Ventura: Cuba policy is 'all about' Florida votes

Star Tribune ^ | Sep 24, 2002

[Dqban22]

Cuba says foreign banks financing US food purchases
By Marc Frank

Last Updated: September 29, 2002 12:21 PM ET

http://reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=search&StoryID=1510437

HAVANA, Sept. 29 (Reuters) - Cuba's top food importer scoffed at charges he was in cahoots with U.S. companies to get around a cash-only requirement for food purchases, stating at the weekend foreign banks were providing some of the money.

"There have been some financial operations with third party banks," Alimport Chairman Pedro Alvarez told Reuters. "We are following the law exactly."

Pro-embargo lawmakers in Washington are demanding an investigation into the sales, which amount to $140 million since December, charging U.S. firms are somehow skirting the law.

An exception to the U.S. trade embargo on Communist Cuba, signed in 2000, allows for heavily regulated food sales on a cash basis and bans U.S. firms from granting trade credit. The embargo has been in force for over 40 years.

A measure before Congress would allow U.S. companies to provide credit for Cuba's purchases. U.S. President George W. Bush has vowed to veto it.

Where Cuba had obtained the cash for the U.S. grains, cereals, poultry and other products it has bought since December was a mystery until this weekend at an unprecedented U.S. food fair on the Caribbean island.

"It is my understanding a number of finance companies and banks that have always financed Cuba's food imports continue to do so, regardless of the origin of the products," said John Kavulich, President of the New York-based U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council.

Some foreign banks with offices in Havana met with U.S. businesses at the fair on Saturday, the first of its kind since President Fidel Castro came to power in 1959.

The Bush administration is considering reviewing the sales at the request of pro-embargo lawmakers.

The scrutiny has angered some companies involved in the trade, according to Kavulich, whose New York-based group has closely followed the sales.

"There is no evidence of any company breaking either the spirit or letter of the law regarding cash sales to Cuba," he said.

A DEBTOR DEADBEAT

Cuba has promised to increase its business with U.S. companies if it receives U.S. credit, drawing charges from the Bush Administration that it would never pay the loans back.

"Cuba is an international deadbeat," James Cason, the top U.S. diplomat in Havana told reporters Wednesday, on the eve of the trade show.

"We don't want to be in that queue of people asking to get their money," he said.

Managers of foreign banks and finance companies said Havana was chronically late in paying credits back, but added their business was still the most lucrative in town.

"At up to 20 percent interest financing is hard to beat, even if they are late on payments," the representative of a Latin American commercial bank said.

At the food fair many exhibitors said the credit issue was another example of how sanctions boomerang on U.S. business.

"It should be up to the companies and banks, not the government, to judge the credit worthiness of whom we are dealing with," said Gerry Ellis, an executive with Perdue Farms Inc.

"They have the credits to buy the food. It is a market like anything else. Other businesses in other countries are taking this opportunity our companies are missing," David Radlo of Radlo foods said, after selling Cuba 30 million eggs.

Cuba uses more than $2 billion in mainly short-term credits annually to import food, oil and other products.

The Cuban Central Bank reported annual interest payments to foreign entities and profit taking from joint venture partners was around $600 million in 2001.

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RCB COMMENTS:
Never mind that these greedy business executives do not care that all these goods are exclusively for the tourist consumption, and nothing for the starving people of Cuba.

On a moral point of view, it is ludicrous.

On a financial point of view, it does not make any sense, either.

Their reasoning: At up to 20 percent, interest financing is hard to beat.

20 percent of nothing owed, is still nothing.

Castro ignores every single loan, so who is going to pick up the tab?

[PhilDragoo]

A measure before Congress would allow U.S. companies to provide credit for Cuba's purchases. U.S. President George W. Bush has vowed to veto it.

As for who will cover Fidel Castro's continued bad credit, a consortium of Ed Asner, Jane Fonda, Barbra Streisand and Tim Robbins will pay to fax the bill to the U.S. taxpayer.

Meanwhile the PLA sigint installation on Cuba spoofed New York air traffic control into thinking it was U.S. military.

Perhaps Castro will repay the food shipments with poultry, birds infected with West Nile Virus for starters.

There is a small percentage of businessmen who down through history sold Indians blankets infected with smallpox, sold their tribesmen into slavery in Africa, sell Saddam Hussein aluminum tubing for uranium processing, and would sell Castro food to keep his regime in power.

Bush and his administration aren't viewing it favorably.

Is this another chance for a Baldwin to swim to Cuba?

[Dqban22]

LETTER IN ENGLISH TO GOVERNOR JESSE VENTURA


Alfredo Vivanco González, U.S.T.I.C. National Coordinator

Syndicate of Independent Workers Union of Cuba,

Representing the Executive Board of this Organization makes public the following OPEN LETTER, addressed to the Governor of Minnesota, U.S., Mr. Jesse Ventura, for his announced visit to our country.



Havana, September 3, 2002



Our union and its representatives are glad to hear of your recent announcement to visit our country. We consider that the presence of so distinguished personalities in our land may be very beneficial, since they can closely verify the true and sad situation that our population is experiencing.



We take advantage of this opportunity, to request very respectfully from you that at the time of your visit to Cuba, you should consider the recommendations expressed to you by the Governor of the state of Florida, Mr. Bush. That you should try to meet above all with the Cuban opposition, and mainly with the independent syndicates, because of your well known and long time standing of defending the rights of the workers.



Once your visit is over, we hope that you take with you a real impression of what our working-class is undergoing, and not a fictitious panoramic view. It would be very sad if you leave with a false notion.



Our Union of Independent Workers of Cuba is in the best disposition to meet with you, in order to engage in a dialog, which would be quite beneficial for both parties. It is up to you schedule the date and hour for this meeting.



We await your response to our proposal.



Cordially,



Alfredo Vivanco González

Coordinador Nacional de la U.S.T.I.C

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Octubre 2, 2002



NOTA ACLARATORIA DE PABLO RODRIGUEZ CARVAJAL:

Esta carta fue recibida por Martha Tamargo, desde Cuba. Betty Smith la tradujo, se la envió, y, también llamó a su oficina. Me estoy refiriendo al Gobernador Jesse Ventura. Se le dio el número telefónico (en Cuba) donde comunicarse con Alfredo Vivanco González, Coordinador de la U.S.T.I.C., todo esto con bastante tiempo. Yo, Pablo Rodríguez Carvajal, soy testigo de esto, puesto que fue mí decisión no hacer dicha carta pública hasta darle al Gobernador la oportunidad de hacer lo que hace un hombre que ama la libertad, como por ejemplo, como hizo (gústale a quien le guste y duélale a quien le duela) Jimmy Carter.
Para este señor hacer este comentario, "I don't know where they are. I mean, if they know, my hotel is here and if they want to come here and meet, I'll be happy to meet with them", y pensar que nadie va a salir a la palestra a desmentirlo, tiene que pensar que estamos viviendo aún en la era de las cavernas. Habrá algún que cubano por ahí que está aún en las cavernas, pero en nuestra patria, y también fuera de ella, hay muchos cubanos que hace tiempo salimos de las cavernas, pero ayudémoslo a él a que salga.
Traducción del comentario del Gobernador Jesse Ventura: "Yo no sé donde están. Digo, si ellos saben que mi hotel está aquí, y quieren venir a reunirse conmigo, yo estaría feliz en reunirme con ellos".
TEXTO DE LA CARTA AL GOBERNADOR JESSE VENTURA:

Alfredo Vivanco González, U.S.T.I.C. Coordinador Nacional Unión Sindical de Trabajadores Independientes de Cuba hace pública, a nombre del Ejecutivo Nacional de esta organización, la siguiente CARTA ABIERTA, dirigida al Gobernador Sr. Jesse Ventura del estado de Minnesota, EE.UU., , por la anunciada visita a nuestro país próximamente.

La Habana 3 de septiembre 2002

Sr. Gobernador Jesse Ventura:

Nuestro organismo sindical ve con beneplácito, su reciente anuncio de visitar a nuestro país. Consideramos que la presencia de tan distinguidas personalidades en nuestra tierra, son muy provechosas, ya que pueden constatar bien de cerca la verdadera y triste situación que atraviesa nuestra población.

Aprovechamos esta visita, para solicitarle muy respetuosamente que al momento de visitarnos, tenga muy en cuenta las recomendaciones hechas por su homologo, el Gobernador del estado de la Florida, Sr.Bush, a su persona, de que tratara por todos los medios de reunirse con la oposición cubana y sobre todo con el sindicalismo independiente, teniendo como referencia que Ud. siempre ha sido un fiel defensor de los derechos de los trabajadores.

No quisiéramos, a la vez que sería bastante penoso, que una vez finalizada su visita a nuestro país, se llevara una panorámica virtual y no real de nuestra sufrida clase trabajadora.

Nuestra Unión Sindical de Trabajadores Independientes de Cuba, está en la mejor disposición de reunirse con Ud., a fin de sostener un dialogo, el cual sería bastante provechoso para ambas partes. Sólo quedaría por Ud. fijar la fecha y hora, para sostener dicho encuentro.

En espera de su contesta a nuestra proposición.

Cordialmente,

Alfredo Vivanco González,
Coordinador Nacional de la U.S.T.I.C

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The above is sent to you by
Chachi Novellas Bengochea
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
FOR FREEDOM & JUSTICE GROUP
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ForFreedomandJustice

[Dqban22]

Havana farm fair sparks outrage
Hilda Mendez
Pembroke Pines

October 3, 2002

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/letters/sfl-brmail717oct03,0,3877298.story?coll=sfla%2Dnews%2Dletters

I am a 45-year old Cuban-American woman who arrived in this country 41 years ago. My parents sacrificed everything so that their two daughters would not be raised in a totalitarian Communist country called Cuba.

I am outraged and mournful as I read about our country exhibiting at the U.S. Food & Agriculture Expo in Havana. I am sure Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura would not ever consider trading with or helping Osama bin Ladin and his al-Qaida network, yet there he is, along with American businessmen, helping the murderer and terrorist who goes by the name Fidel Castro. This terrorist that has the blood of thousands and thousands of Cubans on his hands. This man has spoken against the Yankee capitalists for 40 years and now these very same "capitalists" are standing side by side, laughing with Castro while he laughs at them.

How can anyone even imply that the food fair is being held with the intent to help the Cuban people? Cubans are not allowed to buy food; they are still given ration books. This is solely for the benefit of Cuba's tourism, which only fattens Castro and his close circle of friends.

We are concerned about attacking Iraq, thousands of miles away while Castro, only 90 miles away, is one of Saddam Hussein's closest buddies and is helping Hussein to build his biological war arsenal. But we want to help this man get stronger economically. That makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?

Perhaps the very same people who want the trade to happen should stay in Cuba, live as Cubans, not tourists, for one year and then be asked if they still feel the same as they do today. Would we trade with Hitler today if he were alive? Will we forget about the lives we lost on 9/11 a few years from now and trade with bin Laden?

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The above is sent to you by
Chachi Novellas Bengochea
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
FOR FREEDOM & JUSTICE GROUP
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ForFreedomandJustice