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Seeking LTR in USA - Thoughts on Cubans Abandoning Soccer Team for Personal Freedom
By Amanda | March 28, 2008
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The conflict between the Olympic movement’s high ideals and the commercialism or political acts which accompany the Games has been noted since ancient times. But how interesting is it to watch this play out in modern-day soccer? Since the Cubans deserted their national soccer team this week, I’ve done a bit more research on the policies that surround our relationship with the country itself.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxRa_q8iXMA&hl=en]
You must be living under a rock if you didn’t know that Fidel Castro has left his position in February as the president of community Cuba, only to leave his brother (Raul Castro) in power. The Cuban government has been accused of numerous human rights abuses, including torture, arbitrary imprisonment, unfair trials, and extra-judicial executions. Permission from the government is required to move to another home due to the lack of private property rights. Jobs are also subject to state control.
On the contrary, the Olympic Spirit seeks to build a peaceful and better world, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play. The Olympics seek to promote tolerance and understanding in these increasingly troubled time in which we live, to make our world a more peaceful place.
Today, the newspapers stated this was a plan formulated months ago in Cuba…No duh.
Let’s rewind to November 5th, 2007: The governing body of soccer in North, Central American and the Caribbean, CONCACAF, announced that the US would host eight doubleheaders as qualifying tournament for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I can only imagine the pure excitement, disbelief and relief the players must have felt knowing their government would soon be giving them written approval to depart the country and embark, legally, to the USA. By law, Cuban citizens cannot leave or return to Cuba without first obtaining official permission, which is often denied. Unauthorized travel can result in criminal prosecution.
Sure, the players probably thought (like I’d imagine many Cubans do) to hop in a dingy and risk their lives to enter the USA, as we have enacted something called “The wet-foot, dry-foot policy”. It says, basically, that anyone who flees Cuba and gets into the United States will be allowed to pursue residency a year later. After talks with the Cuban government, the Clinton administration came to an agreement with Cuba that it would stop admitting people found at sea. Since then, a Cuban caught on the waters between the two nations (i.e., with “wet feet”) would be sent home or to a third country. One who makes it to shore (”dry feet”) gets a chance to remain in the United States, and later would qualify for expedited “legal permanent resident” status and U.S. citizenship.
But imagine how manifest destiny it must have felt for these players (who stunned the US National Soccer team 1-1, let’s remember), to train their whole lives for that National Team phone call, and then be drawn to play their qualifying games in the United States. All the wind sprints, the training, the practices, the games, the sacrifices… All for this one opportunity to play the USA and then stay forever.
Interestingly, Tampa police spokeswoman Andrea Davis said the agency had not received any missing persons reports from the team, and officers were not called to the team’s hotel to investigate the disappearances.
If i was a member of the Cuban National Soccer Team, I’d rather use the Spirit of the Olympics as my vehicle for escape than paddling a little blow up raft across the ocean, wouldn’t you?
Topics: Politics |