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By Keith Lee Rupp
TAMPA, Florida – On the eve of the Summit of the Americas, the legislature of the nation’s third largest state – a land of about 20 million people and one of the most active gateways to Latin America – took a hardline stance against normalizing relations with Cuba. It’s a rarity: political posturing by a state legislature that could have both international and U.S. presidential consequences.
Florida’s House and Senate adopted identical memorial messages to President Barack Obama, stating they unequivocally oppose normalization and would oppose the opening of any Cuban diplomatic office in the state. The funny thing is most Floridians strongly support closer ties to their neighbor 90 miles to the south.
Not only do rank and file Floridians support stronger ties, but the business communities in most of Florida’s port cities – people who are used to having their elected officials pay attention when they are talking – have been simultaneously salivating over the prospect of hosting a Cuban consulate and politely making the case for why their city is better than the others.
Most Americans may think Miami when they think about Florida and Cuba. But, actually, Tampa has one of the largest Cuban-American populations in the country, and ties to the island nation go back to cigar trade in the 1800s. This is where Jose Marti gave some of his landmark speeches, and this is the port from which Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders set sail during the Spanish American War.
For years, business leaders here have been developing networks of contacts within Cuba. Those relationships took on new energy last year even before the president announced plans to restore relations. For example, the Tampa Chamber of Commerce is planning its third trip to Cuba in about a year. And other groups interested in everything from the arts to aquaculture are leaving from Tampa International Airport on a regular basis.
The politics surrounding Cuba are always messy. And Florida politics can be even messier. Adding layers of complication to the debate this time is that Florida has potentially two favorite son candidates for the Republican presidential nomination in former-Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio. Both are south Floridians who have denounced Obama’s Cuban initiative. These candidacies had a lot to do with the legislature’s action, and it highlights a fissure in the state between business and political leaders whom you would otherwise expect to be aligned.
[SEE: Editorial Cartoons on the 2016 Presidential Elections]
Albert Fox, head of the Tampa-based Alliance for Responsible Cuba Policy Foundation, told the Tampa Tribune this week that cities like New Orleans, Houston and Mobile – cities with large ports but small Cuban populations – could edge out the Florida cities in the hunt for a Cuban consulate.
Should a Cuban consulate be established someplace other than Florida, look for the missed opportunity to become an issue that could add yet another variable to Florida’s swing state calculus in 2016.
Keith Lee Rupp has advised major corporations and high profile individuals on public affairs and crisis management for more than 20 years, including a dozen years as a senior aide to three members of Congress. He is a vice president with Tucker/Hall, a Florida-based public relations firm.
