President Diaz-Canel Meets With Cuban Residents in the US

Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel met with several generations of Cuban residents in the United States on Friday, who expressed the love they feel for their country during his visit to New York.

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The meeting took place at Cuba’s permanent mission at the U.N., where he met with Cubans coming from Florida, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, Louisiana and Minnesota.

Diaz-Canel, president of ministers and state councils, reassured that the links between the island and its citizens residing in foreign countries is continuous and irreversible.

“Like in 1978, our government wants to reaffirm the willingness to develop an honest and broad dialogue with our connationals in foreign countries,” said Diaz-Canel, according to Prensa Latina. “We’re counting on you. We’re Cuba.”

That year marked the first dialogue between the government and representatives of the Cuban community living in the United States.

“Even though I was a student just entering university, I remember very well that first contact because of the ‘55 Brothers’ documentary,” said Diaz-Canel. “You look so young now it is hard to recognize you.”

The film documents the encounter between the Cuban delegation and the Antonio Macedo Brigade, young people taken from the island by their parents during the first years of the revolution.

The brigade was formed in 1977 and aimed at breaking with the stereotype that all ‘Cubans in exile’ were politically homogeneous, in an environment of social unrest in the United States.

As time passed, younger generations emerged and the Cuban community in the United States stopped being homogeneous; ultimately, the ‘bloc in exile,’ designation ceased being useful.

“Even those who didn’t have a relative that emigrated could have a girlfriend, a schoolmate or a neighbor that emigrated to the United States,” continued Diaz-Canel.

Present at Friday’s meeting were Mariana Gaston, a founder member of the brigade who arrived in the United States with her parents in 1961 and has been promoting good relations between the two countries for decades.

“I think this is a moment of hope in the whole desperation we’re deep in with this president of the United States,” said Gaston in reference to Donald Trump.

She welcomed the government’s invitation for Cubans residing in foreign countries to take part in the debate about the constitution project, adding that represents new possibilities for dialogue.

Isabel Diaz, a young second-generation immigrant who says she feels “more Cuban than American,” commented she’s very optimistic about a stronger unity between those living in the country and those living elsewhere.

“My generation still feels we’re connected with Cubans living there because we don’t know our culture as we wish,” said Diaz, who added she would like to know “our people, our culture.”

Max Lesnik, who resides in Florida, said Diaz-Canel’s willingness to meet the immigrants in the United States was evidence that Cuba is “an inclusive nation and not confrontational.”

He also made a reference to a phrase by Jose Marti, Cuba’s national hero: “With everyone and for everyone’s wellbeing.”

“[The phrase] unites us and will be the one representing the patriotism, dignity and full sovereignty of Cuba,” said Lesnik.

Emelia Gutierrez, who lives in Florida, took the opportunity to take a picture with the president.

“I feel proud we were invited. I have my roots, and I know those roots won’t die because I transmitted them to my daughter and my granddaughter as a Cuban and guajira [coming from a rural area],” Gutierrez told the Cuban News Agency.

Her daughter, Irene, said she felt as Cuban as those living in the island.

“All the traditions, the language, the food, all the culture about being Cuban, I was born with that,” said Irene. The family often travels to the island and were present at the National Rebellion Day on July 26.

The president remarked that at the time of the first contact, in 1978, the relationships didn’t develop as expected due to constant terrorism threats coming from the United States, that pushed the island into a defensive position.