Cubanamerican singer Gloria Estefan says she doesn't regret the debate over freedom of speech in which she recently became involved after she spoke up in defense of a Dade County advisory board member who was removed from her position for advocating Castro associated artists be allowed to perform in Miami. ''It's very simple. Freedom of speech means letting everybody talk, including those with whom one disagrees. A small group, hiding behind the microphone of a radio station, has manipulated my words, has lied and has insulted us,'' said Estefan. ''That is not going to make me change my mind. I defend and will defend freedom of speech because it's one of the important things that separates us from Castro's Cuba. There isn't any freedom of speech there like there is here, and I honor all the blood that's been spilled for that.''
Estefan spoke with Exito as she left the CBS Telenoticias TV studios, surrounded by a knot of reporters and the curious. ''I want it to be well understood. I've been lied about and defamed on a Miami radio station,'' said Estefan. ''How could they call me a communist! Me, a communist? That really makes me angry.'' She then refused to take questions from Cuban radio station WCMQ, known for its strong anti-Castro stance. ''What do you want me to say when you are twisting my words,'' Estefan said to a WCMQ reporter. Someone from the crowd suggested Estefan seek equal time from WCMQ. ''What for?,'' shot back Emilio Estefan, Gloria's husband. ''So they can improve their ratings after the absurd things they've been saying? No, we're going to give our side and they can go on with theirs. People will soon know who is lying.''
WCMQ reporter Cary Roque said on the air during her 1 p.m. show ''Cuba a La Una'' that although her station had some differences of opinion with Estefan, they had treated the singer respectfully and that it was the Estefans who had made untrue statements about WCMQ. She said she felt the singer had been badly advised, regretted the rift and invited Estefan to talk things over on WCMQ.. According to Estefan, everything started a couple of weeks ago when she was reading the newspaper. She learned that, at Commissioner Bruce Kaplan's request, the Dade County Commission had removed Peggy McKinley from her position as a member of the county's advisory council on film and broadcasting.
McKinley had criticized members of the Cuban community opposed to allowing Castro associated artists to perform in Miami as a ''strident minority.'' This statement offended Cubans, most of whom don't want Castro to benefit from the fees his artists would earn here. However, Estefan was concerned about what she saw as a basic denial of freedom of speech. ''I felt insulted that woman was removed from her position for expressing an opinion. I said to myself, this is not the United States,'' said Estefan. ''I told my husband I was thinking of writing a letter to the paper, and my son said, Mom, why do you want to get involved in that mess?''
The reason she decided to get involved, said Estefan, is ''because I love freedom of speech, because I was raised in a country which has a lot of problems but also has something wonderful, freedom...'' Estefan sent her letter to the The Miami Herald in the midst of a controversy over the annual MIDEM Latin music conference and the threat by some individuals associated with it to seek another venue if Dade County did not waive its prohibition on dealing with Castro associated artists and entertainment companies.
Because Emilio Estefan is a music producer, some members of the Cuban community have questioned the motives of the the Estefans in becoming involved in the McKinley-MIDEM controversy, especially since they normally shy away from local political controversies. ''That's absurd,'' said Gloria Estefan hotly. ''We've never represented artists who live in Cuba. We've never made any deals with companies in Cuba. I already have a lot of money and I don't need to represent any Cuban singers. If they say I have economic interests, they're lying, and they're doing it to distort my position. I've been motivated only by the need to defend freedom of speech.''
Estefan said she approved of the position taken by Mayor Alex Penelas because taxpayers have a right to decide what they want to do with their tax dollars. Penelas criticized McKinley's removal but said he supported the county's ban on dealing with Castro associated artists or companies. ''In my letter I didn't mention MIDEM, or subsidies or anything else. I've only spoken out in favor of freedom of speech and I keep saying, long live freedom of speech!,'' said Estefan.
The issue of artists who have not broken with the Castro regime coming to perform in Miami has generated considerable controversy in recent years, as was the case with pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and singer Rosita Fornes. In those instances, the Estefans did not become involved. ''I wasn't in Miami then,'' said Emilio Estefan. ''When I got back, the situation had already died down. But I'm not one of those people who says no comment. I am clearly in favor of freedom of speech, which is to say, whoever wants to sing should be allowed to sing, whether they come from Cuba or wherever.''
Then Gloria Estefan broke in. ''That's our opinion. Let them talk if they want to. The fear is over. Yes, I'm in favor of musicians coming here from Cuba. ?Why not? I won't go see them, I don't like them, and I think it's great that whoever wants to protest against them can do that. That's freedom, the right to choose. I don't like Silvio Rodríguez, but if he wants to sing in Miami, he has the right to do so. I won't go see him. To each his own.'' The McKinley controversy is the second time in recent years the Estefans have been in hot water with some anti-Castro Cubans. When photos of the couple with Nelson Mandela appeared in the press, critics said it was not approprite for people regarded as representatives of the Cuban exile community to meet with someone who is one of Castro's strongest international supporters.
Gloria Estefan sees it differently. ''In the whole world, Nelson Mandela is a symbol of freedom. Mandela spent 20 years in jail, fighting against one of the cruelest things which has ever happened in the world, the racial apartheid system,'' said Estefan. ''I am against racism, against discrimination and for freedom. That's why when Mandela called our hotel in South Africa, I didn't even think about it and said yes, that we would be pleased to see him.'' After, Castro, she's the most famous Cuban in the world and people are constantly asking her about the situation in Cuba, said Estefan.
''People don't have a lot of information and when they ask me about it, I tell them about the drama of the exiles, the repression, the firing squads, the horror of communism. I'm very clear about that. I left Cuba when I was two years old. They took away my country, they stole the most intimate thing a human being can have. How could I forget that Fidel Castro was the person who did me so much harm?,'' said Estefan. Sometimes, speaking about Cuba is not easy, said Estefan.''When they invited me to sing at the Vatican, they asked me what I was going to say,'' said Estefan. ''I told them that I was going to ask the Holy Father for Cuba's freedom. And the Vatican official said, 'Oh no, my daughter, that's political. So I told them that if they didn't let me ask for Cuba's freedom, they would have to get someone else because I wouldn't sing. They gave in and as soon as I grabbed the mike I said it very clearly: Holy Father, do not forget to ask for Cuba's freedom in your prayers.''
Dade commissioner Bruce Kaplan thinks Gloria Estefan is wrong ''Singers from Cuba can't perform in Miami. If MIDEM brings them here, it would violate the embargo,'' said Kaplan. Kaplan said he wasn't happy with the alternative which has been proposed to get around the ban on having Castro associated performers in a county facility. According to that proposal, MIDEM would transfer its annual Latin music convention to a non-county venue. ''There is an economic embargo. There are county ordinances that forbid trading with Cuba,'' said Kaplan. If Kaplan trying to be a liberal for his South Beach constituents by proposing a gay rights ordinance and a conservative for his Little Havana constituents by standing up for the embargo against Castro?
''No, not at all,'' said Kaplan. ''I don't mind taking unpopular positions. What motivates me is to be on the side of what's right, and in this case I am convinced I did the right thing by requesting Peggy McKinley's removal from the advisory council. It's very simple. She was my representative and was supoosed to represent my points of view. When she took a position which was absolutely contrary to mine, the appropriate thing was to remove her. Anyone else would have done the same. For instance, an ambassador who does not express his government's point of view loses his job.'' McKinley said she never met with Bruce Kaplan during the three years she served on the advisory council and didn't know his views.
''The federal laws which regulate the embargo have certain exceptions,'' said McKinley. ''For instance, the arts, music, journalists, telecommunications and scholarly investigations are excluded from the embargo. The county ordinance has no exceptions and that's why I asked myself if it wouldn't be a good thing to make it more flexible to make it conform to Federal law. That's all. MIDEM brings a lot of money to the local economy and its absurd to scorn it.'' McKinley has now filed a federal law suit against the county over her dismissal.
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