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Cuban Kids from the 60s ExodusP.O. Box 1433
Redondo Beach, CA 90278
Cuban Kids from the 60s [email protected]
www.cubankids1960.com
June 19, 2010
James Jacoby - Writer and ProducerChristie Gripenburg
Producer
Re: The Documentary Escape from Havana
As a whole, the documentary Escape from Havana was
disappointing. When contacted requesting informationabout Operation
Pedro Pan, the stated purpose of the documentary was to highlight
the upcoming 50th anniversary ofOperation Pedro Pan and inform the
American public regarding the virtually unknown largest
humanitarian effort ofthe 20
thCentury.
Giving credit where its due, the documentary did a very good job
depicting the atrocities of the Castro regime, and thedaily
deterioration of freedom and human rights which continue to this
day. These were the events which forced ourparents to send us
unaccompanied to a foreign land. As the Pedro Pan mother clearly
states in the documentary, Ifeel guilty because of what they
suffered and the separation was terrible, but at least they have
freedom and if I hadto do it again I do it again!
Unfortunately, after a superior opening, the documentary
deviated from the Operation Pedro Pan narrative.
A huge disservice-- to the Pedro Pan community at large and to
the courageous parents who made sacrifices--, wasperformed in the
choosing of two very controversial Pedro Pan whose personal and
political philosophies do notaccurately represent the overwhelming
majority of Pedro Pan.
The allegation of CIA involvement has been around for well over
a decade and never been substantiated. Under theFreedom of
Information Act (FOIA), attempts have been made to obtain
government documents linking the CIA andPedro Pan. In 1998 two
separate newspaper articles --Professor Plans to Sue CIA Over Cuba
Airlift Papers (MiamiHerald) and Cubans Face Past as Stranded
Youths in U.S. (New York Times)--document the efforts to
obtainrecords detailing CIA responsibility and control of Pedro
Pan. None were found.
Years later, an article titled Operation Pedro Pan published in
Oye Magazine states, We identified several documentsthat made
mention of the unaccompanied children leaving Cuba, but it made it
very clear there was no CIA activitywith these children. In the
article CIA spokesperson Anya Guilsher further states, By the
context of thosedocuments, it was clear that there was no CIA
activity or involvement in that exodus. Guilsher then added, We
haveuncovered no information to suggest that any unintended or
intended purpose was to induce parents to send theirchildren
unaccompanied to Florida.
The obligatory claims of CIA stonewalling and using national
security as a reason for not releasing the documents failthe smell
test. There has been a general declassification and release of
documentation by the US government underthe FOIA pertaining to: The
Bay of Pigs Invasion, The October Missile Crisis, and other
historical events of that era.To date, there is no documentation
anywhere detailing CIA involvement in Operation Pedro Pan.
The narrator portrays "The Lost Apple" as a film made under the
auspices of a JFK created top secret organizationinvolving the
state department and the CIA--The Special Group Augmented--and
shown throughout Latin Americaas a scare tactic. It is obvious the
narrator did not take the time to view the film or research the
intended use of thefilm.
In fact The Lost Apple is a documentary funded by the United
States Information Agency, produced by DavidSusskind and completed
in 1963. The film lasts approximately 25 minutes and follows the
journey of Roberto, a sixyear-old Cuban as he acclimates to the
Florida City camp.
At the time the film was made, the Florida camps were
overflowing with kids. The intent of the film was to show it
atvarious dioceses through the U. S. in the hopes either
organizations or foster parents could be found to house thekids and
relieve the overcrowding in the camps. By the time it was
completed, the film was overcome by events. As aresult of the
October Missile Crisis, flights between the two countries were
discontinued. The daily flow of Pedro Pankids stopped and soon the
overcrowded condition at the camps eased.
8/9/2019 Cuban Kids of 60s Exodus CNBC Letter
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Cuban Kids from the 60s ExodusP.O. Box 1433
Redondo Beach, CA 90278
Cuban Kids from the 60s [email protected]
www.cubankids1960.com
According to Monsignor Walsh the film was never distributed and
was archived. Occasionally it was shown at PedroPan gatherings or
when out of town Pedro Pan would visit him.
The documentary introduces the Founder and Executive Director of
Puentes Cubanos as having devoted her life to
ending the embargo the result of an epiphany which occurred in
1994 when visiting family in Cuba. While everyoneis entitled to
his/her own opinion, the narrator exclaims she is far from the only
Pedro Pan pushing for a change adisingenuous statement insinuating
a majority or large number of Pedro Pan agrees with or supports
this effortwhich is not true.
Closer examination reveals Puentes Cubanos, a non profit
incorporated in 1999 and dissolved in June of 2009, paidits Founder
and Executive Director a monthly salary. The Founder and Executive
Director of Puentes Cubanos wasalso compensated by other sponsoring
organizations for escorting travel groups to Cuba. In the same time
frame,Puentes Cubanos hired Carlos Alvarez, a self confessed and
convicted unregistered agent of the Cuban Governmentas a
facilitator who traveled four times to Cuba on trips organized by
Puentes Cubanos.
Further inspection reveals the founder of the now defunct
Puentes Cubanos is an officer and one of the incorporatorsof Cuba
Puentes, a for profit corporation incorporated in May of 2009.
Counting on legislation now in Congress toopen unrestricted travel,
Cuba Puentes would charge a fee to escort groups and individuals
traveling to Cuba.
It is regrettable these clarifications and assertion of facts
have to be performed to correct the misstatements
andmisrepresentations of the documentary. As proud Pedro Pan we
consider it a matter of honor to present an accuratehistorical
perspective of our exodus.
In diverging from the Pedro Pan story, the documentary failed to
develop many of the relevant persons and storieswhich are an
integral part of Operation Pedro Pan. Monsignor Walsh, George
Guarch, and the Florida camps weregiven short shrift. No mention is
made of the people in Cuba who risked their lives and freedom
securing visa waiversand safe passage to the U.S for children they
did not know. The daily routine of camp life, the process of
relocationand adjusting to new environs, the essence of our journey
in a new land were also sadly left out.
The documentary is saved by the last sequence with Carlos Eire.
Excoriating the Castro regime in uncompromisinglanguage and
powerfully declaring he would never go back and patronize the
Castro regime, Carlos closes thedocumentary in masterful fashion.
Carlos Eire -- A Pedro Pan brother we support and embrace with
great pride!!
Hopefully this is the enduring image which the viewer will
remember!
Until we meet again!Oscar B. PichardoArturo BuenoEstela
BuenoBerta FreireFor The Cuban Kids Working Group
[email protected]
www.cubankids1960.com
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