Kerry and the Cuban lobby

[Mass]

Well, it seems Kerry has angered the Cuban lobby by suggesting that new funding Cuban pro-democracy efforts was not a priority. I first read that on a Cuban website, so I was not sure it was true or not, but apparently, it has some truth in it.

From the SFRC website

http://foreign.senate.gov/press/chair/release/?id=057ef982-8a12-465b-b313-20d924b03793

CHAIRMAN KERRY DELAYS ADDITIONAL SPENDING ON “DEMOCRACY PROMOTION” PROGRAMS IN CUBA
Friday, April 1, 2011
SFRC Communications, 202-224-3468

Washington, DC – After receiving notification that the U.S. Agency for International Development intends to spend another $20 million for “democracy promotion” programs in Cuba, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) said today that he would oppose the spending until a full review of the programs is completed. He issued the following statement:

“We all hope the Cuban people achieve greater freedom and prosperity in the future consistent with their aspirations, and I have applauded the Administration’s commitment to expand people-to-people contact between our two countries. There is no evidence, however, that the ‘democracy promotion’ programs, which have cost the U.S. taxpayer more than $150 million so far, are helping the Cuban people. Nor have they achieved much more than provoking the Cuban government to arrest a U.S. government contractor who was distributing satellite communication sets to Cuban contacts. Before this $20 million is committed, a full review of the programs should be undertaken and the Administration should consult with the Congress. The GAO, which has investigated fraud and abuse in these programs in the past, is already undertaking another investigation at my request into the legal basis and effectiveness of these operations.”

And the reaction was clear as well, not surprisingly/
hhttp://www.favstocks.com/senator-bob-menendez-d-takes-on-senator-john-kerry-d/0541574/

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today defended the $20 million in funds dedicated to promoting a peaceful transition to democracy in Cuba by supporting civil society, independent journalists, and human rights activists. Last week, Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed his intent to withhold Congressional support for the only democracy assistance program for Cuba. Sen. Menendez released the following statement:
“The Obama Administration stepped up to the plate last week, endorsing funding for the only international democracy assistance program for Cubans seeking peaceful democratic change after more than 50 years of dictatorship. The democracy programs, implemented by the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, recognize that change in Cuba must come from the island and that the impediment to change is the oppression and tyranny visited on the Cuban people daily by the Castro regime. The democracy program supports Cubans who seek peaceful democratic change, despite tremendous personal risk.
...

And this is the polite version of the oppposition. The other things I read are a lot less polite. I only wished that the Obama administration and SoS Clinton would take the same take.

[karynnj]

1. The "pro-democracy " program for Cuba has had massive fraud programs

In addition, things like radio Marti, were not effective but expensive.

I'm impressed that Kerry, who they hate anyway over his Contra investigation, is standing against them, for many years the funding of the program itself and Radio Marti have been questioned in SFRC hearings. Politically, the Cuban lobby is powerful. I do understand why Menedez is against Kerry on this - and remember that he held up the appointments of several unrelated nominees because he was upset over the administration's loosening constraints on Cuba.

Here is one article that goes through some of the complaints - http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/02/11/what-was-alan-gross-doing-in-havana/

Since 1996, a small effort to stick our thumb in the island's eye developed with the formation of a "Cuba democracy program" within USAID to deliver "humanitarian aid" and "information" to "human rights and political activists" and families of dissidents. For years the democracy program's budget, about $2 million to start with, was funneled into grants to Cuban American groups in Miami that ostensibly used the money to somehow promote freedoms for Cubans still on the island.

Unfortunately, program funds were misused. A 2006 audit and investigation by the GAO highlighted taxpayer monies used to purchase Godiva chocolates, Nintendo GameBoys and cashmere sweaters. An alleged embezzlement scheme by another grantee was discovered in 2008, leading a member of the House to challenge USAID's annual program allocation, which had by then grown to $45 million per year.

It is likely the truth is somewhere in between both sides.