Miami Mafia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Miami Mafia is a disparaging description of Cuban exiles often used by Cuban officials and others. The notion considers many Cuban exiles to be organized in an effort to overthrow the Cuban government and economy.[1][2][3] The caricature of much of Cuban exile political activity as being united within the "Miami Mafia" often ignores differences of opinion amongst Cuban exiles, such as some Cuban exiles' desires for peaceful dialogue with Cuba,[4] and other internal debates on U.S. relations with Cuba.[1]
The notion of a "Miami Mafia" was popularized in Cuba after the 1996 shootdown of Brothers to the Rescue aircraft. In the following decade, revolutionary nationalism was promoted by the Cuban government to explain threats and to boost public morale during national crises. This sense of nationalism encompassed heated denouncements of internal opposition, the United States, and Cuban exiles, who were now insultingly titled "the Miami Mafia".[5]
In 1992, the Cuban government legalized the creation of Non-governmental organizations, however many that were created were often controlled by the Cuban state. Later, actually independent professional organizations were formed, and in October of 1995, 135 of these groups united in a massive umbrella organization named Concilio Cubano, which demanded a peaceful transition to democracy. On February 24, 1996, the Concilio Cubano planned to have a general meeting, but were interrupted by state security, who arrested members, and accused them of being funded by the CIA and the "Miami Mafia".[6]
Historian Rafael Rojas contents that after the 1996 shootdown of Brothers to the Rescue aircraft, and the Communist Party congress a year later, nationalist rhetoric became a mainstay in political speeches; often condemning the United States and the "Miami Mafia".[5]
In 1998, the U.S. government arrested five Cubans living in Miami, accused them of being unregistered foreign agents, and spying on the U.S. government. The five were accused of heavily spying on the Brothers to the Rescue organization in Miami, and found guilty of espionage in a U.S. court. In Cuba, the five were considered to have only been spying on the "Miami Mafia" and were innocent on charges of spying on the government.[7]
During the Elian Gonzalez affair, Castro addressed the Cuban public during a massive "Free Elian" rally in February of 2000. At the rally, Castro took an oath of war against U.S. policy on Cuba, and named his enemies as Bill Clinton and the "Miami Mafia".[8]