and from the very brief look I took, he does seem to be very active in trying to manipulate public opinion in favor of the right-wing Cuban "exile" reactionaries who are purely opposed to opening relations with Cuba until they can all sweep back into power themselves, and take over the country once again, having everything back, just the way they had it before the people of Cuba threw them out in the late 1950's. Damned creepy people. It looks as if he finds ways to throw around a lot of money trying to influence the "right" people.
Here's some of a site I found:
Co-Founder and Director, U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC. Age: 32
A Florida native raised in Madrid, Mauricio J. Claver-Carone is an attorney, a prominent advocate of U.S. policy against the current Cuban government, one of eight executive committee members of the U.S.-Cuba Democracy Political Action Committee (PAC), and the Executive Director of the Cuba Democracy Public Advocacy Corp.
Outspoken in print and on television, he has watched as the Cuban-American community has unified to create the largest foreign-policy political action committee in the country—and the largest, single Hispanic political contributor in U.S. history. His advocacy stems both from “the respect of fundamental human rights for the Cuban people,” and the words of 19th century abolitionist leader, William Lloyd Garrison: “With reasonable men, I will reason; with humane men I will plead; but to tyrants I will give no quarter, nor waste arguments where they will certainly be lost.”
His own keys to success continue to be discretion and humility, and his greatest accomplishment “is the fact that my deepest personal beliefs in freedom and democracy are at the core of my professional advocacy.”
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From AP news:
Supporters of tough U.S. sanctions against the Cuban government have given more than $10 million to congressional campaigns over the last seven years, according to a study released late Sunday night by a group supporting campaign finance reform.
The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Public Campaign said the study shows how large sums of money from a small group can influence lawmakers. Public Campaign cites a number of times in which lawmakers changed their position on Cuba-related issues within months of receiving funds from a political action committee that supports the U.S. embargo of the communist island.
Those who back U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC say they are being unfairly targeted for their passionate views toward their homeland. They note many other groups channel money to politicians who support their views.
“Perhaps it’s the age-old story of money and politics, but 18 members switched their votes on the subject, some in very close proximity to when they got donations,” said Public Campaign’s David Donnelly.
“When an issue is not in the front view like health care, our campaign finance system sets up a situation in which the members are more interested in the money than deciding a rational, reasoned approach to politics, regardless of what the outcome,” he added.
Mauricio Claver-Carone, the Washington-based director to the PAC, says the group is simply exercising its constitutional right to political participation.
More:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=post&forum=1014&pid=756820
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The Miami Herald
Tue, July 12, 2005
New lobby kills threats to embargo
A young Cuban- American lobbyist and a first-term Florida congresswoman were credited with defeating efforts to ease U.S. sanctions against Havana.
BY PABLO BACHELET
WASHINGTON - As efforts to weaken U.S. sanctions on Cuba seemed to gain strength on Capitol Hill last year, a young Cuban-American lobbyist and a first-term congresswoman from Florida swung into action to quash the initiatives.
Mauricio Claver-Carone, a director of the U.S.-Cuba Democracy Political Action Committee, contacted more than 120 lawmakers, donated money to their campaigns and urged them to reject any easing of the trade and travel sanctions.
With first-term Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Pembroke Pines Democrat, urging her brethren to vote against the initiatives, Congress rejected five of the initiatives two weeks ago.
Together, Claver-Carone and Wasserman Schultz represent a reorganization of the Cuban-American lobby in Washington that seems to be recovering the clout it had when the late Jorge Mas Canosa ran the Cuban American National Foundation.
http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/us-cuba/claver-carone.htm
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From his Wikipedia:
Background[edit]
Claver-Carone was born in Florida and raised in Madrid, Spain. Before going into political advocacy, he was an attorney-advisor for the U.S. Department of the Treasury. He also served as a Clinical Assistant Professor at The Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law and as an Adjunct Professor at the George Washington University Law School. Claver-Carone earned his B.A. degree magna cum laude from Rollins College, J.D. cum laude from The Catholic University of America and LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from Georgetown University Law Center.
He is host of the foreign policy show "From Washington Al Mundo" on Sirius-XM's Cristina Radio (Channel 146).
Poder Magazine has recognized him as one of 20 entrepreneurs, executives, leaders and artists under 40 who are shaping the future of the US and the world.
Cuba Lobby[edit]
He has written numerous columns in support of US policies against the Cuban military dictatorship, particularly the United States embargo against the Cuban regime, and in favor of a peaceful democratic transition in the island. He has taken part in various televised debates on US-Cuba relations.
He is presently Executive Director of Cuba Democracy Public Advocacy. In an independent capacity, he also serves on the Board of Directors of the US-Cuba Democracy PAC, which purports to be the largest, single foreign-policy political action committee in the United States, and the largest Hispanic political action committee in history.
He is also editor of the blog, Capitol Hill Cubans.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauricio_Claver-Carone
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