116 representatives oftheKennedy administrationwouldbeattending. From Guevara, totheAllianceforProgress summitinUruguay, knowingthat paramilitary attack,Castrosent hisrevolutionarydeputy, Ernesto‘Che’ infamous BayofPigsinvasion. Only fourmonthsafterthefailedCIA-led ’s firstattemptatcigardiplomacycameintheaftermath ofthe CHE: THEFIRST CIGARDIPLOMAT dialogue towardmorenormaltieswiththeUnitedStates. than not Fidel’s favorite Cohiba Lanceros—as apeace offering to open “cigar diplomacy,” often providingitsworld-classtobaccoproducts—more sion inU.S.–Cubanrelations,Cubahasrepeatedlypracticed theartof throughout themorethanhalfacenturyofacrimony, hostilityandaggres- astute useofitsfamouscigarsascreativediplomatictools. Indeed, right, conductedsecrettalkswithCheGuevaraintheearly1960s. refugees, bottom,awaitprocessing.WhiteHouseaideRichardGoodwin, dock inKeyWest, Florida,asanotherboatdocksatU.S.Customs.Cuban During the1980Marielboatlift,top,relativesofCubanrefugeesline dure” throughwhichtalkscould bequietlypursuedbutforthenextyear. has begun,”andeventaskedthe CIAtodevelopa“precise,covertproce- tion “seeksomewayofcontinuing thebelow-grounddialoguethatChe recommended toKennedythattheadministra- mediate results.Goodwin a peacefulco-existencebetween Washington im - andHavanaproduced their conversation,“Isaid,‘Too latenow, Mr. President.’” recalled cigars couldbeusedtoassassinateheadsofstate. AsGoodwin first one,”thePresidentjoked,inanobliqueacknowledgement that Cuban supportforrevolutioninLatinAmericaamongthem—toadvance States andwaswillingtonegotiateonkeyissues—expropriatedproperties, made it clear that Cuba sought a peaceful coexistence with the United aggrieved littlecountrytoanequal.” Nowempoweredasequal,Guevara abled Castro to consolidate the revolution and “transformed them from an tives onovercomingthehostilestateofrelations. recalled,astheysharedperspec- lighted theMontevideoskies,”Goodwin room filled withcigarsmoke,theirconversationlasted“untildawnhad wouldlaterdeclare.Asthe to lethimoutprolitarianizeme,”Goodwin When Guevarasatonthefloor, didthesame.“Iwasnotgoing Goodwin private room totalkcandidlyaboutthefutureofU.S.–Cubanrelations. atapartyandinvitinghimsitdownin that, approachingGoodwin myself toextendingmyhand.” Guevara’s notestatedsimply:“To writetotheenemyisdifficult.Ilimit States. InCuba’s firstseriousactofdiplomacytomoverelationsforward, butratherforthePresidentofUnited intended notforGoodwin, seal oftheRepublicCuba;notemadeitclearthattheywere box ofCubancigarswithahandwrittennotefromCheGuevara.” but Ican’t getthemathomeanymore.’Nextdayinmyroomtherewasa recalledhisresponse:“Isaid,‘Hell,I’dsmoketheminaminute Goodwin bet [you] wouldn’t smoke Cuban cigars.” In aninterview with the authors, LarretaacrosstheroomtoconveythisColdWarRodríguez challenge:“I ice withadiplomaticdare.HesentanArgentinediplomatnamedHoracio smokingacigar,House aide,RichardGoodwin, anddecidedtobreakthe the othersideofconferenceroom,GuevaraobservedayoungWhite Neither Castro’s cigardiplomacynorGuevara’s proposalstonegotiate fortheBayofPigswhich,hesaid,haden- Guevara thankedGoodwin At animpromptuall-nightmeetinginMontevideo,Guevaradidjust The cigarswereencasedinanornatemahoganyboxinlaidwiththe “You shouldhavesmokedthe recalledthescene.Goodwin off theendandlititup,”as ately took one out of the box, bit best,’ whereuponheimmedi- Mr. President! No, they are the AndIsaid,‘Good, they good?’ “opened themandhesays,‘Are gift boxofcigars.Kennedy Kennedy andgivehimGuevara’s to theWhiteHousebrief to Washington, he went directly historic conversation. in asecret memorandum of this recorded dus vivendi,”Goodwin that goal.“Theywouldlikeamo- When returned Goodwin

top left: AP Photo; bottom left: AP Photo/Phil Sandlin; right: Hank Walker/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images Kennedy ignored Cuba’s overture. Instead, he deferred to the hawks in his his chosen courier, Democratic Party operative Frank Mankiewicz. administration who continued to focus on overthrowing Castro and roll- Mankiewicz traveled to Cuba with two colleagues, Saul Landau and ing back the Cuban revolution. Kirby Jones, to do a television interview with Castro, and personally Only in the aftermath of the Cuban missile crisis which brought the handed him Kissinger’s note. “This is a very serious communication and world to the brink of nuclear war did the White House resurrect the concept we will, of course, consider it very carefully,” Castro told the group after of a “below-ground dialogue” with Cuba. During the last months of his tragi- reading the message in his study. Before they returned, Castro gave cally abbreviated administration, Kennedy pursued secret diplomatic talks Mankiewicz a handwritten response for Kissinger agreeing to undertake a with Castro toward a potential rapprochement, using a series of intermediar- series of secret meetings between their respective representatives. ies including a French journalist named Jean Daniel. On November 22, To punctuate his willingness to engage in a secret dialogue with 1963, at the very moment the President was assassinated in Dallas, Daniel was in Cuba sharing with Castro a message of reconciliation that Kennedy had personally asked him to de- liver. “This is an end to your mission of peace,” Castro ex- claimed as they listened to the shocking news on radio. “This is an end to your mission….”

KISSINGER’S CUBA DÉTENTE Another decade would pass before the two countries reen- gaged in serious, and very secretive, talks toward normal relations. This time the initiative was undertaken by Secre- tary of State . Once again, Castro used cigars to help the dialogue get off to a promising start. Kissinger faced a diplomatic conundrum over U.S. policy toward Cuba. At home, there was growing pressure in the U.S. Congress to lift the trade embargo, including from Sena- tors and Congressmen who relished a good Cuban cigar. Abroad, Washington’s efforts to isolate Castro in Latin America were now isolating the instead. One Envoys carried Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s note to Castro, and came home with by one, Latin American nations were breaking with the cigars. Left to right: Frank Mankiewicz, Saul Landau, Fidel Castro and Kirby Jones. multilateral embargo that the OAS, under U.S. pressure, had passed in 1964 banning economic and diplomatic ties with Cuba. In the Washington, Castro gave Mankiewicz, Jones and Landau a special box of summer of 1974, the OAS had scheduled a vote to lift the multilateral Cohibas. “This is a box for Henry Kissinger,” he told them. Since travel sanctions (which would finally be lifted in 1975) . “We have a poor hand between Havana and Miami was prohibited at the time, Castro provided to play and should ask for a new deal before we lose our last chip,” one aide his private plane to fly them to Nassau, so that they could more quickly travel to the States and give Kissinger both his note and the cigars. “This is a very serious But in Nassau, Castro’s effort at cigar diplomacy was almost thwarted by a disciplined Custom’s officer. “We had 12 boxes of cigars,” Kirby Jones communication and, we will, recalled. “And they did not fit in the luggage. We decided just to carry of course, consider it very them.” When the Customs agent noticed what they were carrying he said, carefully,” said Fidel Castro. “Oh my god, what do we have here?” As the agent threatened to confis- cate all of the cigars as contraband, Mankiewicz stood up for cigar diplo- He backed up his will to talk macy. “Son,” he recalled telling the young agent, “this box of cigars is a with a gift—a box of cigars. personal gift for Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Are you sure you want to take them away?” Mankiewicz prevailed. “If you guys are crazy enough warned Kissinger in a classified memorandum on the need to negotiate to think you can get these in [to Kissinger],” the Customs officer told with Castro before the OAS vote. them as he relented, “you deserve to take them.” Mankiewicz completed The Secretary of State agreed. Kissinger decided to make a virtue out his mission, delivering the cigars to the Secretary of State. of necessity and use these diplomatic circumstances as an opportunity for So began the most serious diplomatic effort to normalize relations an historic accord with Cuba. In late June of 1974, he sent a secret, since Washington broke ties with Havana in January 1961. Over the next handwritten, note to the Cuban leader. Kissinger’s message—unsigned 18 months, Kissinger and Castro’s emissaries traveled back and forth in order to maintain plausible denial if it leaked—stated that he was between Washington and Havana; holding furtive meetings in lounges at anxious to discuss bilateral issues and hoped “to find a way to communi- La Guardia and National airport, the private homes of U.S. officials and cate.” Such discussions needed to be conducted discretely, using interme- even the swanky Pierre Hotel in City to address the issues that diaries. “This is the way I did it with Chou En-lai,” Kissinger informed had divided the two countries since the 1959 revolution. “It is better to

119 122 engaged inaseriesofopenand back-channeltalkswiththeCuban Cuban cigar.was knowntoloveagood TheClintonadministration offered muchopportunityforcigar diplomacywithCuba.ButBillClinton Cuba andestablishedfulldiplomatic relations.” thors, “Ishouldhavegoneaheadandbeenmoreflexibleindealing with House,” theformerpresidentlateradmittedinaninterviewwith theau- Cuba. “Ithinkinretrospect,knowingwhatIknowsinceleft theWhite a landslide—nosecondchancetopursuenormalizingrelations with There would be no second termfor matic gestureof100premiumcigars—provedtobetoolittleand toolate. boatlift—and to curry favor withSecretaryof State Muskie with a diplo- 1980 tohelpJimmyCarter’s chancesforreelectionbyendingtheMariel incident betweenCubaandtheUnitedStatesbysendingprivate flightsoverCuba. José Basulto,thepresidentofBrotherstoRescue,triggeredamajor diplomatic be lifted and relations fully normalized. Castro’s attempt in the fall of manded thatCastrogethistroopsoutofAfricabeforetheembargocould Washington thatfunctionedlikeEmbassies.Buttheadministrationde- matic relationsthroughthe creation of “Interest Sections” in Havana and tive andmadesignificantearlygainsinestablishingatleastpartialdiplo- The CarteradministrationattemptedtopickupontheKissingerinitia- CLINTON’S CONTRABAND COHIBAS gency plansto,ashetoldthePresident,“clobberpipsqueak.” withCastrotoorderingcontin- designed toarriveatan accommodation relations, and Kissinger himself went from pursuing secret diplomacy election year evolved, President Ford tacked rightward on improved pursue betterrelationswithHavana.Indeed,asthe1976Presidential political latitudefortheRepublicanadministrationofGeraldFordto supported South African invasion of Angola dramatically narrowed the 1975 todispatch36,000CubantroopsAfricafendoffaCIA- détente totheCaribbeaneventuallyfailed.Castro’s audaciousdecisionin chivalrously; doitlikeabigguy, notlikeashyster.” deal straight with Neither nor the administration of George H.W. Bush But despiteseriousintentions,theKissingerinitiativetobring Castro,” Kissinger instructed his deputies. “Behave Carter—he lost to Ronald Reagan in Carter—helost to Ronald Reagan in

know youhavethosecigars.They areleavingthisofficerightnowand the president,”hesternlyinstructed Nuccio.“Thepresidentwillnever banned Cuban cigars from Fidel Castro. “Those cigars will never get to thepotentialpolitical implications ofClintonreceivingunderstood you liketogiveithim?” from President Castro to president Clinton,” Nuccio told him. “Would Security AdvisorSamuelBerger. “Ihaveaboxofcigars.Apersonalgift with theauthors. he said,“Getthistothepresident,”Nucciorecountedinan interview his deskandpulledoutadufflebagfullofcigars.”GivingNuccio abox, asked himtocomeRichardson’s CapitolHilloffice. “Hereachedunder letters totheFAA, directphonecallstotheState Departmentanda available channelofcommunication—formaldiplomaticnotes,official a seriousthreattonationalsecurity. TheCastrogovernmentusedevery not onlyaviolationofCubansovereignty;theCubansperceivedthemas dropped from small airplanes on the countryside, these overflights were he boasted.“Theregimeisnotinvulnerable.” penetration of Cuban airspace served “as a message to the Cuban people,” tation,” BasultodeclaredafteroneincursionofCubanairspace.His propaganda leafletsandreligioustrinketsonthecity. “We wantconfron- José Basulto, began overflyingHavanaandrainingdown bumper stickers, Brothers totheRescue(BTTR),ledbyaveteran,anti-Castroexilenamed in theannalsofU.S.–Cubanrelations. ofcigardiplomacy of Cubanairspace—ledtoonethestrangerepisodes political prisonersforapresidentialguaranteeofhaltinghostileincursions first term, Fidel Castro’s personal effort to arrangea unique exchange— rorism andcounternarcoticscooperation.Toward theendofClinton’s tions, establishU.S.mediabureausinHavanaandcounter-ter government, to normalize migration, improve military-to-military rela In an election year in which Florida would beaswing state, Berger Nuccio took the box directly to the West Wing office of National For acountrywithlonghistoryofexileterrorism,includingbombs In late 1994, an organization of Cuban-American pilots known as sor to the President and Secretary of State for Cuban Affairs, and sor tothePresidentandSecretaryofStateforCubanAffairs, BTTR flights.HealsocalledRichardNuccio,theSpecialAdvi - that the FAA hadbeen instructed togroundBasultoand his the WhiteHouseandreceivedassurancesfromanofficialthere to thePresidentofUnitedStates. mission, CastrogaveRichardsonaspecialboxofCohibasasgift several prisonersinreturn. To underscoretheimportance of this ton thattheflightswouldbestopped.”ThenCastrorelease “should gobacktoWashington and getanassurancefromClin- of politicalprisoners.Castroofferedaquidproquo:Richardson Richardson arrivedinHavanatolobbyforthereleaseofagroup capital exhorting the Cuban people to “Change Things Now,” days afterBasultodroppedahalfmillionleafletsovertheCuban convey thismessagetoClinton.OnJanuary17,1996,justfour Bill RichardsonbecamethekeyintermediaryCastrousedto House toclipBasulto’s wingsandhalt hisflights. BTTR flightswouldnotbetoleratedandtopresstheWhite House—to makeitcleartotheClintonadministrationthat stream of messagessentthroughintermediariestothe White When Richardson returned to Washington, he contacted A thenlittle-knownCongressmanfromNewMexiconamed - -

Alan Diaz/Getty Images going back to your office and going right into the safe. And if I ever hear self-defeating posture. “We’ve been engaged in a failed policy with Cuba that the president knows that there are cigars for him, I’ll know where he for the last 50 years, and we need to change it,” he declared as a candidate got that information.” in 2007. To his credit, he has expanded “people-to-people” travel to But the saga of Castro’s attempt at cigar diplomacy with President Cuba, and lifted all restrictions on the ability of Cuban-Americans to visit Clinton did not end there. Concerned about protocol, Berger filed a re- their families on the island. While the tone of relations has changed for port with the White House Secret Service that the illicit cigars should be the better, however, the overall policy has not. In his first six years in officially confiscated and destroyed. Nuccio recalled what happened next: office, Obama has failed to lift the ban imposed by his predecessor on “These security guys would show up and say: ‘Sir, we’re here to confiscate bringing home even one box of Cuban cigars from Havana, let alone the Cuban contraband’ and I would say: `There’s no Cuban contraband. moved U.S. policy toward Cuba into the 21st century. This was brought in by a member of Congress and it needs to be pre- With two years to go in Obama’s presidency, conditions for a rap- served.’ The officials would respond, “ ‘Well alright sir, but we’ll get back prochement between Washington and Havana seem more propitious to you about this.’ ” than ever. Facing no more elections, Obama no longer has to concern After several such visits, a team of Secret Service agents arrived at himself with the political implications of using his presidential powers to Nuccio’s office and informed him that they had specific orders “to destroy advance relations. Nor does he need to worry about the impact on his the Cuban contraband” and demanded that he turn over the cigars. “We would-be successor, Hillary Clinton, who has already stated publicly that went to the men’s room and they went into a stall and crumpled every cigar the embargo is counterproductive to U.S. interests. into the toilet and flushed them down the toilet,” Nuccio recalled ruefully. Obama’s legacy would be aptly served by breaking the enduring log- The agents also tore up the cedar box the cigars had been in and tossed it jam of Cuba policy. Hemispheric diplomacy will soon provide him with in the trash. All that remained of Castro’s gift was a band from one of the an opportunity—should he choose to take it. Like Kissinger in 1974, Cohibas that Nuccio asked to keep “so I could prove this story.” Obama confronts a rebellion of Latin American nations, demanding that Sad as it was, the fate of the presidential Cohibas paled in comparison Cuba no longer be excluded from regional affairs. Despite Washington’s to the human and political tragedy that followed. When he returned to objections, Panama, which is hosting the Seventh Summit of the Ameri- Cuba in early February 1996 to take three political prisoners back to the cas next April, has invited Cuba. Raúl Castro’s government has indicated U.S., Richardson left Castro with the incorrect impression that Clinton that he will participate. Obama will likely attend rather than boycott and had personally ordered the BTTR flights to be halted. Indeed, Castro in- formed his top aides that he “had a clear commitment from one head of “The United STates seeks a New state to another that the flights would be stopped.” Yet, three weeks later Basulto’s plane and two other BTTR Cessnas took off from Opa-Locka beginning with Cuba ... I know airport in Miami and attempted to penetrate Cuban airspace once again. there’s a longer journey that The Cuban air force scrambled its MiG fighters and shot two of them must be traveled to overcome down, killing four pilots and copilots, and generating a major interna- tional crisis. Castro was livid at what he considered Clinton’s betrayal; decades of Mistrust.” Clinton announced new sanctions against the Castro regime and —President Barack Obama in 2009 promptly signed a draconian piece of legislation—sponsored by Senator Jesse Helms and Congressman Dan Burton—known as the Cuban Liberty risk damaging U.S. relations with the entire hemisphere; if so, the presi- and Democratic Solidarity Act, codifying the trade embargo into law, and dents of the United States and Cuba may well come face to face in a severely restricting the power of future presidents to fully normalize rela- working diplomatic forum for the first time since the 1959 Cuban tions with Cuba without Congressional approval. revolution. “The United States seeks a new beginning with Cuba,” Obama A CIGAR FOR OBAMA? declared at the first Summit of the Americas he attended in 2009. “I know In the 18 years since the shoot-down and passage of the Helms-Burton there’s a longer journey that must be traveled to overcome decades of bill, U.S.–Cuban relations have remained largely caught in a Cold War mistrust, but there are critical steps we can take toward a new day.” One time-warp, despite changes in both nations. In Cuba, Fidel Castro fell ill such step would be for Obama and Castro to seize the opportunity at the in July 2006 and passed the baton of power to his brother, Raúl, who is forthcoming summit to sit down and talk informally about how to im- currently leading the country through a slow and difficult transition from prove U.S.-Cuban relations, which both have stated they want to do. a Soviet-style centrally planned economy to a socialist market economy Perhaps Raúl will bring Obama a box of Cohiba Lanceros as a peace modeled on Vietnam and China. In the United States, opinion polls now offering. Then they can smoke a Cuban together while they contemplate show a majority of U.S. citizens, and more importantly, Cuban-Americans how to move beyond more than 50 years of hostility that no longer serves in Florida, favor normal relations. Yet, the embargo persists, as do U.S. the interests of either nation toward a new beginning, and a new day, in efforts to foster regime change in Cuba through semi-covert “democracy U.S.-Cuban relations. v promotion programs.” The United States is now the only nation in the Western Hemisphere that does not have fully normal diplomatic and Peter Kornbluh and William M. LeoGrande are coauthors of the just-published economic ties with Cuba. book, Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations Between To be sure, President Obama understands the folly of this the United States and Cuba (Univ. of North Carolina Press, October 2014).

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