by Owen Parr
He stepped a bit away from the podium and looked under the podium as he laughed along with the crowd.
“Thank you all. Have a wonderful evening,” he concluded, as he shook hands with everyone at the head table. He said a few words to Julia and kissed her on the cheek before stepping down and being surrounded by his faux secret service detail.
Esteban, standing at the podium, let the crowd quiet down a bit as the ‘president’ exited the room. “It’s quite hard having to follow the president speaking, especially this one,” he said. “I trust you all enjoyed a brief moment of levity before we get to the serious part of our evening and, no, Santana is not here, Mr. Vice President. Sorry to disappoint you,” he said, as the crowd was settling in.
“I hope I’ve acknowledged all the dignitaries in the audience. Now, let me introduce our head table and all the members of the Executive Committee of the Cuban Council in Exile, except, of course, for our honored guest. Please, hold your applause until the end, so we can do this expeditiously,” he said. “Starting on the right we have—,” and he went on introducing the Executive Council. When he was finished, the crowd acknowledged them with a warm round of applause.
“Ladies and gentlemen, our Executive Council spent a considerable amount of time in selecting a person who was, first, not associated with any organized group opposing the Cuban Communist Dictator, and trust me, that was not easy to do,” he said to some laughter from the crowd. “Second, a person that embodies all the attributes required in carrying this mission. For the sake of time, I will dispense with reading her accomplishments. They are enumerated in a well-written synopsis made available at your tables.”
He continued, “We searched and we searched, and on every list, the name of Julia Muller Estrada Palma, always raised to the top.” He said, as applause broke out from the crowd, “I am privileged tonight to make the motion that we elect Julia Muller Estrada Palma as President of the Cuban Council in Exile by acclamation. Do I have a second?”
“I second the motion,” said Fernando Casal at the head table.
“Very well. I address the motion to the Members of the Council in the audience. All those in favor of electing Mrs. Muller as President of the Council say aye,” he said.
Loud ayes were heard from the audience.
“Next, anyone opposed to the motion, please, say nay,” he said. Met by only silence, he continued, “Hearing no opposition, I now name Mrs. Julia Muller Estrada Palma our duly elected President of the Cuban Council in Exile.”
The audience stood and applauded. Some cheers were heard from the crowd, and small groups started to chant, “Julia, Julia.”
Julia made her way to the podium as she smiled and acknowledged the emotion-filled moment. At the same time, she made eye contact with almost everyone in the room. “Thank you, thank you,” she said, hoping to quiet down the audience.
As the crowd settled down a bit, she said, “Mr. Vice President, members of the U.S. Senate and Congress, our honorable state and local officials, Mrs. Laura Bush, members of the Council, and finally, ladies and gentlemen, I accept my appointment as President of the Cuban Council in Exile.”
Again she received a standing ovation lasting a few minutes.
Jonathan and Rick shared a handshake from the back of the room. Alex, from his seat at the head table, looked very proud of himself.
She stepped back close to the podium and raised her hand indicating silence. Immediately the crowd hushed, as she was about to begin her acceptance speech.
“First, it is an honor to have been chosen to lead this endeavor. I will not take this appointment lightly, and at the same time I will not politicize it. Let me be perfectly clear from the onset, I have no interest in any political future in the United States, nor in a free Cuba,” she said, as the crowd applauded at the mention of a free Cuba.
Alex looked at the crowd noticing every eye was on Julia.
“The freedoms that we who immigrated enjoy in the United States are but dreams and, in many cases, a work of fiction to our brothers and sisters who were left behind in Cuba and to those who were born in the last forty years under the communist regime that chokes their very existence and blinds them from recognizing that freedom exists outside of their micro world. As the older generation dies off, no one will remain to, at least, pass on the hope of what they once knew. We cannot afford to sit idle any longer and allow the perpetuation of this injustice, the daily oppression, the persecution, and, in fact, the torture of an entire population at the hands of a few.”
She paused, as more applause was forthcoming from the audience.
Jonathan was fidgety in the back, constantly looking at his watch.
Julia went on, “Let me share an experience I had a year ago. As most of you know, my present career is as an investment banker and manager of funds for institutions and the like. I was making a presentation to the board of directors of a large Caribbean bank that we wanted as a client. In the middle of my presentation and out of the blue, the chairman of the board asked me, ‘Julia, being Cuban, what do you thinks of Fidel Castro?’ I paused to think and replied, ‘It depends which Castro you are referring to, sir. Castro A or Castro B.’ He looked back at me, somewhat puzzled.” Taking a moment to let that statement think in, she walk a few steps to the right of the podium, before returning and continuing.
“Let me explain,” I told the man who asked me the question. ‘Castro B is the Castro you know, the benevolent old dictator, who occasionally barks at Uncle Sam, and everyone outside the U.S. likes to belittle the U.S. a little bit, even if they won’t admit it. Castro B is the leader of a neighboring island country who takes in your children and gives them a free education and allows them to come back to your island as doctors, engineers, and the like. He provides your country with his own doctors to administer to your citizens. It all sounds wonderful. It comes at a cost, but it sounds great. Now, let me tell you about Castro A, the Castro I know. The Castro that purged a hundred thousand or more men and women by firing squads and assassinations as his revolution took hold of Cuba. The Castro who starves his people so that their only daily concern is their survival. The Castro who eliminated all freedoms to his people, freedoms you enjoy in your country. The Castro, who for forty years has persecuted, tortured, and killed or imprisoned thousands of his own people, dissidents, in order to advance his chilling effect on his citizens. Now back to your question, but before I answer, please, tell me which Castro are you referring to? Castro A or Castro B?’ ”
She paused again, as the crowd erupted in applause. “If we allow the memory of Castro A to be forgotten by the new generation in Cuba, by the new leaders around the world, by anyone younger than forty, then I am afraid he will be memorialized and romanticized as Chairman Mao and Che Guevara. Images of both mass murderers are imprinted on T-shirts and by revisionist historians. Our efforts as a council must strictly abide by our mission statement—the non-violent overthrow of the communist regime and the return of a democratic system in the country of Cuba,” she said.
She continued speaking without notes and always making eye contact with the audience.
Alex’s smile was wider than a ten lane highway, as he sat there proud of his Julia.
Julia looked around, smiled and asked, “So, the question becomes ‘How are we going to achieve that?’ But before we tackle that, let’s look at the past for a moment. Allow me, allow yourselves to play Monday morning quarterback, or for those not familiar with the sport, to use twenty-twenty hindsight. Without getting into specifics, in the last forty years, a number of attempts to invade Cuba were aborted, failed, or not allowed to proceed. Numerous attempts to eliminate the leadership of the communist regime, similarly, were aborted, failed, and in some cases, exaggerated. Too many presidents in the United States in the past forty years have seemingly wrapped themselves in the Cuban flag and made empty promises to our people for political gain and expediency,” she said, as some eyes moved in the direction of Al Gore and Mrs. Laura Bush.
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Both Gore and Mrs. Bush sat up in their chairs, as they both became somewhat cautious with their demeanor.
Raising her right hand, Julia went on, “Now, let me address an item of contention within our own Cuban community in the United States and other parts of the world. The embargo policy towards Cuba.” A low murmur in the crowd could be heard in the ballroom.
In the back, Ramirez turned to Jonathan and asked, “Oh, oh, is she going to get into trouble?”
Jonathan raised both shoulders without responding.
“I hear you,” Julia said, smiling. She paused to listen to the crowd who in turn laughed softly as she broadened her smile. “Those are two words that divide us. And while we’re not going to solve that dilemma here today, we need to analyze it and put it in perspective. Politicians of both parties right and left have seen what it does to us. It polarizes us into two camps, and they love it. The right gets their vote, and the left gets their vote. In the meantime, we remain divided. Here is a simple question. What was or is the objective of an embargo? We all know the intent of such a policy. Another simple question. In the last forty years, has it worked when it comes to Cuba? I think we all know the answer to that, also. The simple truth is that for an isolationist policy to work against a country, there must be a coalition of countries that participate at the same time. To think that the U.S. can be successful by itself is both arrogant and stupid. It was Albert Einstein that said, and I’ll paraphrase, ‘to keep doing the same thing over and over and expect different results is the definition of crazy.’ So, we must either rethink the policy or rework it,” she declared, taking a drink of water from a glass underneath the podium. She could see the audience was attentive. Albeit, a bit restless from sitting.
“Do me a favor, please. This will take two minutes. Please, stand,” she said. The audience responded with a few sighs. She turned to her left, and using her arms and hands, she directed, “Everyone turn to my left.” The crowd did as she asked. “Now, put your hands on the shoulders of the person in front of you and massage . . . On the shoulder, I said.” The crowd laughed and enjoyed the moment. Waiting about a minute, she then told them, “Now, turn to my right,” as she pointed to her right. “Do unto them as they did unto you,” she said, smiling as everyone followed the directions.
“She is just too much,” said Ramirez to Jonathan, as Ramirez was massaging Jonathan’s shoulders.
“She is,” replied Jonathan.
Julia continued, “Don’t get carried away. Let’s have a seat. I know I am the only thing standing between you and dancing and the mojitos. So, let’s conclude our speaking portion of the evening,” The crowd took their seats, quieting down. “Mr. Gore was a bit worried there for a moment,” she said. “When I first said, put your hands on the shoulder of the person in front of you, I heard him say to his chief of staff, ‘But I don’t know how to do the conga.’ Thank you, Mr. Vice President, for being a good sport tonight.”
“Now, let me address the future and my role as President of the Cuban Council,” she said, as she looked around at the audience. Taking the microphone on her right hand, she walked behind the council members as they sat there looking forward.
Speaking from behind the council table , she went on, “The new millennium is upon us. With that, the winds of change that have transformed Eastern Europe from communist countries to free capitalistic and democratic societies. Notwithstanding, the growing pains can continue to blow south of us. Cuba remains a communist dictatorship. If you had asked any person forty years ago, no one would have conceived that an island so close to the epitome of democracy, the United States, could remain under a Mao-Stalin type of dictatorship for so long. ‘The Jewel of the Caribbean’, as our country was once known, has been stolen by a handful of communist thieves. Well, it is time to restore that bright jewel to its rightful owners,” she paused, as the crowd applauded loudly.
She began to walk back to the podium maintaining eye contact with the crowd.
“We must create a political action committee to promote our mission. We must lobby heavily in Washington and elsewhere to be sure that our cause is heard at every level of government. We must take the message of the suffering millions of people in Cuba to the countries that have strayed from the isolationist policy, and instead, are aiding and abetting the criminal activities of the communist leadership in Cuba. It is not enough to preach to the choir. We must, incessantly, continue to carry our message to freedom loving people of the world to recruit them to the cause of freedom for Cuba and reverse the apathetic nature of those countries that sit by and do nothing. If we had a coalition of countries that truly supported the isolationist policy of Cuba, then and only then, would it make sense to pursue it. If the people of the world could see—as I saw and so did many of you as youngsters—the firing squads of the 1960s that were shown on television stations in the United States, purging our fellow Cubans at the start of the revolution, the image of the communist leadership of Cuba would change. Why?” She paused for effect. She looked up at the well light ceiling with golden chandeliers, as the audience became anxious for her response.
Her glance returned to her audience, and she knew it was her audience.
Smiling softly she went on, “Because the same people that perpetrated those assassinations are still the leaders in Cuba today. I intend to have this Cuban Council be the voice around the world making known the atrocities that were and are being committed daily. The Castro that we know has to be exposed to the entire world again and again. The romantic figure that Che Guevara has become has to be exposed for the murderer he was. It is going to take thinking outside the box to change public opinion. It is going to take treasure, sweat, and tears to achieve the freedom we seek for our country. Together, with a lot of hard work, the coalition with the Cuban Council in Cuba, through continuous pressure on the United States government and other free countries around the world, while riding the winds of freedom that have swept Eastern Europe and beyond, we can and will achieve our goal. A free and democratic government in Cuba without the bloodshed of Cubans by Cubans. Thank you,” she concluded.
The audience stood and applauded loudly once again. She could see the faces of many showed renewed hope and enthusiasm. She stepped back from the podium, as Mr. Esteban embraced her and stepped up to the podium.
“Thank you, Mrs. Muller,” he said, over the still deafeningly loud applause. “This concludes our presentation. Please, enjoy yourselves and the rest of the evening.”
The crowd stood and began mingling, as the head table participants were congratulating Julia for her speech and making pleasantries. Many in the audience approached the head table awaiting an opportunity to shake hands with her.
“Jonathan, please, extend my heartfelt congratulations to Julia. She did a great job. Very inspiring, indeed. The Cuban Council is in great hands with her leadership,” said Ramirez.
“You can’t stay for a while?” Jonathan asked.
“No, I’m afraid I can’t—long day tomorrow, my friend. It was good to see you again. Next time it will be after the offering, and we can celebrate together,” said Ramirez.
“Very well, I’ll pass on your words to Julia. Have a good night,” he said.
Jonathan was on his way to the podium to meet up with Julia as his cell phone rang. He saw the caller ID screen. “Hello,” he answered.
“I am bored as hell alone here in this hotel,” said Katherine.
“You know, I really can’t talk right now. You knew my schedule, and tonight I must be here with Julia. We have all day tomorrow to enjoy ourselves,” he said, as he was trying to listen to her over the music from the band.
“Maybe, I’ll take a taxi and stay at a hotel close to you tonight. Perhaps, you can sneak out and meet me later,” Katherine said, ignoring him.
“That’s unacceptable. Please, don’t be a pain in my ass. We have plenty of time tomorrow to be together,” he said.
“You didn’t seem to have a problem earlier giving me
a pain in my ass,” she replied, loudly.
“Katherine, that’s pretty crude. Have you been drinking?” He inquired, looking around as if someone could hear the conversation.
“Just a few martinis at the pool bar,” she said.
“Right. Just a few. Do me a favor. Order dinner in your room, and I will call you a bit later,” he said.
“Yeah, fine, but if I am not here, I’ll be in downtown Miami later,” she said, hanging up the phone before he could respond.
Julia and Alex were making their way to him as he put his phone away. He could not help noticing a certain familiarity between the two of them.
“Jonathan, I would like to introduce you to Alex Cardenas,” Julia said.
“Alex, Alex, why do I think I’ve known you for so many years. It’s good to meet you, finally,” he said, smiling.
“It’s good to meet you. I don’t think we have met before,” Alex said, with some trepidation.
“No, no, we have not. Yet somehow, I have a feeling you have been part of our lives for quite a while,” he said, with a smirk.
“Look,” Alex said, in a low voice and close to Jonathan’s right ear. “I don’t know what the hell you are talking about. I do happen to know,” and he moved closer to Jonathan’s ear, “that you are an asshole and a son of a bitch. So, I suggest you drop the innuendoes right now and not embarrass your wife at her party. Comprende, amigo?” Alex said.
“Hot-tempered latino,” he said.
“Not latino. Cubano, you asshole,” said Alex, moving even closer to Jonathan.
“Forgive me, Alejandro, I didn’t know there was a difference,” he said, baiting Alex to react.