Caleb Charles McCarry
(born October 24, 1961) was the
Bush administration's Cuba Transition Coordinator. The position developed out of the
Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba. McCarry described the Commission's purpose as to put forth "an intelligent, generous and above all respectful offer of support to the Cuban people" in efforts to end "the dictatorship
hat
A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...
has willfully and cruelly divided the Cuban family." His mission was described by the Cuban government as "part of a broader U.S. 'plan for Cuba's annexation.'"
McCarry was previously a professional staff member and subcommittee staff director for Rep.
Henry Hyde and Representative Benjamin A. Gilman who chaired the
House International Relations Committee
The United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs, also known as the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is a standing committee of the U.S. House of Representatives with jurisdiction over bills and investigations concerning the foreign affairs ...
. He is the son of the novelist and former CIA agent
Charles McCarry
Charles McCarry (June 14, 1930 – February 26, 2019) was an American writer, primarily of spy fiction, and a former undercover operative for the Central Intelligence Agency.
Biography
McCarry's family came from The Berkshires area of western M ...
. He speaks Spanish and has a degree in Spanish literature from the
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) is a public land-grant research university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system and was founded in 1863 as the ...
.
Biography
In 1990, McCarry was director of a
Guatemala
Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
n project of the Center for Democracy, an organization designed to "promote the democratic process in the United States and abroad."
While a congressional staffer, McCarry was known for oversight of U.S. policy during the rule of
Haiti
Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
an President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Jean-Bertrand Aristide (; born 15 July 1953) is a Haitian former Salesian priest and politician who became Haiti's first democratically elected president in 1991 before being deposed in a coup d'état. As a priest, he taught liberation theo ...
. In 2004, McCarry participated in the
Haiti Democracy Project, whose stated goal is to "Help Haiti Move Forward".
In 2013, McCarry joined the staff of the
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the U.S. Senate charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. It is generally responsible for authorizing and overseeing foreign a ...
as an aide to Senator
Bob Corker.
[ In 2017, he was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Spanish Order of Isabel la Católica on behalf of King ]Felipe VI
Felipe VI (; Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Grecia; born 30 January 1968) is King of Spain. In accordance with the Spanish Constitution, as monarch, he is head of state and commander-in-chief of the Spanish Armed For ...
at the Spanish embassy in Washington, D.C. for his contributions to Spanish-American relations. In 2018, he helped to negotiate the release of American Joshua Holt from Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
n custody. After Corker's retirement, he became a counselor to Adam Boehler, the chief executive officer of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.[
]
Cuba Transition Coordinator
According to a BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
Online article of April 11, 2006, "He says his job is to help Cubans "recover their freedom after 47 years of brutal dictatorship".
The creation of a "Cuba Transition Coordinator" post within the United States government was heavily criticized by Cuban government officials. Shortly after McCarry's appointment, Cuban Foreign Minister
In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...
Felipe Perez Roque told the United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
that the United States' plans to overthrow the Cuban government are "delusional".
Several prominent Cuban dissident
A dissident is a person who actively challenges an established political or religious system, doctrine, belief, policy, or institution. In a religious context, the word has been used since the 18th century, and in the political sense since the 2 ...
s, including well-known anti- Castro activists Elizardo Sanchez and the late Oswaldo Payá
Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas (29 February 1952 – 22 July 2012) was a Cuban political activist. A devout Catholic, he founded the Christian Liberation Movement in 1987 to oppose the one-party rule of the Cuban Communist Party. He attracted ...
, said McCarry's appointment was counterproductive, as " will allow the Cuban government to raise the spectre of foreign interference in the internal affairs of our country."
See also
* Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba
* Cuba–United States relations
Modern diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States are cold, stemming from historic conflict and divergent political ideologies. The two nations restored diplomatic relations on July 20, 2015, after relations had been severed in 196 ...
References
External links
Announcement of Cuba Transition Coordinator Caleb McCarry
from the US State Department.
from the US State Department.
US State Department.
*Ne
Planning for a Cuba without Castro
BBC News Online, April 12, 2006.
Josefina Vidal vs. Caleb McCarry
New post to help Castro 'demise'
BBC News online, July 28, 2005.
Condi co-ordinator to take on Castro
The Telegraph (Calcutta, India), August 2, 2005.
from the Cuban American National Foundation.
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCarry, Caleb
1961 births
Living people
University of Massachusetts Amherst alumni
United States Department of State officials
Commanders of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
International Republican Institute
New Right (United States)
George W. Bush administration personnel
Place of birth missing (living people)
American anti-communists