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CNN Live Saturday
Interview with Joe Contraras
Aired May 11, 2002 - 22:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Fidel Castro seized power more than four decades ago. It's been 35 years since a president in or out of office has set foot on Cuban soil there, until now.
Joining us now with a closer look at former President Carter's historic visit is Joe Contraras from "Newsweek." He's also the Miami bureau chief there.
Joe, thanks for being with us tonight.
JOE CONTRARAS, NEWSWEEK MAGAZINE: Thanks for having me.
CALLAWAY: Let's go back to a little bit, Lucia's report. And we heard her say a subversive ploy. Some big words there on, you know, the timing of this incident, the petition being -- well National Assembly, we shouldn't really say accepted, but at least received the petition. What are we going to see come out of that, the petition being presented to the National Assembly? Anything, you think?
CONTRARAS: Well, I don't think we're going to see anything substantive come out of the presentation of the signatures. According to Cuba's national constitution, the assembly, which is of course completely controlled by Castro and the Cuban Communist Party, can either vote to approve or reject any petition calling for such a referendum.
CALLAWAY: Right.
CONTRARAS: And I rather doubt that the assembly is going to say yes, let's go forward with a plebicite. But it is symbolic. And it is a major step towards putting the internal opposition inside Cuba...
CALLAWAY: Right.
CONTRARAS: ...on the political map.
CALLAWAY: Yes, but we're not going to see any changes any time soon. But as you say, it is a symbolic move.
Let's get back then to the subversive ploy. What about the timing of this? Certainly, they were waiting for a good opportunity to do it with former president Jimmy Carter on his way. Certainly, known for human rights, a human rights activist. Good timing on their part. CONTRARAS: I think the presentation of the signatures clearly has a lot to do with the imminent arrival of Jimmy Carter. But I think it's also worth noting that the collection of these signatures goes back several months, well before the Carter trip was even announced, which I think was only made public some time in mid April. Now the organizers told me, for example, last month that originally, they were planning to submit the signatures to the National Assembly this coming summer. So they clearly accelerated their plans to formerly present those signatures. But the drive does go back several months. So in that respect, it was launched without the knowledge, at all, of Carter's plans to visit Cuba.
CALLAWAY: But certainly they knew when they did present it, by that time. And they were waiting for a good time. And that indeed, was a good time. Let's talk about what he's going to do when he's there and who he's going to meet with, including President Fidel Castro.
CONTRARAS: The preliminary itinerary shows Carter visiting a number of state-run clinics, schools, and other public government programs. He's also going to be received at Castro at Jose Mount, the international airport. And there will be at least one formal state dinner. His last day in Cuba, he is planning to devote to meetings with religious leaders and also human rights activists, as well as opposition leaders. But most of this itinerary will be pretty much oriented either to meeting with Castro and other top government officials or visiting various showcase projects put on by the regime.
CALLAWAY: Joe, I know this trip hasn't been sanctioned by the current administration, the Bush administration, but there has been a lot of criticism, especially by people like Dan Quayle, who called Carter's trip "that it elevates Castro." Does it?
CONTRARAS: Well, I think that on some level, the visit of a former U.S. president, particularly a president with the reputation as a human rights and democracy advocate, as is Jimmy Carter, does bestow a limited degree of legitimacy on the Castro government. Hence the very, very enthusiastic reception that Castro and his colleagues planned to give Carter when he arrives tomorrow morning.
On the other hand, this could also provide unprecedented opportunity for the internal opposition...
CALLAWAY: Right.
CONTRARAS: ...to present its grievances and its demands. And it now, I think, requires any visiting chief of state who comes to Cuba in the future to acknowledge these internal opposition leaders and meet with them.
CALLAWAY: What kind of effect, if any, will it have on the trade embargo and the travel embargo? Do you think it's going to have any effect at all?
CONTRARAS: I think in the broad scheme of things, it's one more step in the ongoing erosion of the 31-year old -- 41-year old U.S. trade embargo against Cuba. However, I don't expect to see the Bush administration lift that embargo anytime soon.
CALLAWAY: Right.
CONTRARAS: That said, there has been a steady cavalcade of congressmen, senators, celebrities, and top American businessmen, who have been swinging through Havana, and who have clearly been arguing in favor of a limited rescinding of the trade embargo, if not it's outright lifting.
CALLAWAY: Joe, I think one of the most fascinating aspects of this trip is President Carter, former President Carter, actually addressing the Cuban people via television. We've never seen anything like this before.
CONTRARAS: As far as I know, that's certainly going to be unprecedented. I can't think of any...
CALLAWAY: I can't either.
CONTRARAS: ...recent dignitary or visiting chief of state who's been allowed to do so. And that will clearly give Jimmy Carter an extraordinary opportunity to present certain issues on his mind, as well as issues, I think, on the minds of many Americans about the state of human rights and freedom within Cuba. It is quite an interesting gesture that the Castro government is making towards him.
CALLAWAY: Let me ask you this final question here, being in Miami. Any reaction from the Cuban community there in south Florida, in reaction to his visit?
CONTRARAS: The reaction has been fairly muted, certainly in comparison to the media circus that emerged around the case of the boy, Elian Gonzalez...
CALLAWAY: Right.
CONTRARAS: ...two years ago. However, officials of the leading Cuban-American lobby did meet with Carter and his aides in Atlanta a day or two ago, to express their reservations. And we're told that two of the Miami-based Cuban-American congressmen in the House of Representatives lobbied the Bush administration against giving formal approval to the Carter visit. But on the streets of Miami, no, there have been no demonstrations or any protest marches to date regarding the visit.
CALLAWAY: Joe Contraras, thank you for staying with us on this Saturday night, being with us.
CONTRARAS: My pleasure.
CALLAWAY: Right. Joe Contraras of "Newsweek." Thanks, Joe.
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