Florida Jumps on the Business Bandwagon to Cuba

[Osolomia]

Wed November 19, 2003 03:33 PM ET
By Anthony Boadle

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba signed a shipping agreement on Wednesday with Port Manatee, the fifth Florida port to cash in on the resumption of U.S. trade in food and agricultural exports to the nearby communist-run island.

While Miami is home to the largest Cuban exile community, including staunch anti-Castro groups that for decades have fought closer ties with Cuba, the enormous business potential of trading with Cuba is sweeping politics aside.

…. Despite the large Cuban-American presence in Florida, and their animosity to Castro, Florida ports, ranchers and food and beverage companies have raced to get a share of the rapidly growing business with Cuba.

… Alvarez said Cuban-American businessmen are joining the rush for Cuba business and Havana has its doors open to them.

"The powerful groups that do not agree with trade and travel to Cuba are getting smaller and smaller," he said.

More…
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=3854978

But while the rest of the country is defying Bush's doctrine, our leading 2004 Democratic presidential contenders are still pandering to Florida’s extremist pro-embargo minority. What a revolting shame.

[La_Serpiente]

1. They should just get rid of the sanctions already

Will Bush cave into the business interests? That is where the money lies.

I think the Dem. nominees made a mistake with Cuba. Here is what I would propose. Cuba must release all of the prisoners that were arrested last year and not arrest anymore political prisoners. In return, the sanctions would be lifted.

[Osolomia]

2. If US taxpayers stopped financing the "dissidents" in Cuba

in an attenpt to overthrow Castro and interfere in Cuba's internal affairs then Cuba wouldn't arrest them in the first place! By arresting the US government "dissidents" Cuba now has a bargaining chip when Americans finally wake up and smell the roses.

[Mika]

4. Pathetic

You think Cuba should release US gov paid agents (with the goal of overthrowing the Cuban government) who faced an open trial with legal representation and were convicted with overwhelming evidence should be released - while the USA holds 600-700 (nobody knows how many) prisoners in dog cages at Gitmo, permanently, without any representation whatsoever?

Such f-ing hypocrisy. :puke:


No wonder its been over 40 years.

[Osolomia]

5. Considering the major travesty of democracy that occurred last week

when Bush made a unilateral decision on the travel ban despite the vote of the majority, and the silence of democratic undergrounders and their favorite presidential contenders to such a dictatorial manouever, certainly leaves a great deal to be desired to say the least. At this rate it'll take another 40 years for Americans to wake up and face reality.

[Vogon_Glory]

10. I'd Go Along With That

I'd go along with that. I fail to see that there's going to be a dialectic in post-Castro Cuba between die-hard total Marxist--Leninist socialist holdouts on one end of the political divice and hardcore crony-capitalist, social-Darwinist, utterly-compliant neo-Batistas on the other.

I believe that Cubans are interested in discussing and planning their own political futures without meddling from US rightists--or from other areas.

I suspect that a post-Castro Cuba--even with a revived private sector--is never, ever going to return to being a US neo-colony like it was under Batista.

[Osolomia]

3. Cuba hopes to buy US sugar; Florida beef shipment announced

November 19. 2003 5:00PM
By ANITA SNOW
Associated Press Writer

HAVANA

Sugar is among the new products Cuba hopes to buy from American farm producers as it varies the goods purchased under an exception in the U.S. trade embargo, a leading import official said Wednesday.

"Cuba is ready to buy sugar from the United States," Pedro Alvarez, president of the Cuban food import firm Alimport told a news conference held to announce a new goodwill agreement with the Port of Manatee, Florida. "We are just waiting now on the American companies."

A sugar-producing country for centuries, Cuba has become less economically dependent on its sugar crop in recent years as tourism has become the nation's No. 1 source of foreign income.

Without giving precise figures, Alvarez said the island now imports tens of thousands of tons of sugar for domestic consumption as the local industry undergoes a massive restructuring.

Alvarez earlier this month confirmed that talks were under way with American traders for the possible sale of 5,000 to 15,000 tons of sugar.

More...
http://gainesvillesun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20031119/APN/311190952&cachetime=5

[Judi Lynn]

6. When people speak of the "dissidents" in Cuba

you are left to understand that either they don't read a lot, and haven't been aware of just who many of the "dissidents" are, or that they are trying to push right-wing propaganda for the Republicans and the Cuban "exiles."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I didn't know Manatee was the closest U.S. port to Cuba before reading this article. Interesting!

[Osolomia]

7. So what does that make the democratic* p/residential contenders

like Lieberman who want to give Cuba's "dissidents" $millions more of US taxpayers' dollars to overthrow Castro and reinstall a US puppet to power?

How many Dems and their favorite candidates actually have an iota of respect for Cuba's sovereignty?

[Judi Lynn]

8. It should have tipped some people off

when they heard Lieberman was the co-sponsor of that bill with Jesse Helms, for Christ's sakes. What CAN they be thinking?

Ten million dollars to be freely distributed to "dissindents," furnishing them home office equipment, as in computers, fax machines, typewriters, etc., etc., cell phones, food money, and simple "mad money, "long green," "spending cash," "folding cash," "walking around money!" Just for fun! Amazing.

Also, people haven't seemed to notice the American Interests Section head, James Cason became very low key after the Cuban government took testimony from witnesses that he was letting the dissidents run in and out of the embassy at all times of the night and day, having dinners with them, visiting them at home, holding frequent meetings with them, and general behaving in a way NO COUNTRY WOULD DARE to allow its ambassadors to carry on here. Our government would have a whole lot to say about it, you can be sure!

He's almost totally mute now, after making so much noise from the first day he got there, too. You'd almost think he's as guilty as he's acting. Pathetic.


James!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Would you buy any used foreign policy from this guy?

[Osolomia]

9. What a crying shame that the Dems refuse to listen to the majority

and prefer to remain sound asleep at the wheel while even Florida rants against the Bush doctrine:

November 20. 2003 6:01AM
Lift the Cuban embargo

By NORMAN BALABANIAN
Gainesville

... Both the House and the Senate have voted to end the blockade, but President Bush has threatened to veto the will of a large congressional majority! Obviously, this has nothing to do with “respect” for the wishes of a majority of Americans. It has to do with the vociferous voice of only some Cuban-Americans in Miami.

In the meantime, Cuba continues to make advances in medicine, health, education, organic agriculture, etc., for which it receives recognition by the World Health Organization, UNESCO and other international bodies in which the U.S. does not have veto power.

Lift the U.S. embargo of Cuba!

http://gainesvillesun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20031120/EDITORIALS02/31119028/-1/EDITORIALS