By SHANNON BEHNKEN

TAMPA - The late Roland Manteiga's onetime support of Cuban President Fidel Castro now threatens to derail efforts to put his name on a post office in Ybor City. Three Cuban-American lawmakers from Miami are refusing to endorse legislation to rename the post office because of Manteiga's stance on Castro 45 years ago.

Although Manteiga, former publisher of Ybor City's La Gaceta newspaper, denounced Castro in later years, his editorials continue to evoke emotionally and politically charged debates in South Florida.

U.S. Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart and Ilena Ros-Lehtinen, all Republicans, issued a joint statement condemning Manteiga for failing to use his position to denounce Castro.

``Mr. Manteiga never wrote a word of concern about or disagreement with any human rights violations by the Cuban dictatorship, despite having repeatedly defended that regime at a time when it was carrying out mass executions,'' they said in the statement sent Tuesday to The Tampa Tribune.

The three would not return telephone calls Tuesday.

Manteiga died six years ago at age 78.

His son Patrick, who controls the trilingual newspaper his grandfather Victor Manteiga started in 1922, said he fears that the Miami representatives are taking out their disagreements with him on his father's legacy.

Patrick Manteiga, who supports reinstating trade with Cuba, has carried on his father's tradition of run-ins with some in the Cuban community.

``This is about what he did for Ybor City, not his opinions on foreign affairs,'' Manteiga said about the post office. The naming opposition, he said, ``seems to send a message to all Cuban-Americans that you better do what they want in Miami or you'll be punished. That is a really bad message to send.''

Naming Typically Automatic

The post office, under construction at 2000 E. 12th Ave., is expected to open by Christmas. The old one burned in 2000.

U.S. Rep. Jim Davis, D-Tampa, has been trying to garner support for renaming the post office since July at the request of Ybor City business groups.

Naming a federal building requires co-sponsorship from all of the state's congressional representatives. Davis said the support typically is automatic, and renaming a post office in Florida has never been denied.

Davis said he was disappointed by the stance of the Miami representatives.

``I can tell from this statement that the conversation is over, at least for now, and they are vetoing the bill,'' Davis said.

``This ought to be a decision our community makes,'' he said. A lot of people didn't agree with Roland, but he did a lot of good for this community. This is something people here want.''

Matter Called A Tampa Issue

Ralph Fernandez, a Tampa lawyer and vocal Castro opponent, said he and Roland Manteiga had disagreements but that Manteiga ``clearly deserves to be recognized'' for all he did to preserve Ybor City's history.

``The perception among Cuban-Americans is that Manteiga was quite liberal, and that is accurate, but he was a pretty reasonable guy and a friend of mine,'' Fernandez said. ``In the end, Roland was against the Cuban embargo and felt Castro was a tyrant.''

The House members who oppose the honor for Manteiga ``should defer judgment on Tampa issues to people in Tampa,'' Fernandez said.

The roots of this political tension run deep in Florida's Cuban communities.

When Castro came to power in 1959, Tampa's Cuban- American neighborhoods were strong, Fernandez said. The people were mostly working- class and had moved here years and decades earlier to work in places such as West Tampa and Ybor City.

When Castro overthrew the Cuban government, followers of ousted President Fulgencio Batista were exiled to the United States, many settling in Miami.

There was a division between some Cubans in Tampa who supported Castro and those in Miami, Fernandez said.

``Tampa didn't understand the Cuban situation because they were totally different groups of people,'' he said. ``Roland had the same position as any other Cuban in Tampa in the '60s. Over time, that position eroded.''

Fernandez said he plans to ask Tampa's Cuban community to voice support for renaming the post office.

"It would be easier for me to be against this issue, but it would be wrong,'' he said. ``It would be wrong and, more importantly, immoral. Roland deserves to have his name on that building.''