The Battle Goes On

December 22, 2010
From CBS4:

Miami Republican Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart is one of the highest profile voices pressing for a free Cuba.

He is retiring from political office next month. On Monday a political who's-who celebrated his service during the annual U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC (political action committee) luncheon at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables where the audience vowed to continue a hard line against the Castro regime.

South Florida Republicans and Democrats in Congress agree on little, but they are united on Cuba policy. Weston Democratic Congressman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz thanked Diaz-Balart for his work and said, "Under no circumstances should the U.S. Congress unconditionally embrace the Castro regime until all political prisoners are released and allowed to remain in their homeland, until free and fair elections are held, and until Cubans can freely leave the island."

Diaz-Balart chose to retire after 18 years in Congress. In 1996 he helped lead efforts to strengthen the embargo against Cuba after the shoot down of Brothers to the Rescue planes. The Castro brothers continue to hold on, though, decade after decade.

New Cuban-American faces in Congress will soon take up the fight. That number will include Miami Republican Senator-elect Marco Rubio.

But Rubio told the audience he is weary of being asked when American policy toward Cuba will change. Rubio said, "My answer is, when is Cuba policy going to change? How come that question is never asked?"

Miami Republican Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart will keep his brother in mind on the House floor. He said he is bound to think, "What would Lincoln do? What would Lincoln say in this particular moment? But I've got his phone number."

He has not revealed his future plans but Lincoln Diaz-Balart is resolute about Cuba's future. He insisted it will not be what he calls the China model, one of authoritarian rule but a capitalist-styled economy.

Diaz-Balart, after receiving a standing ovation, said to his audience, "The inevitable future for Cuba is the other one, a democratic transition."

The wait for that return to democracy has lasted nearly 52 years. There is the iron willed determination of Cuban-American lawmakers in Congress to compel change in Cuba matched against ironfisted resistance to that change by the Castro regime.