Miami Herald
Feb. 2, 1980. p. 2b.
By Dan Williams and Ileana Oroza
Herald Staff Writers
The mayor of Hialeah, who last year gave the keys to the city to a high-ranking Cuban official, now has locked the door on the headquarters of two companies that arrange Cuban exile trips to their homeland.
Mayor dale Bennett said he ordered the offices of American Airways Charters Inc. and Travel Services Inc. closed because they were doing business without an occupational license.
“I told them [occupational license inspectors] if there were no licenses, to close the business until they got one,” said Bennett.
Friday afternoon about 4:30 p.m., three officers from the occupational license division told the operators of both companies they had to close their doors until they had obtained their licenses from the city.
The offices are apparently the first casualties of Hialeah minister Manuel Espinosa’s accusations that the exile dialogue with the Castro government is a front for “penetration” of intelligence agents into the United States.
Espinosa Accused top officials of Travel Services Inc. of being high-ranking Cuban intelligence agents. A high official of American Airways charters was said to be a “collaborator” of the agents.
“When Espinosa said that all this den of espionage is coming from Hialeah, I got concerned,” said Martinez, who said he started to check whether the companies were properly licensed. “I don’t want that agency in Hialeah at all.”
Both companies had already applied for licenses, although the permits had not been approved. Frank Masdeu, an official of American Airways Charters said he expects both offices to reopen soon and that in the meantime the exile flights to Cuba would continue.
“The mayor is taking advantage of the Espinosa incident to get publicity,” Masdeu said. “But it’s terrible for the public, because things like this cause a panic.”
Travel Services officials could not be reached for comment.
American Airways Charters applied for an occupational license Jan. 21; Travel Services Inc. last Tuesday.
The State Department said that Espinosa’s charges would not affect exile tours to the island. More than 100,000 exiles have traveled to Cuba since the Cuban government permitted their return more than a year ago.
The executive officer of Operation Cuba Reunification, the working arm of the Committee of 75, group that established the dialogue with the Cuban government downplayed the impact of Espinosa’s accusations. The dialogue has resulted in the release of 3,900 political prisoners from Cuban jails.
“Our work will continue,” said Albor Ruiz, who heads the Operation Reunification. “Our office is still open. We are used to these kind of attacks. They are nothing new,” said Ruiz.
Espinosa accused Ruiz, a former Miami-Dade Community College teacher of being one of the intelligence agents. Like many of the other Miami residents accused Thursday during the live radio broadcast of Espinosa’s press conference, Ruiz said he would speak with his lawyer about suing Espinosa.
Ruiz attributed the attacks to “personal problems” of Espinosa, but would not elaborate. “It is not our desire to attack this man,” he said.
Hildo Romeo, another accused by Espinosa as an agent, counterattacked with charges of his own. He said that after working with Espinosa during 1978 to promote family reunification between Cubans in exile and on the island, “I realized that this person was a fraud.”
In Key West, another exile mentioned by Espinosa Thursday denied his charges.
“Espinosa is crazy,” said Tomas Morejon, 43, a 14 year resident of the United States and accused by Espinosa of being an agent, who said he would check with his lawyer Monday before commenting further.
Espinosa said the counterattacks are lies and added he would hold another press conference Tuesday to reveal more names of supposed “agents.”
Espinosa, whose “blow” against the “penetration” was a self-described “180 degree” turn from his publicized five year stance in favor of eased U.S.-Cuba relations, quashed rumors that his shift from the dialogue meant he was leaving his church.
Espinosa’s Thursday comments have won praise from anti-Castro groups in Miami, but not he their trust.
“We believe that his comments make Castro foolish, because Castro had mentioned Espinosa as one of the forces behind the dialogue,” said Diego Medina, a spokesman for Alfa 66. “But whether we should have confidence in him in the future? That we’ll have to see with the passage of time.”
The Miami Herald incorrectly reported in its Friday edition that during a Thursday press conference in Miami, Manuel Espinosa called Roger Redondo, an employee of Replica Magazine, and Gerardo Moreno, president of Master Cake Inc., intelligence agents of the Cuban government.
Espinosa didn’t call Redondo or Moreno agents. He merely claimed that Redondo met with Cuban officials in Jamaica and that Redondo knew of a plan involving high-ranking officials of the U.S. government and Cuban President Fidel Castro to free political prisoners fro Cuban jails. In regard to Moreno, he said the Cuban government had played a role in creating the Association of Small Businessmen, of which Moreno was a member. However, Espinosa said that Moreno had not fallen under the influence of the Cubans because he had been under Espinosa’s direction all along.
The Miami Herald retracts and regrets the errors.