U.S.-CUBA HURRICANE CONFERENCE:
U.S. State Dept. Interferes with Historic Event
_______________________________________________________________________________________
| Contact: |
Randy Poindexter |
Jennifer Schuett |
| |
Conference Organizer |
Center for International Policy |
| |
504-453-4827 |
202-232-3317 |
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Press
Release:
A
historic meeting took place in Monterrey, Mexico, May 24-25, as
Cuban and U.S. hurricane experts gathered to exchange ideas and
information just as hurricane season began. However, one participant
failed to appear, thanks to untimely interference by the US State
Department.
The
U.S.-Cuba Hurricane Conference was the first event of its kind.
Wayne Smith of the Center for International Policy and co-coordinators
Randy Poindexter of New Orleans and Jay Higgenbotham of Mobile
assembled participants from along the hard-hit Gulf Coast region
to attend the summit. They met with leading Cuban experts to discuss
how to better prepare for hurricanes.
Unable
to attend was US meteorologist Lixion Avilia, from Miami, FL,
who was contacted in Dallas en route to Monterrey by the U.S.
State Department and ordered not to attend the conference.
The
conference proceeded as planned at the Technológico de
Monterrey, hosted by Dr. Victor Lopez Villafane. Guest speakers
included Pulitzer Prize winning writers Jed Horne and Mark Schleifstein
of the New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper, LSU Hurricane Center
scientist and author Ivor Van Heerden, as well as the emergency
management directors Walt Dickerson of Mobile County in Alabama,
Joe Spraggins of Harrison County in Mississippi and John Dosh
of Pensacola, Florida. Former FEMA officials Phil Cogan and Morrie
Goodman from Washington spoke, as did conference organizers Wayne
Smith, Randy Poindexter and Jay Higgenbotham.
Cuba
was represented by Chief of the Cuban Interests Section in the
U.S., Dagoberto Rodriguez, as well as a delegation from the island
led by well-known Cuban meteorologist Jose Rubiera who spoke about
Cuba's weather prognostications as well as their civil defenses
efforts.
Dr.
Jose Borges Rodriguez, Dr. Daniel Loriet Andreu, of the Henry
Reeve Medical Brigade, and Norys de las Mercedes Maderas of the
Cuban Ministry of Foreign Relations spoke of the offer of 1,600
medical doctors and 36 tons of medical supplies Cuba was prepared
to send to the U.S. in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and what
kind of assistance Cuba might provide again in the future. The
Henry Reeve Medical Brigade subsequently served Indonesia and
Pakistan following major earthquakes.
Participants
shared experiences and knowledge of disaster management and preparedness
on this rare occasion under a special grant provided by the Ford
Foundation. A grant from the Brownstone Foundation in Geneva,
Switzerland provided for the Cubans to attend. Conclusions were
drawn by all that the summit was a major success which must be
repeated again next year and to include more emergency management
directors.
June
1, 2007
Drafted by Randy Poindexter
Related
Article:
Cuba's
emergency plans well-rehearsed: Strategies compared
at meeting in Mexico, by Mark Schleifstein in
The New Orleans Times-Picayune, 6/03/08
