| Written by Maria Elena Salinas |
| Tuesday, November 30 2004 |
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| I have visited Cuba on several occasions, and the wonderful musical talent on the island never ceases to amaze me. Walk into any cafe or nightclub in Old Havana, and you'll hear extraordinarily gifted singers and musicians, and see dancers gracefully swaying to pulsating Latin rhythms.
It's the kind of talent displayed by the 43 Cuban performers from the touring group Havana Night Club who recently applied for political asylum in the United States. In the largest group defection since Fidel Castro took power in 1959, the performers sought asylum at a federal courthouse in Las Vegas, where the troupe is performing at the Stardust Resort and Casino.
The Cuban singers, dancers and musicians are part of a theatrical production that celebrates the African and Spanish heritage of Havana's famed nightlife. The ensemble has traveled the world, performing in more than a dozen countries. One would think a town like Las Vegas would be the ideal place for such an act. But Las Vegas just happens to be on U.S. soil, and inevitably, whenever anything Cuban comes to the United States, you'd better believe politics will get in the way.
First, the Havana Night Club performers were denied visas by the United States. Under tightened restrictions imposed by the Bush administration, Cuban performers, writers and scholars are routinely denied U.S. visas. But things changed when the performers decided to break from the Cuban government union for writers and artists, and declare themselves independent from the communist government. The United States finally relented and granted the visas.
Still, half a dozen members of the troupe were stranded in Germany and were not granted permission to enter the United States until, as expected, influential Cuban-American groups with ties to the White House intervened. As a matter of fact, the Miami-based Cuban-Americans made phone calls and wrote letters to administration officials, including Secretary of State Colin Powell, asking them to allow all of the Cuban entertainers in the group to enter the country. All along, the exile leaders knew the Cubans would defect once they arrived.
The Cubans did a lot more than present a dynamic performance in the entertainment capital of the world; they declared their desire to stay in the United States and claimed they would be jailed or prohibited from performing again if they returned to Cuba. Forty-three took the bold step of requesting political asylum, while three chose to return to their families on the island.
Many of the cast members seeking asylum in this country are rightfully concerned about family members back home who might suffer reprisals. This is a decades-old story in the politically charged relationship between the United States and Cuba. The strained relations between the two countries have become even more strained as the rhetoric level -- much of it due to the presidential election campaign and its focus on Cuban-exile voters in South Florida -- increases.
During the Clinton years and the beginning of the George W. Bush administration, Cuban artists and scholars were routinely allowed to visit the United States as part of a "people to people" exchange policy that promoted contact between Americans and Cubans. That policy is no longer the case, with administration officials noting that money paid to Cuban artists and scholars goes into the Cuban government's coffers.
So far, Havana Night Club has received positive reviews. That's no surprise, given the amount of talent that originates on the island and its rich Afro-Ibero culture. Unfortunately for the Cuban performers, their success comes as a result of tough choices. Although many Cubans would welcome an opportunity to leave the communist nation, they should not have to abandon their homeland and separate from their families simply because they want to perform in the United States.
Politics and art should be kept separate. Admittedly, the Castro regime does not separate the two, but in the United States, we theoretically operate under a different set of rules. Here, artistic expression is protected. Artists from all countries should be allowed to perform here. After 45 years in power, we know that isolating Mr. Castro does not work, nor does isolating his very talented artists bring Cuba any closer to democracy |
