Staff

The so-called "moderate" Cuban exiles, those who believe that the quickest way to democratize Cuba is by ending the trade embargo and creating friendlier relations with Fidel Castro, have been hoisted on their own petard. And it is all the fault of El Comandante, himself.

To their great embarrassment, several were secretly videotaped recently praising and fawning over Castro during what they had been told was a closed-door session with the bearded leader. The exiles had been invited by Castro to Havana for a conference on ways to improve relations between Cuba and the United States.

During the conference they attended a reception with Castro, where they were assured that there would be no reporters or cameras allowed. A few apparently realized they were being taped, but were told the tape was for Cuba's historical archives. Despite the assurances, Castro, for reasons unknown, then quickly sold copies of the tape for a few hundred dollars to Miami television stations -- which broadcast them repeatedly.

The moderates' behavior toward Castro has served to discredit them and infuriated hard-line exiles. Cuban conservatives say the tape shows that the moderates at the conference were nothing more than dupes and traitors to the Cuban cause, or even covert agents for Castro.

Apparently, the person who has had her political career most damaged by the tapes was Magda Montiel Davis, a Democrat who ran for Congress against U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican.

She was shown kissing Castro on the cheek. Her voice was so clear on the tape that Castro is suspected of wearing a hidden microphone.

"Fidel, I want to tell you something. Thank you for what you've done for my people. You have been a great teacher for me," she gushed.

By the time she got back to Miami, a police escort was needed to get her from the airport. Her office staff resigned in fear for their safety. She has received numerous death threats.

One anti-Castro exile compared the uproar the tape has created among the million or so Cubans now living in the Miami area to what would have happened had Jewish leaders gone to Germany and been shown kissing Hitler's hand.

Many Cubans in this country, including a portion of Houston's Cuban community, have called for a six-month boycott on all travel to Cuba. This seems like a reasonable idea which would deprive Castro of some needed American dollars and reduce the supply of unwitting props for his obvious propaganda initiative.

Exactly why Castro engineered the taping and sold the tape to Miami TV stations is a mystery. Whatever the reason, it has had the effect of polarizing the Cuban exile community even further, and demonstrating yet again that Castro cannot be trusted.

One lesson the moderates ought to learn from the experience, once they get over their embarrassment, is that when they try to extend a helpful hand to Castro, they are only asking to have their hand bitten.