. This group does everything to maintain an environment of bilateral tension and confrontation. Therefore, they benefit in the political and the economic field. It has happened in the last 50 years.
The American Jewish community is now suffering this situation. This community is concerned about giving humanitarian solution to the American contractor Alan Gross, arrested and condemned to 15-year imprisonment for carrying out actions against Cuba’s national security and integrity.
During the first vigil organized by this community before the Cuban diplomatic mission to United Nations to ask for Gross’ release, the presence of Cuban-born individuals became evident. Some of them have a large, known experience and links with violent and terrorist actions against Cuba. Images and reports of the vigil broadcasted by different press outlets showed “hidden” in the crowd people like José A. Gutierrez Solana —secretary of Union of Cuban Former Political Prisoners, North Zone, and closed friend of self-confessed terrorist Luis Posada Carriles, and Senator Bob Menéndez—, boasts about his participation in the bombings of shopping, recreational centers, and other public places in Cuba unrelated to military targets and facilities. Solana, after migrating to U.S., has aided in the organization and financing of violent actions promoted by Posada Carriles and other notorious terrorists who call themselves “fighters for the freedom of Cuba.”
It is significant the presence of these terrorists in a Jewish vigil. The leaders of such community have repeatedly stated the mainly humanitarian purposes of these actions and their positions against any kind of politicization on the subject. It would be foolish to think that these terrorists could be interested in the solution of Alan Gross’ case. Indeed, it would also deprive them of one of the issues used to justify and keeps the status quo in the bilateral relation between Cuba and U.S.
The same happens with Cuban-born legislators like Representative Ileana Ross and Senators Marcos Rubio and Robert Menéndez, who are carrying out threatens and pressures against the State Department and the White House to hinder any possible dialogue and negotiation with Cuba that could lead to a humanitarian solution in Gross’ situation.
In recent days, Sen. Mark Rubio, also known as one of the prodigal sons of ultraconservative Tea Party movement, sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in which he threatened to veto Roberta Jacobson’s confirmation by the Senate as a new U.S. head of diplomacy for Latin America, until Clinton explains whether there have been negotiations with Havana on the contractor’s issue, and that the Administration publicly commits not to negotiate any agreement to secure Alan Gross’ release.
The absurd pressures of these Congressmen and Senators from Florida and New Jersey, and the policy toward Cuba they defend, far from helping to find solutions, strain the environment to find a solution to this problem.

Cubasi Translation Staff