A day of great shame for Miami’s Cuban American community

President Donald Trump visited Miami on Friday (June 16) and held a political rally at the Manuel Artime Theater in Little Havana. He was there to announce the rollback of the Obama initiatives on Cuba, started on December 17, 2014. It turned out to be a pep rally attended by a few hundred former Cubans, and children of former Cubans, from the Miami area. The theme of the rally seemed to be: “USA, USA, USA…” and a love-in with the president. A so-called Cuban patriot strummed his violin and played the national anthem, not of Cuba, but of the United States. And behind Trump in the audience were a collection of people who included a woman who was found guilty, along with her husband, of fraud in the 1990s. Right behind her another lady with a white mane whose brother disgraced Cuban Americans in the 1970s when he stole money from the U.S. government meant for the bicentennial celebrations. Also present were Sen. Marco Rubio, of Little Marco fame, and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, who today mimics his brother, Lincoln (is that even a Cuban name?), when he speaks. Both have never set foot on the island they pretend to love. In the end, Mr. Trump promised to return to many of the failed policies of the past more than half century. It was truly a case of back to the future with lots of deja vu. And for any Cuban who feels proud of his or her heritage, it was a day of great shame.