FARMINGTON – A Cuban emigrant will speak Tuesday in Farmington about the importance of the United States normalizing relations with his birth county.

Andres Gomez emigrated as a young man from Cuba, several years after the revolution there.

Since then, he has lived in Miami but traveled throughout Latin America and back to Cuba many times.

A fluent speaker of both English and Spanish, Gomez is knowledgeable about the relationship between Cuba and the United States, having been a strong voice for changing U.S. policy toward Cuba and also encouraging Cuban-Americans to speak openly about the issues.

In the past year, Gomez has become one of the main spokespeople in regard to the case of the give Cubans presently held as political prisoners in the United States and is being supported by the Free The Five Committee, a national group based in San Francisco.

Tom Whitney, an activist with the Let Cuba Live of Maine organization, says Gomez’s nine-day tour of New England, which LCLM is sponsoring, is a timely one. “A great injustice has been done in the case of the Cuban Five prisoners in U.S. jails,” he said. “The U.S. government is threatening ‘regime change’ in Cuba more vigorously now than in 40 years. They announce today a committee for transition like a government in exile. Mr. Gomez will talk about the need to respect another nation’s sovereignty and lots more.”

Anyone with an interest in what their tax dollars go toward should come to the talk, Whitney said. “U.S. citizens know virtually nothing about Cuba and much they know is biased, this is attempt to break information blockade,” he said of Gomez’s visit and why people should attend his talks. “If they are U.S. citizens, they should be concerned when their government with their tax money bullies small nation. Also the embargo is cruel and illegal. 40 years is enough.”

Janet Caldwell, a University of Maine at Farmington graduate, a teacher and an activist for LCLM, was instrumental in bring Gomez to Maine. She says it’s important for people to learn the facts about their neighbor to the south. “Thousands of people have traveled to Cuba and return to speak of how they have been duped by the U.S. media and U.S. political agendas,” she said.

“Cuba is so contrary to the picture this country tries to draw that when folks travel there it doesn’t take long to realize that the blockade and travel restrictions are a silly waste of media time, taxpayers money, etc., and what it is doing to the Cuban people is not ethical. People owe it to themselves to attend a presentation where the truth can be heard.”

For Valerie Huebner, a chairperson for UMF’s diversity committee, providing a forum where people can hear first-hand about an important international issue is a way to better inform UMF students and the greater community.

“Cuba is in the news now and our relationship with Cuba is being discussed again. This talk is just for the person who wants to be more affirmed with the world they live in,” Huebner said. “That way they can make their own judgments.”

Gomez will speak Tuesday, Oct. 14, at UMF’s dining hall. At 6 p.m., Cuban desserts and coffee will be served and Gomez’s presentation will begin at 7 p.m. with a question and answer session to follow.

He will also be making presentations Monday night at Bowdoin College and Wednesday evening at Colby College.

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