Allowing sufficient time and in line with requirements, the island’s musicians nominated for the gold disc awarded by the Academy for the Recording Arts and Science, which expressly invited them to the event, applied for entry visas to the United States.

The U.S. Interests Section in Havana has not only communicated that they have been refused visas, but that its decision is based on the Section 22 (f) migratory prerogative applied in that country to terrorists, assassins, drug traffickers and persons seen to constitute a threat to U.S. national security.

Last September, when Miami became the venue for the Latin Grammys, the same thing happened. But on that occasion the political maneuver was cooked up by the anti-Cuban mafia of South Florida, while this time the real master of the intrigue is blatantly and overtly the U.S. government.

After qualifying the Washington decision as an outrage, Abel Acosta, president of the Cuban Music Institute, informed the press that "it’s a favor to the Miami mafia, which includes mercenaries and capos of the musical industry who have economic as well as political interests. This leads to certain political alliances of economic interest. The only coherent aspect is the hatred of Cuba, of Cuban cultural successes."

Perhaps they might get to hear over there what the venerated Rubalcaba commented with fine irony: "I am concerned at being labeled a terrorist, as the only terror I have is of is a piano sounding bad."

"The U.S. people have always gotten along fine with me," commented Ibrahim Ferrer when he heard that he had been refused a visa. And he is right. The cultural apartheid being practiced by the Washington authorities cannot prevent the citizens of that country respecting, admiring and enjoying Ibrahim’s boleros, the Septeto Nacional’s sones, Galván’s improvisations with Ry Cooder, and Chucho Valdés prodigious art at the piano.