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PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 14 May 2018
Kennedy Center festival shines spotlight on Cuban culture

By LUIS ALONSO LUGO Cuban nationals" to enter
WASHINGTON (AP) — Re- the United States.
newed tensions between Last year, the United States
the U.S. and Cuba aren't withdrew more than half
stopping the John F. Ken- of its diplomats from Cuba
nedy Center for the Per- and halted visa processing,
forming Arts from shining citing mysterious "health
a spotlight on the island's attacks" in Havana that
rich cultural heritage dur- have harmed at least 24
ing what's being billed as Americans. Full diplomatic
the largest Cuban arts fes- ties between the U.S. and
tival ever held in the United the communist nation had
States. been restored in 2015, un-
"Artes de Cuba: From the der the Obama administra-
Island to the World," which tion.
began this past week and Curator Alicia Adams, vice
runs through May 20, show- president of International
cases the work of more Programming and Dance
than 400 Cuban and Cu- at the Kennedy Center,
ban-American artists across pushed back at the notion
more than 50 events. The that the festival has ideo-
program includes the salsa logical overtones.
band Los Van Van and oth- "It is important for people in
er musicians, visual artists, Cuban designer Celia Ledón poses with her fashion creation at the Kennedy Center in Washing- this country to be exposed
movies, theater companies ton, Tuesday, May 8, 2018. to, in the aggregate, the
and ballerina Alicia Alonso extraordinary talent that
and the Ballet Nacional de ists all in a two-week span is It has come under fire from as Rep. Albio Sires, D-N.J. exists in Cuba," she told The
Cuba. unprecedented," said Deb- Cuban-American lawmak- They wrote to Secretary of Associated Press. "The Ken-
"Cuba is a cultural power- orah F. Rutter, president of ers, including GOP Reps. State Mike Pompeo in April nedy Center has a golden
house, and to present such the Kennedy Center. Carlos Curbelo, Mario Di- urging him to consider the rule, and that is that we
a diverse slate of Cuban The festival is not without az-Balart and Ileana Ros- advisability of allowing "so maintain the ultimate cura-
and Cuban-American art- controversy. Lehtinen of Florida, as well many pro-Castro regime torial authority. q