Exile plan for liberty show near Havana worries U.S., Cuba

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Tuesday, 12.06.11
Exile plan for liberty show near Havana worries U.S., Cuba

The U.S. State Department has warned Havana and South Florida exiles to keep their cool during a fireworks show 12 miles off the Cuban coast.

By Juan O. Tamayo
[e-mail]

The U.S. State Department has urged the Cuban government and exiles in South Florida to act with “restraint” when a flotilla of exile boats stages a fireworks show 12.5 miles off the coast of Havana.

The “Lights of Liberty” show scheduled for Friday is being organized by the Miami-based Democracy Movement, which has staged a dozen similar outings since 1995, including a couple that ended in confrontations.

State Department officials met privately with Democracy Movement leader Ramon Saúl Sánchez last month and “urged him to be responsible,” said one department official who requested anonymity to speak about the issue.

The State Department also urged the Cuban government, which had previously asked Washington about the flotilla’s plans, “to act with restraint and let our people know of any problems,” the official added.

More:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/06/2534363/exile-plans-for-liberty-show.html