STATEMENT BY CONGRESSMAN LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART REGARDING "MR. MAS' LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH"

The following is a press release from Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart in response to Jose Mas-Santos letter to President Bush............

Miami, FL - Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) issued the following statement today with regard to the "letter to President Bush" that Mr. Jorge Mas Santos and his organization are paying to have published in various newspapers:

"My phone number is in the telephone book and they would have saved themselves some confusion if they had called me.

I have never said that I would support unilateral changes to the Helms-Burton law, nor that I would accept a provisional government led by any of the Castro brothers.

I have fought intensely throughout the years against any changes to the Helms-Burton law and will continue to do so, including many much smaller changes than those.

Perhaps it would have been useful if they had called me, for they are taking as fact incorrect assertions in the press that have distorted my positions.

Precisely the reason for which I insist upon the return of sovereignty to the Cuban people through multiparty elections, is so that no transitional government that continues the dictatorship can be acceptable, led either by the Castro brothers, Alarcón, Colomé Ibarra, Ramiro Valdés, etc. To me there is no difference between any of them. None of them has nor would have any legitimacy. The only legitimate government would be one that is the result of free and multiparty elections.

I do not disagree with the positions on Helms-Burton in this letter by Mr. Mas. What is unfortunate is that he insinuates that our community is divided, when it is not. He could have prevented that insinuation with a simple telephone call. The saddest part of this is that Mr. Mas and his group spend large amounts of money to divide our community instead of trying to help us fight the dictatorship."

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