Cuban exile group protests article in The Miami Herald

Posted on Tue, Sep. 19, 2006

Cuban exile group protests article in The Miami Herald
BY KATHLEEN McGRORY
kmcgrory@MiamiHerald.com

Leaders of a Cuban exile group today denounced a Miami Herald
investigation that found that at least 10 South Florida journalists
regularly received U.S. government pay for hosting shows or appearing on
TV and Radio Martí.

The Sept. 8 report led to the dismissal of two El Nuevo Herald reporters
and one freelance writer who hosted shows for the government broadcaster
while also working for the Spanish-language daily. It also caused more
than 1,200 subscribers to The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald to cancel
their subscriptions.

In the days since, the article has come under fire on local Spanish
radio. Today, the Cuban Liberty Council gathered at Versailles
Restaurant in Little Havana, calling the article ''erroneous and
deceiving,'' and ''discriminatory'' against the Cuban community.

''We reject the efforts of The Miami Herald to silence our voice in
Cuba,'' Remedios Diaz-Oliver said in Spanish. ``These journalists were
professional and ethical. They brought their voices to TV and radio in
an objective manner.''

Jesús Díaz Jr., the publisher of both newspapers, said in a letter to
readers published in Sunday's Miami Herald that the newspaper's
editorial pages have long supported Radio and TV Martí, but that he
approved the dismissals of the three writers, because ``as the publisher
of these newspapers, I am deeply committed to the separation between
government and a free press.''

The publisher added that the three violated the company's
conflict-of-interest rules, policies all newsroom employees acknowledge.

Radio and TV Martí are U.S. government programs created to promote
democracy and freedom in Cuba. Their programming cannot be broadcast
within the United States because of anti-propaganda rules. Radio and TV
Martí's own rules require full-time employees to get permission from the
government before freelancing for private entities.

But Diaz-Oliver said the article did irreparable damage to the
journalists it cited, and to the movement for a free and independent Cuba.

''Now we want to know, what does The Herald plan to do to prove that
these journalists did not accept wrongful payments from the U.S.
government?'' she said.

Horacio Garcia, who directs the council's executive committee, echoed
the sentiment.

''They may have power and money, but we have patriotism and dignity,''
he said. ``We will not allow them to demoralize the Cuban exile community.''

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