Obama Meets Cuba Exiles at Estefan’s

By Circles Robinson

HAVANA TIMES, April 15 – US President Barack Obama will meet today with conservative representatives of the Cuban exile community for a cocktail fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee to be held at the home of singer Gloria Estefan in Miami.

It is expected that during the activity the president will be urged again to take a hard line for political change in Cuba and drop any ideas of renewed diplomatic relations with the Castro government.

Attending the cocktail hour with the President carries a US $30,400 per couple price tag.

The Cuban exile groups, representing especially the older segment of the exile population, are known for making hefty donations to officials and candidates of both the Republican and Democratic Parties.

Such gifts have given them significant clout on Capitol Hill and in the White House where 11 administrations over a half century have maintained an economic blockade on Cuba in an unsuccessful effort to provoke regime change.