Under Obama’s cultural exchange program, Cuban artists like Cimafunk could perform freely in the U.S. Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez asks Congress to think twice.
asking Congress to enact legislation “to permit states and local governments to prohibit the contracting with performers and artists who do business with or are funded by Cuba.” Until the Cuban government realigns with the word and spirit of the cultural exchange, reads the resolution, private bookings may face a ban.
But promoters have doubts that throttling the cultural exchange is an effective strategy. “The lack of exchange only perpetuates these closed-minded systems,” says James Quinlan, executive director of the Rhythm Foundation and co-presenter of the Global Cuba Festival. “Once the exchange begins to demystify and de-demonize the ‘other,’ it is a beginning of an awareness and an understanding that leads to change.”have only further emboldened Miami’s growing anti-engagement movement. U.S.
“A lot of the rhetoric from the anti-engagement folks is no different from what they did and have done for many years,” says Bill Martinez, an immigration lawyer and Cuban arts advocate. “I doubt it is going to get very far. The majority of the country wants to see better U.S.-Cuba relations. Nothing gets done without being able to talk and engage and have these cultural exchanges.”
Dr. Orlando Gutierrez Boronat, co-founder of the Cuban Democratic Directorate, a Miami-based anti-Castro organization, consulted with the mayor of Hialeah on the show’s status. “A good chunk of Cuba tourism and entertainment is controlled by the [Cuban] armed forces, through multiple different corporations,” says Gutierrez Boronat. “Many of these artists are playing a double game of coming here and at the same time, complying with or collaborating with regime corporations.
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