Bahamians travelling to Florida may still be in danger of retaliatory action by Cuban Americans following the much publicised attack on an American journalist earlier this month.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell yesterday warned that Bahamians should still exercise caution when visiting Miami in particular, as protests continue in response to the beating of a Miami-based reporter at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre.
The Ministry of National Security confirmed yesterday that it had received an “interim report” on the incident, but could not divulge any of the findings as police are still actively investigating the matter.
Mr Mitchell told The Tribune that a meeting is planned today at his ministry with US Ambassador John Rood and representatives from the Ministry of Immigration and the Defence Force.
The results of this meeting, he said, will be forwarded by Ambassador Rood to the three Congressmen who had written to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice requesting her to intervene in the case of the beating.
On February 7, witnesses claim that Mario Vallegio – a reporter with the Spanish-language news channel Univison -was assaulted with a baton, allegedly by a Defence Force officer; after being turned away from video taping outside the Detention Centre.
According to eye-witnesses, Mr Vallegio and his camera team were attempting to capture the reunion of seven Cubans rescued from Elbow Cay, and their relatives who flew in from Miami to meet them.
Reports of the incident in US newspapers and on television have sparked protests by Cuban activists against the Bahamas.
Groups protesting in Miami called for a tourism boycott and one woman called in a bomb threat to the Bahamas consulate.
Joining in the protest, the Latin Builders Association, with 750 corporate members, announced it was suspending its annual fishing tournament and retreat in the Bahamas.
Yesterday, Mr Mitchell said that the Bahamas Ambassador to the US, Joshua Sears, has already met with the three Congressmen on Capitol Hill who wrote to Secretary of State Rice condemning the incident and demanding an investigation.
“The Ambassador met with them yesterday at Capitol Hill in Washington and described it as cordial. The members raised a number of issues that are of a concern with their Cuban-American residents in South Florida, about the most recent incidents, and more generally about the last incident (at the Detention Centre) and the fire that resulted in the initial report.
“They wanted to be aware of the changes that we made as a result, the protocols on access, medical care, communications, and the general treatment of the migrants. The Ambassador is back in the Bahamas and tomorrow morning at Foreign Affairs a technical meeting will be convened of ourselves, and all parties concerned to review the various concerns,” he said.
Mr Mitchell said that the findings of this meeting will be forwarded on to the Congressmen back in Washington for their further review.
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He said that all parties are making every effort to resolve the matter in the best interest of all concerned.
“As with all issues of this time, it is how you handle them when they occur. I think we have the skills to manage our way through it and it’s the goodwill on both sides that allows us to handle this issue.
“Everyone must keep calm and exercise patience, and it is still appropriate to exercise caution at this time when’ visiting Miami. But we are working as quickly as we can to get the matter defused,” he said.
By PAUL TURNQUEST: Tribune Staff Reporter
