Mitch Perry
They’ve already declared their support for a Cuban consulate to be housed in Tampa, and now they want any major agreement between the Cuban and U.S. governments to be signed here as well.
By a 5-0 vote, the Tampa City Council on Thursday passed “The Tampa Accord,” a resolution proposed by Councilwoman Yolie Capin that offers the city to host any official signing of agreements between the two neighboring countries (Charlie Miranda and Lisa Montelione were not sitting down on the dais at the time of the vote).
“It is only natural that Tampa be the location for formalizing the reestablishment of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Cuba,” Capin said this morning. “It has been well established that no city in the U.S. has stronger historic ties with Cuba than Tampa does.”
Tampa has had a long history with Cuba, such as providing sanctuary and support for freedom fighter Jose Marti (there is a small park named in his honor in Ybor City). Councilwoman Capin recounted how her late husband Juan Capin sat down with President Obama when he appeared at the Cuban Club in 2007, and said that after he became president, should there be a “meeting of the minds” between the leaders of the two nations, it should take place in Tampa.
“It’s something that should have been done a long time ago,” said Vic DiMaio, who mentioned that his grandparents immigrated to Tampa from Cuba to become part of the cigar industry here nearly a century ago.
He also mentioned some pioneers over the past five years in getting the Tampa business and political establishment to support liberalization of policies with the Cuban government, referring to the late Steve Burton and Mary Mulhern, who left the Council just last month after eight years.
“She got a lot of ridicule for that,” DiMaio noted, adding that he was glad that other council members who were reluctant to support such resolutions in the past (such as Mike Suarez) were now on board. But he said it was time for Mayor Buckhorn to do so as well. “The administration needs to provide more leadership on this issue,” he said.
Buckhorn is more old-school than new when it comes to warming relations with Cuba; He’s steadfastly said that he would not do anything to block a Cuban consulate from coming to Tampa, but also wouldn’t lift a finger to try to lure it here. It’s a position he’s held throughout his political career.
That stance is opposed by the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, who has written a letter in support of “The Tampa Accord.”
