USA – Cubans in an American Mood.
USA:
00.035
Miami awakens. The Cubans pile up suitcases to visit their homeland. Now, with President Obama’s new law they may take as much luggage as they wish. But for U.S. citizens who do not come from Cuba, there remains a strict travel ban.
00.30
OT
Interview: Lázaro León
“The ban has been here for 50 years. The Cuban regime is still there. And the people starve. The only thing our members can do is to bring them as much as we can. We’ve worked hard here.”
00.42
In Florida, you feel more than anywhere else the foreign policies Obama has brought in. (00.47)
OPEN
00.50
One million Cubans live in exile. They have come in several waves of refugees – and still come today. As different as the community may be they all hope for an end to the Castro dictatorship.
00.59
Whether policy changes by President Obama will accelerate this migration, nobody knows. But Cuban exiles have been initially excited by the new ability to travel to Cuba, as well as enabling more goods and money to be sent to relatives.
02.20
Interview:
Maria S. Brieva
D. Head of Travel Agency “Machi”
“This is the land of freedom and democracy? If in Cuba your mother or son became seriously ill, you’d need to wait 3 years for a travel permit. Thanks to President Obama, we now have the freedom to travel whenever we want. Mr Bush only allowed one visit to Cuba every three years - and only the closest relative was allowed to visit. Not even an uncle or a nephew. According to Bush, they do not belong to the family.”
01.56
In a few days, this retired nurse’s dream will become a reality. She has prepared a 20kg bag. Her relatives in Cuba have life’s necessities - but they also want the things capitalism can bring.
02.27
Interview:
Regla Regueira
"What is the most important thing in life? The family. Governments come and go, but the family remains "
02.31
Obama is the eleventh President of the United States since Fidel Castro seized power.
02.41
Interview:
Barack Obama
“I am not just interested in talking for the sake of it. I believe that we can take U.S - Cuban relations to a new direction.”
02.50
Interview
Huber Matos
“Obama will change nothing in Cuba. At least not as long as Fidel Castro remains in power.”
03.06
Huber Matos is rightly sceptical. He knows the Castro brothers. He fought with them during the revolution as a “comandente”. Together they overthrew the pro-American dictatorship of Batistas – but Matos did not want a communist Cuba. He was labelled a traitor and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. He went to prison aged 40.
03.40
Interview:
Huber Matos
“With Obama’s concessions, will the Castro brothers now bring in foreign exchange to help their economic problems? I do not think this is good. On the one hand, the travel provisions liberalise the Cuban exiles, and allow relatives to send money. This is both humane and reasonable. But on the other hand, Cuba does not have the human rights of other countries. We must not break down all barriers with Cuba. We need some sanctions.”
04.09
The traditional Cuban district of Miami is known as Little Havana. This is where many Cubans play dominos. They are loyal Republican voters and feel that Obama is taking risks when they look back to Kennedy’s involvement with the country.
04.34
Interview:
Pablo Gutierrez
“Obama is too weak for the rulers of Cuba. The Cubans will continue to be suppressed by Castro’s regime.”
04.45
Interview
Jorge Rodiles
Engineer
"I miss the political passion among our people. The Cuban exiles talk a lot today - as I have in front of your microphone. Or they demonstrate in the streets. But what we need are people who use weapons in order to liberate the homeland! But the U.S. bans us! "
04.52
The old warriors of the Cold War are now a minority. More and more Cuban exiles are able to relax . Obama’s chief advisor, Andy Gomez is among them. He fled to the US with his parents whilst still a child.
05.15
Interview:
Andy Gomez
Political
"The Cuban community in the United States has doubled in the last 50 years. People are emotionally entwined with the political situation. There are already 3 generations who have made the journey to the United States. "
05.32
The Ramos family have been in Miami since the 1980s. They live well, and manage a gallery and cultural centre in Little Havana.
05.49
Roberto Ramos
Gallerist
“Obama is my president. He will finally bring freedom to Cuba. In just under 3 months he has done it. The government of Cuba is quite nervous.”
06.01
These grandparents come to Miami last – by boat - at the invitation of their sons. Roberto Ramos venerated the Virgin de la Caridad (Virgin of Charity – protectress of Cuba). He writes to her in thanks that his life had not been lost to the shark infested sea - like so many refugees before him.
06.23
Interview
Gallerist
For two days I was stranded in the middle of the sea; without fuel, without food, without drinking water. By a miracle, I was found by the U.S. Coast Guards. They said “Welcome to the land of freedom.” For the first time in my life I felt free. And guess what: whilst still on the high seas they called my civil rights out! In Cuba, no one has rights. There are no human rights.
0.6:42
Many of them have actually realised the American dream. The mayor of Miami, many of Florida’s senators and the most powerful builders, came from rich families before communism forced them to flee here. They have a major influence in Washington and a hard line on Cuban policies.
07:10
Interview
Regla Reguiera
Pensionistin
“For me it was not worth it - to live here. I would’ve been better off remaining with my mother and siblings in Cuba. These things that I can afford here mean nothing. I was 18 years old when my mother forced me to flee to my father who was already in Miami. I have had to leave my life and grow up in a foreign country just to work hard.
07:37
Interview
Regla Regueira
“Now, I will drive over as often as possible – 2 or 3 times a year. Only then can I keep a connection to my family.
07:46
On the Cuban side there are, admittedly, also limitations: Not everyone can enter. In particular, critics of the regime are blacklisted.
07:59
Interview
Roberto Ramos
“I would be incredibly happy to fly to Cuba. But Cuba is not so happy about me.”
08:03
Guillermo Ramos
“I want to fly – but only if communism has fallen.”
08:07
Gabriela Rosa Ramos
“I want to as soon as possible. Because I have five siblings that are older than 70, and I do not want one of them to die before I get to see them again.
08:20
Whilst Obama’s cautious opening remains a unilateral gesture –behind the scenes fifty years of inactivity is beginning to shift.
Report / Camera: Julieta Rudich
Editors: Sandra Walla