When His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama speaks to a packed Golden Panther Arena April 16 at Florida International University's main campus, his message will touch the hearts of Miami's Cuban exiles.

But the reason has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with politics.

The spiritual Tibetan leader has won much of the world's support for his compassion. Miami Cubans also look to him as a brother in exile.

``The struggle for liberty among the Cuban people and the Tibetan people [is] basically the same struggle,'' said Roberto Rodriguez-Tejera, director of Radio Marti.

He noted that Tibetans fled the Chinese communists the same year, 1959, that Fidel Castro took control of Cuba.

Radio Marti plans to broadcast a live Spanish translation of the Dalai Lama's address to Cuba beginning at 2 p.m. And all next week, the station will promote the upcoming transmission with sound bites of the Dalai Lama's reflections.

The address will also be cybercast.

Rodriguez-Tejera said Cubans on the island are very interested in the Dalai Lama because books about him have been distributed through the Black Market. They are also interested in Martin Luther King Jr. and Ghandi.

``These personalities have a tremendous importance because of the message of civil disobedience,'' he said. ``It shows that they have a route to express themselves politically, but it doesn't include violence.''

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, a Cuban American, has been active in the Tibetan cause. She has been trying to get the White House to officially recognize the Dalai Lama as a head of state.

Last year, she introduced a bill, the ``Political Freedom in China Act,'' which urged the Secretary of State to call on China to talk with the Dalai Lama about the future of Tibet, to release prisoners of conscience in Tibet, and to allow human rights monitors into prisons in Tibet and China to ensure they are not mistreated.

The bill passed in the House, but failed to win Senate approval. Ros-Lehtinen said she will reintroduce it.

In a speech last month on the floor of the House, Ros-Lehtinen said, ``In South Florida, the Dalai Lama will find unconditional support for his enslaved nation because a large portion of that community knows all too well the pain of having to flee one's homeland to escape communist oppression.

``The Tibetan people's struggle and the message of the Dalai Lama remind us that although the Cold War is over, millions still suffer under the tyranny of communism. Whether Tibet or Cuba, the world, and in particular the U.S., cannot forget the suffering of these enslaved nations.''

For her role, Ros-Lehtinen received a letter from actor Richard Gere, chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet. He briefly mentioned the Dalai Lama's visit to Miami.

In a telephone interview on Thursday with The Herald, Ros-Lehtinen cautioned Miami's Cubans about what to expect from the Dalai Lama with regards to interference in Cuba. She said the Dalai Lama, whom she met in Washington, D.C., will likely give more of a spiritual address than a political one.

``I don't want to overplay the role of the Dalai Lama,'' she said. ``There are many points we can disagree on, such as the embargo. As a religious person, he's probably not in favor of the embargo.

``But anyone who preaches the message of freedom gives a positive message. I don't know what direct impact he'd have on the people of Cuba.''

Still, his message will touch upon the struggles of the people on the island. ``I believe what ties us together is love of freedom and the ability to exercise one's right to pray to the god of one's own choosing,'' she said.

``It will be another opportunity to strike a blow in favor of religious freedom and fight against religious intolerance.''