Segments of Miami’s Cuban exile community question Trump and Rubio

In Miami, segments of the Cuban exile community are voicing growing disappointment with Donald Trump and Marco Rubio over the absence of the decisive action against the Cuban government that some had expected. The reaction reflects a gap between the expectations of part of that community and the response they perceive from the two politicians. The discontent is public, but it belongs to certain segments and should not automatically be attributed to all Cuban emigrants.

The expectation of intervention in Cuba is central to the criticism. Some exiles had counted on stronger action after Trump threatened the Cuban government. Their frustration stems from the fact that this expectation has not been fulfilled. For these critics, the problem is not that measures against Havana have become tougher, but that the action they expected has not occurred.

Deportations of immigrants are also among the reasons associated with the discontent. That issue broadens the criticism beyond expectations regarding Cuba and connects the discussion with U.S. immigration policy. The matters are distinct, but both are linked to dissatisfaction expressed by some Cubans in Miami toward Trump and Rubio. This position belongs to certain segments of the exile community and does not necessarily represent the entire community.

Miami’s Spanish-language radio carries opinions that reveal the more critical tone of part of the exile community. Those programs feature questions about Trump and Rubio, contrasting with the hopes some had placed in a response from Washington toward Havana. The voices heard on the radio show how the disappointment has become public without turning it into a uniform position among Cubans living in South Florida.

The discontent is being expressed weeks before the legislative elections, during a period of political activity in the United States. The proximity of the vote provides the timing for the criticism over Cuba and deportations, but it does not change the focus of the complaint: some exiles expected more decisive action against the Cuban government and are expressing disappointment with Trump and Rubio.