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Willie Velasquez and the Contras

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Willie Velasquez and the Contras I N F R O N T O F T H E C O S T A R I C A F O R E I G N M I N I S T R Y I N S A N J O S E , C O S T A R I C A . L E F T T O R I G H T : S T A T E R E P . E D D I E C A V A Z O S , F O R M E R L U L A C P R E S I D E N T M A R I O O B L E D O , S V R E P A N D S V R I P R E S I D E N T W I L L I E V E L A S Q U E Z , F O R M E R N E W M E X I C O G O V E R N O R T O N E Y A N A Y A , L A P C O O R D I N A T O R A N T O N I O G O N Z A L E Z , S V R I E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R B O B B R I S C H E T T O It was the end of January 1988. Willie Velasquez and the Southwest Voter Research Institute-Latin America Project (SVRI-LAP) T A L E S O F C E N T R A L A M E R I C A delegation were on route to DC from their V I G N E T T E 1 week-long fact-finding mission to Costa Rica and Nicaragua. WILLIE VELASQUEZ Velasquez was accompanied by a AND THE CONTRAS distinguished group of Latino leaders that included former New Mexico Governor Toney Anaya, former LULAC National President Mario Obledo, Texas State Representative Eddie Cavazos, UTSA Professor Avelardo “Lalo” Valdez, Brownsville Refugee Attorney Linda By Antonio Gonzalez Yanez, NPR Correspondent Alfredo Cruz, SVRI Executive Director Bob Brischetto and LAP MAY 9, 2018 Coordinator Antonio Gonzalez who all went ostensibly to learn about the Left: Thai Curry / Top: Sausage Rice Topping / Bottom: Burger and fries I N F R O N T O F A P O P U L A R M U R A L I N E S T E L I , N I C A R A G U A . L E F T T O R I G H T : M A U R I C I O ( O U R G U I D E ) , M A R I O O B L E D O , B O B B R I S C H E T T O , E D D I E C A V A Z O S , G O V E R N O R O F E S T E L I D E P A R T M E N T , U T S A P R O F E S S O R A V E L A R D O “ L A L O ” V A L D E Z , R E F U G E E A T T O R N E Y L I N D A Y A N E Z , T O N E Y A N A Y A , A N T O N I O G O N Z A L E Z , W I L L I E V E L A S Q U E Z , N A T I O N A L P U B L I C R A D I O C O R R E S P O N D E N T A L F R E D O C R U Z “Contadora Peace Process” supported by them to vote against Congress authorizing Venezuela, Panama, Colombia and Mexico and more military aid to the Nicaragua the “Esquipulas Peace Agreement” chiefly mercenaries called Contras who under CIA advocated by Costa Rica. guidance had waged guerrilla war mostly in northern Nicaragua since 1981. In the 1980’s President Reagan’s policy of so 30,000 Nicaraguans perished during the called “low intensity war” in Central America had Contra war. caused a massive influx of refugees into US Latino communities in the southwest as well as Willie’s groups’ experiences during their fact- Florida, New York, Maryland, and Illinois. Indeed finding mission had convinced them more New Mexico Governor Toney Anaya created than ever that Mexican Americans leaders quite a stir in 1984 when he declared New had to take a stand against funding Reagan’s Mexico a sanctuary state for Central American “low intensity war” in Nicaragua. At that time refugees. Anaya was Co-Chair of Jesse Jackson’s involvement in any foreign policy issue was Rainbow Coalition at the time. considered off limits by the big majority of Mexican American organizations, especially Willie’s plan was to meet with the 18-member groups receiving government, corporate or Congressional Hispanic Caucus and persuade Cuban-exile funding. TALES OF CENTRAL AMERICA, VIGNETTE 1 PAGE 2 L E F T T O R I G H T : N P R C O R R E S P O N D E N T A L F R E D O C R U Z , W I L L I E V E L A S Q U E Z ; S V R I E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R B O B B R I S C H E T T O , F O R M E R L U L A C P R E S I D E N T M A R I O O B L E D O , N U E V O D I A R I O E D I T O R F E R N A N D O C H A M O R R O , F O R M E R N E W M E X I C O G O V E R N O R T O N E Y A N A Y A , S T A T E R E P E D D I E C A V A Z O S , U T S A P R O F E S S O R L A L O V A L D E Z , L A P C O O R D I N A T O R A N T O N I O G O N Z A L E Z The only flight available from Costa Rica was After a minute or so I refocused and started on American through Miami with an looking around and lo and behold on the overnight stay, so I booked our group of six mirrored front desk were two thick long (we had lost Professor Lalo Valdez who lines of cocaine. We had obviously returned to Mexico City where he was living interrupted a party. I saw movement in the as a Fulbright scholar, Attorney Linda Yanez corner of my eye and a sheepish young who returned to Brownsville, TX, and NPR Cuban unfurled from a crouch behind the Correspondent Alfredo Cruz who returned to front desk. He gave me a smirk and quickly San Antonio) on the flight and for one night checked us in. Neither one of us at the Miami Airport Hilton. mentioned the coke lines right under our noses. It was Miami the cocaine capital of When we arrived bone tired past midnight at America in the 1980’s after all. the airport hotel, I sat the group in the hotel lounge and went to check us in. Except no We flew bright and early the next morning one was at the front desk, which was to DC. When we arrived, Willie went to see completely mirrored. Even in those days CHC Chairman Albert Bustamante, who Miami was glitzy. I yelled out softly “Hello, had been his bitter enemy dating back to anybody here” in English and then in Spanish Willie’s days as a Raza Unida Party (an “Hola, hay alguien aqui?” several times. independent nationalist Mexican American party in the southwest) leader in San TALES OF CENTRAL AMERICA, VIGNETTE 1 Antonio in the 1960’s. PAGE 3 A T U S A I R B A S E I N P A L M E R O L A , H O N D U R A S W I T H J U N E 1 9 8 6 C E N T R A L A M E R I C A I N F O R M A T I O N C E N T E R D E L E G A T I O N T O H O N D U R A S A N D N I C A R A G U A . L E F T T O R I G H T : T O P R O W E D D I E L O P E Z , L E E H A R R I S , M A R T H A ? , U S E M B A S S Y S T A F F P E R S O N , H O N D U R A N C O L O N E L , I R E N E M E N D O Z A .
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