The immediate response

The response came barely a few hours later. Rahm Emmanuel, the White House chief of staff, spoke. It is of no importance that he failed to mention my modest Reflection. What is important is the response.

He told journalists that what interests President Obama is the Cuban-American community. It was the first time that he mentioned the subject since the inauguration. Those Cubans qualified to do so had voted 3 to 1 for the Democratic candidate in the state of Florida. The almost 12 million Cubans inhabiting the island do not interest him (Obama).

When they asked him to specify his candidate in Cuba, the man closest to the president did not wish to go into the subject in depth: “I think that the less said on Cuba, the better.”

“He will authorize Cuban-Americans to travel to Cuba and send remittances.”

Regarding the right of U.S. citizens to travel, he didn’t even mention it.

For him, the Cuban Adjustment Act and the blockade were not worthy of any reference whatsoever.

Thus, sooner rather than later, Obama’s politics are losing their virginity.

Fidel Castro Ruz
February 5, 2009
7:12 p.m.