Lawmakers want to demonstrate democracy, normalize relations

By TRACEY EATON / The Dallas Morning News

HAVANA – Eight members of Congress on Monday vowed to do the extraordinary: to hold a U.S.-style town meeting in Cuba to show the socialist nation what
American democracy is all about.

Such a debate would "demonstrate the vibrancy of our democracy in the United States," said U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass., who this week joined the
largest congressional delegation ever to visit Cuba.

The eight-member delegation's goal is to lift the longtime ban on trade with Cuba and normalize relations with the country. Toward that end, the group hopes to
boost dialogue between the United States and Cuba and organize an even larger congressional delegation – and a nationally televised town meeting – as soon as
possible.

Cuban officials haven't had time to study the idea, but they say they're intrigued.

Joe Garcia, director of the Cuban American National Foundation, a powerful anti-Castro lobby group based in Miami, said if a genuine town meeting is held, "if they
are going to actually engage the Cuban people in discussion, I support that. It's wonderful. A frank exchange of real ideas hasn't occurred in over 40 years."

The congressional delegation arrived Friday. During their stay, which ends Tuesday, they have been meeting with U.S. and Cuban officials and Cuban dissidents.

Delegation members are part of Cuba Working Group, composed of several dozen Democrats and Republicans in Congress who oppose U.S. policy toward Cuba.

U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., a leader of the group, said the top priority this year is to pass legislation to end the ban on travel to the island. And, he said, he plans
to play hardball this year, pointing out inconsistencies in U.S. policy. Among them:

Cuban-Americans compose the majority of those traveling legally to Cuba from the United States; about 160,000 go to the island every year. And they contribute an
estimated $800 million in family remittances to the island every year, rivaling the island's income from tourism, the country's biggest industry.

Yet, Mr. Flake and others said U.S. authorities pay no attention to this group even as they harass and level fines against Americans who go to the island.

"It's blatantly discriminatory. We exclude one ethnic group from any scrutiny or penalty," said Phil Peters, a former State Department official who organized the
congressional visit.

And, he said, he finds that odd because "the whole point" of U.S. policy "is to stem the flow of hard currency" to Cuba.

Mr. Peters said he can only conclude that Cuban-Americans aren't affected because President Bush wants to reward them for their support in the contested 2000
presidential election.

Dennis Hayes, director of the Cuban American National Foundation's Washington office, said it's true that Cuban-Americans can travel to the island for specific
reasons – if, for instance, their relatives are ill.

"If they travel for any other reason," he said, "they should be held to the same standards as any other American."

The problem, Mr. Flake said, is many Cuban-Americans' relatives always seem to get sick around the same time – like Christmas and other major holidays.