2003_04/CubaNews 4/3/03 10:23 AM Page 1

Vol. 11, No. 4 April 2003

www.cubanews.com

In the News Plight of 650 ‘detainees’ at Guantánamo

SPECIAL REPORT: GITMO AT 100 sparks debate over future of naval base Is the U.S. base at Guantánamo becoming BY LARRY LUXNER diers engaged in a top-secret training exercise. McQueen proudly showed us a heavy metal a permanent penal colony? ...... Pages 1-3 elcome to Camp Delta,” said U.S. Army Col. Adolph McQueen, as he cheerful- mesh “detention unit” measuring 8 feet long, 7 W ly greeted two reporters at the outer feet wide and 8 feet high. These units consist of OFAC revises rules gates of the prison camp housing 650 unhappy a metal bed frame raised off the floor, a Turkish Treasury Department updates Cuba trav- captives of America’s war on terrorism. toilet and a stainless-steel sink — “lower to the ground to help accommodate foot-washing for el, remittance regulations ...... Page 4 The bright blue waters of the Caribbean beck- oned just beyond the prison’s edge, yet once Muslim prayer needs,” according to a fact sheet. inside Camp Delta, the only colors around were An arrow indelibly stenciled on each bed Market economics tan, beige and the camouflage green of the points the direction to Mecca and the exact dis- Cuba’s fresh-produce system is more cap- guards’ uniforms and M-16 rifles. tance to Islam’s holiest city: 12,793 kilometers. It’s not clear if Camp Delta’s inmates know italist than you think ...... Page 6 Occasionally, we’d see a few bearded inmates in their orange jumpsuits and black prayer caps, they’re at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantánamo being escorted from one place to another. Bay, Cuba, but one thing is certain: unless they Council of State All 650 of these “unlawful enemy combatants” cooperate with their interrogators, they won’t be A look at the 31 members of Cuba’s top are alleged to be members of the Taliban or getting out of here anytime soon. al-Qaeda. Yet unlike POWs, none have access to “Every detainee in this camp is a threat to the decision-making authority ...... Page 7 lawyers, nor have any been formally charged. United States,” declared Maj. Gen. Geoffrey “We leave this block empty so we can refine Miller, commander of Joint Task Force Guantá- Newsmakers our training techniques,” explained McQueen of namo, in an interview with CubaNews. “We have Bill Delahunt of Massachusetts leads Detroit, as he dispersed a group of 15 or 20 sol- See Gitmo, page 2 Democrats’ efforts in House of Represen- tatives to relax Cuba policy ...... Page 8 Senate creates Cuba Working Group as Saddam & Fidel Castro crackdown endangers relations Honeymoon long over between two Third World comrades ...... Page 10 BY LARRY LUXNER to democracy and a market-oriented economy.” en U.S. lawmakers have formed a Senate Senators comprising the new group include Crabs to caviar Working Group on Cuba, vowing to “exa- Max Baucus (D-MT), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Norm Coleman (R- Alimport buys frozen seafood from Cali- T mine U.S. policies, including trade and travel restrictions” — just as relations between MN), Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Michael Enzi (R- fornia export firm ...... Page 11 the two countries hit their lowest point in years. WY), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Blanche Lincoln (D- In a Mar. 24 letter to Senate Majority Leader AR), Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Jim Talent (R-MO). Business briefs Bill Frist (R-TN) and Minority Leader Tom With the birth of the Senate Working Group Daschle (D-SD), the group — consisting of five on Cuba, both chambers of Congress now have Brazil’s Petrobrás returns to Cuba; Sher- Democrats and five Republicans — claimed that groups committed to a new approach to U.S. pol- ritt haggles over taxes ...... Page 12 Washington’s Cuba policy “has been ineffective” icy toward Cuba. In the House of Representa- ever since its adoption in 1962. tives, the Cuba Working Group — formed a year Provinces: Camagüey “Other nations trade with Cuba, and their pro- ago — already has 50 members (see box, page 9). ducers benefit from that trade, while U.S. policy Yet the Senate’s conciliatory moves toward Cuba’s largest province dominates sugar, places our farmers, workers and companies at a the Castro regime are being overshadowed by other domestic industries ...... Page 14 competitive disadvantage,” the letter said. Cuba’s increasing harassment of U.S. diplomats “It also hinders our ability to interact with the and the recent jailing of 78 dissidents, indepen- CubaNews (ISSN 1073-7715) is published monthly Cuban people by restricting our right to travel to dent journalists, librarians and leaders of pro- by Luxner News Inc. © 2003. All rights reserved. Cuba. We believe the American people can have democracy groups who’ve met with Jim Cason, Subscriptions: $429/year. For subscription or edito- greater influence on Cuban society by develop- chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana. rial inquiries, call toll-free (800) 365-1997, send a fax After the arrests, Cuban TV accused Cason of to (301) 365-1829 or e-mail us at [email protected]. ing a relationship with the Cuban people. That is the only way to influence the peaceful transition See Crackdown, page 7 2003_04/CubaNews 4/3/03 10:23 AM Page 2

2 CubaNews ❖ April 2003

— FROM PAGE 1 national territory to the U.S. It was perpetual, Gitmo and without any effective limitation.” already exploited quite a bit of intelligence. Since 1959, Fidel Castro has refused to We are in the business of looking for golden deposit the annual $4,085 checks sent by the threads and links, and every day we get some- U.S. Treasury, insisting that doing so would LARRY LUXNER thing new.” indicate acceptance of U.S. sovereignty. As the base long known as Gitmo marks its But over time, argued Muse, the Cubans 100th anniversary this year, critics warn that themselves “have become complicit in U.S. it may become a permanent dumping ground sovereignty over the base,” weakening any for anyone the Bush administration wishes to future claim Cuba might have on Gitmo. permanently deprive of judicial review. In the mid-1990s, more than 45,000 Cuban “The United States has devised a criminal and Haitian refugees were intercepted on the jurisdiction whereby we can lease property high seas and brought to Gitmo for incarcera- anywhere in the world and create a Devil’s tion before being resettled in the U.S. or sent Island where individuals have no access to back home. Yet such activities, said Muse, the U.S. court system to determine whether were clearly “inconsistent with the use of the they’re being held legally,” charged Bill But- base as a coaling or naval facility.” ler, chairman emeritus of the International In January 2002, he said, the U.S. began Commission of Jurists. transporting prisoners to Cuba, “including Added human-rights attorney Michael Rat- Kuwaitis who claim to have been in Afgha- ner, president of the Center for Constitutional nistan under the auspices of Muslim charities and Pakistanis who McDonald’s at Gitmo is the only one in Cuba. claim to have been abducted by North- “During the Cold War,” added the former ern Alliance war- diplomat, “no American president could con- lords and sold into sider returning the base to Cuban control, LARRY LUXNER captivity.” given that Cuba was a Soviet military ally. But At that time, the with the Cold War over, the principal reason Castro government for hanging onto Gitmo disappears. The base — eager to show the is at this point of no real military use.” world it was partici- GITMO PART OF ‘WAR ON TERRORISM’ pating in the war on terrorism — issued Tell that to Capt. Bob Buehn, commanding a statement saying officer at the sprawling naval installation. that “although the “We will continue to maintain the lease transfer of foreign because the base is of value to us, particular- war prisoners by the ly with the JTF here,” he told CubaNews in an U.S. government interview. “It’s a key part of the global war on terrorism, and this mission would be difficult does not abide by to do anywhere else.” Soldiers belonging to South Carolina’s 132nd Military Police Company take the provisions that Buehn added: “One of our missions is for- a break from guard duty at Gitmo’s top-secret Camp Delta detention center. regulated its incep- ward presence, and if Roosevelt Roads Naval tion, we shall not set Base [in Puerto Rico] closes, that would leave Rights in New York: “From the U.S. point of any obstacles to the development of the oper- Guantánamo as the only U.S. base in the view, Guantánamo has a lot of advantages. It’s ation, and we are willing to cooperate.” Caribbean. We’d be the only game in town.” close to the United States, so they can send As a result, says Muse, “the U.S. [now] Buehn, whose tour of duty at Gitmo ended personnel back and forth all the time. exercises sufficient sovereignty over that ter- Mar. 27, says that despite war in Iraq and the “Unlike military bases in other countries, ritory for constitutional protections to apply.” presence of 650 possibly dangerous men from the U.S. has complete jurisdiction. There’s no Wayne Smith, a senior fellow at the Center 42 countries at Camp Delta, he’s seen little other lease like that, and there’s no access by for International Policy and former chief of tension between the U.S. Marines and Cuban reporters unless the government decides to the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, argues “Frontier Brigade” that patrol the fence line. let you in. Fourthly, nobody has any rights, so that the 1903 treaty, amended in 1934, allows “There’s been no visible change in our rela- the military can do whatever it wants.” the United States to use Gitmo as a coal- A QUESTION OF JURISDICTION ing station and for Both lawyers spoke at a Mar. 5 seminar in naval operations — Washington focusing on the future of Gitmo and nothing else. — the oldest overseas Navy base in the world, “Guantánamo LARRY LUXNER and the only one in a Communist country. was acquired essen- A lease agreement signed between the U.S. tially as a naval sta- and Cuban governments on Feb. 21, 1903, tion so U.S. vessels established the legal basis for Gitmo’s exis- could protect the tence: In exchange for helping Cuba win its approaches to the independence from Spain and an annual pay- Panama Canal,” said ment of $2,000 — later raised to $4,085 — Smith, a critic of Cuba granted the United States 45 sq miles of U.S. policy. “But we land at Guantánamo Bay for the Navy to use have long since as a coaling and refueling station for its ships. given up the canal, Under the 1903 treaty, says Washington and U.S. naval ves- lawyer Robert Muse, who specializes in Cuba sels certainly don’t matters, “it was virtually a conveyance of use coal anymore. U.S. and Cuban border posts face each other across the Northeast Gate. 2003_04/CubaNews 4/3/03 10:23 AM Page 3

April 2003 ❖ CubaNews 3 feet along the outer fence, and anyone caught hide their name tags with Velcro strips to pro- Gitmo — FROM PAGE 2 snapping pictures of forbidden subjects risks tect themselves against possible retribution. tionship since the arrival of the detainees,” having his cameras and film confiscated. “We don’t engage in casual conversation said Buehn, who for the last three years has Camp Delta cost $42 million to construct, with the detainees,” said Capt. Brian Pitts of met his Cuban counterpart, Brig. Gen. Solar but Miller wouldn’t discuss the prison’s oper- the 132nd Military Police Company. “Soldiers Hernández, on the third Friday of every ating budget, citing security considerations. are rotated on a regular basis, so they don’t month for informal talks. Even so, it’s hard to imagine any of these get too close to them.” “We alternate — one month on their side of detainees breaking free. The camp is sur- Since the operation began, Camp Delta has the fence, one month on our side. These talks rounded by guard towers, powerful spotlights seen 22 attempted suicides, with one result- are strictly about local issues,” he said. “If we and four layers of 20-foot-high fence topped ing in serious injuries. According to Miller, at need to do road work along the fence line, we with razor wire. Troops patrol the facility’s least 75 of the men suffer from mental illness. tell them so they don’t wonder what we’re perimeter fence in Humvees or on foot. Yet a good portion of these detainees are doing. We have an international channel that Even if a prisoner were able to escape, his probably innocent, says attorney Ratner, who goes through our part of the bay, so we share bright-orange jumpsuit would give him away. represented about 400 HIV-positive Haitian information about maritime safety and marine And Castro has vowed to return any detainee refugees detained at Gitmo during the 1990s. traffic. We also discuss natural disasters like caught on Cuban soil to U.S. authorities. “In some ways, the Guantánamo detainees brush fires and hurricanes. This helps keeps Since their arrival, some 25 inmates have are the lucky ones, because they’re not sitting tensions low and information flowing.” been sent back home, mostly to Afghanistan. in Diego García or Bagram [in Afghanistan],” Camp Delta, parts of which are still under When asked how much longer Gitmo will he said. “We’ve had allegations of torture in construction, replaces the crude temporary host “illegal combatants,” Buehn replied that those detention facilities, and the U.S. mili- chain-link cells at Camp X-Ray five miles to “this mission could last at least five years.” tary has admitted to conduct which is cruel the north, where the detainees were original- and inhuman.” ly confined upon their arrival in Cuba. NO END IN SIGHT TO LEGAL DILEMMA Last month, the Pentagon hinted that Iraqis The new 816-unit compound is located in a Meanwhile, Camp Delta’s prisoners spend who use civilians as human shields or other- remote corner of the base — which is itself most of their time being interrogated or quiet- wise violate the rules of war in Iraq could be off-limits unless you’re with the military or on ly reading the Koran in their cells. When shipped to Guantánamo — adding to the legal official business. The only road leading there being transported, the men are restrained dilemma of what to do with the 650 inmates is blocked by orange barriers that slow down with handcuffs and leg shackles and are al- already languishing at Camp Delta. all approaching vehicles. Marines armed with ways escorted by at least two guards. “Gitmo might as well be on another planet, M-16s check cars and trucks for explosives The soldiers who actually watch over the floating somewhere out there in space,” said and scrutinize the IDs of all passengers. detainees don’t know their names; the prison- Ratner. “It’s a lawless situation, and not one I, “No Photography” signs appear every 20 ers all go by numbers. Likewise, the guards as a human-rights lawyer, find acceptable.” REAL CUBANS AN INCREASINGLY RARE SIGHT AT GUANTÁNAMO NAVAL BASE GUANTÁNAMO NAVAL BASE — Harry W. Sharpe was born in pension checks to the other side for the 100 or so Cubans who have the eastern Cuban town of Banes — “just like Batista,” he points out retired and are still living, mostly in the city of Guantánamo. proudly — and started working for the Americans at Guantánamo on “They earned it by being U.S. employees for all these years, but one Mar. 30, 1953. Fifty years later, he’s still here, happy to be employed of the things we haven’t solved yet is how to do electronic funds trans- as the night manager of Gitmo’s Bayview Club. fers for these retirees [once the remaining Cuban employees retire “I watch Cuban TV, listen to Cuban music and I have six Cuban fam- and can no longer cross back and forth],” said Buehn. “We are active- ilies living right around here to talk to,” says Sharpe, a gregarious 72- ly working with the U.S. Interests Section in Havana on how to pay year-old who wears dark sunglasses and always keeps a these people. We’re gonna have to find a way.” couple of Coca-Colas in the fridge for visitors. In the mid-‘90s, Guantánamo became a temporary haven By any account, Sharpe — the product of a Cuban-born for thousands of Haitian and Cuban balseros rescued at sea. mother and a Jamaican-born father — enjoys a reasonably Despite the guard towers along the perimeter fence and high standard of living, especially compared to most enlist- sharks in the water, a few Cubans do manage to slip onto ed men at Gitmo. He rents a spacious single-family home in the base every now and then. In the past, those lucky ones the Caravella Point subdivision and docks his fishing boat at were flown to Miami and eventually became U.S. citizens. a private pier on Guantánamo Bay, which is accessible by a Since May 1995, however, Cubans who escape to wooden walkway behind his house. Guantánamo are apprehended and processed by an on-site “I lived in Caimanera for 12 years and came to work here, INS agent. At the moment, about 20 Cuban citizens are on because I couldn’t get a job in Cuba,” says Sharpe, whose Harry W. Sharpe the base, awaiting an uncertain future. Cuban wife Hilda is employed at the local mini-market. “The INS is looking for credible fear of persecution,” said “One morning I came in, and never went back.” Buehn. “Around 90% of them get repatriated within a few weeks. If the Until 1980, that is, when Sharpe was finally able to get a Cuban visa. INS determines they have credible fear of persecution, they get taken Since then, he’s returned to Cuba twice more to visit his two nephews to a camp and wait here for the State Department to resettle them to in Havana and various half-brothers in Holguín. a third country, not the U.S. They can be here for up to a year or two.” “The first time I went back, things were a little tense,” he says. “The As the number of Cuban workers here has dwindled over the years, situation wasn’t too good. Before, they didn’t even want to talk to you. hundreds of Filipinos and Jamaicans have been brought in by large Now, they treat you real nice because you’re spending U.S. dollars.” contractors such as Burns & Roe, Kvaerner and Brown & Root. Sharpe is one of 64 Cuban citizens who chose to stay at Gitmo after “All of our firefighters, for example are Jamaicans and are classified the gate closed in 1963. In addition to those Cubans and their off- as wage-grade foreign employees,” said Buehn. In fact, it’s far more spring, another nine still commute every day from Caimanera, just on common to hear Philippine Tagalog or Jamaican patois than Spanish the other side of the fence line that surrounds the naval base. at Gitmo — though English is, of course, the dominant language. Capt. Bob Buehn, the commanding officer at Gitmo, says these nine “We don’t forget we’re in Cuba, but I do wish we were able to have — all in their 60s and 70s — are the only people authorized to cross more Cuban culture on the base,” said Buehn, who is being relocat- the Northeast Gate, which is the sole opening in the 17.4-mile-long ed to Jacksonville this month after three years at Gitmo. “Everyone perimeter fence that surrounds the isolated U.S. enclave. I know would love to see the day when the gate opens.” Besides working at Gitmo, these nine “commuters” regularly take – LARRY LUXNER 2003_04/CubaNews 4/3/03 10:23 AM Page 4

4 CubaNews ❖ April 2003 POLITICS OFAC revises regulations on remittances, travel to Cuba BY ANA RADELAT 90-day period for public comment that allows peaceful transition to democracy” in Cuba. he White House has barred Americans critics to propose changes — there will be 12 These licenses may help groups financed by from visiting Cuba on people-to-people categories of travelers allowed to visit Cuba. the U.S. Agency for International Develop- T educational tours that have made up a Among those who could seek OFAC licenses ment expand their operations in Cuba. It big chunk of legal travel to the island. for such travel will be federal officials, reli- would also allow groups involved in so-called The changes, announced Mar. 24 by the gious leaders, amateur athletes and farmers humanitarian activities to finance construc- Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign As- hoping to sell to the Cuban government. tion of buildings intended to “benefit legiti- sets Control (OFAC), are aimed at complying Meanwhile, Muse predicted that the remit- mately independent civil society groups.” with President Bush’s “Initiative for a Free tance regulations would make it difficult for Liberalize the payment process for Cuban Cuba,” a set of policy guidelines announced U.S. law enforcement to regulate money flow- scholars and performers who visit the United by the president last May. ing into Cuba. Besides allowing Cuban-Ameri- States. OFAC is the federal agency charged with cans to carry up to $3,000 in remittances to Expand the definition of “close relatives” enforcing the embargo and the prohibition on the island, another proposed revision to cur- whom Cuban-Americans could visit in Cuba spending money on illegal travel to Cuba. The rent law would allow Cuban-Americans to to include all relatives, whether by blood, new regulations would allow more Cuban- exceed a daily spending limit — now less than marriage or adoption, who are within “three Americans to visit relatives on the island and $200 a day — if they have to travel extensive- degrees” of relationship to the traveler, such increase the flow of dollars to dissidents and ly throughout the island to visit family. as great-grandparents and second cousins. Cuban families who don’t have members in The new regulations would also: Currently, the definition of “close relative” is the higher ranks of the Communist Party. Create a new license for independent or- restricted to two degrees of relationship, such Under the new rules, travelers with family ganizations designed “to promote a rapid, as grandparents and first cousins. in Cuba could carry up to $3,000 — or enough money to give 10 households remittances of $300 each. Current law restricts remittances ONLINE RIVALS SEEK SLICE OF REMITTANCE MARKET to $300 per quarter for every household, but many Cuban-Americans take remittances for An estimated $800 million in remittances their Transcard accounts — making it, in families of their friends and neighbors as well are sent annually by Cuban-Americans to effect, Cuba’s first real ATM card. as their own when they visit relatives in Cuba. their families and friends in Cuba. Getting According to Transcard President Mario Brian Alexander, executive director of the that money to the island has spawned a Russo, “close to 100,000 cardholders access anti-embargo Cuba Policy Foundation, said it lucrative business in itself. and control their Transcard accounts via was “notable” that Bush didn’t lift the $1,200 For a long time, independent services like touch-tone telephone, interactive voice annual cap on remittances — a move advocat- Montreal’s Antillas Express and Miami’s Va recognition or over the Internet.” ed by his organization. Cuba were the only way to go. To boost its revenues, Transcard teamed “You still can only give grandma $300 per But now, those sending money can up with MoneyGram Payment Systems in quarter, no matter what,” he said. choose from an array of competitors such as 2000, allowing Transcard to receive and dis- Dennis Hays, executive vice-president of Western Union and MoneyGram, and Cana- tribute Cuba-bound MoneyGram transfers. the Cuban American National Foundation, dian Internet-based operations like Trans- Then there’s Duales Inc., another Cana- which supports continued sanctions against card International, Quickcash and Duales. dian wire service that’s been doing business the Castro government, said the best change Quickcash, now Cash2Cuba (www.cash2- with Cuba for years. Like Transcard, it isn’t in OFAC regulations is the one that ends cuba.com), belongs to Toronto web entre- subject to the amount limitations that licensing for educational purposes not related preneur Enzo Ruberto. Since buying parent Western Union has had to grapple with. Du- to academic course work. ICC Corp. in 1999, he’s invested $2 million ales says its $15 fee is the lowest anywhere, “Some people turned this into an opportu- in the company and has created several spin- though unlike Transcard, it doesn’t issue its nity for unrestricted travel,” said Hays. “We’re off ventures such as PreciosFijos.com and own debit cards for use within Cuba. glad it’s being remedied.” Medicines2Cuba (see CubaNews, January “We are now working on a proprietary Robert Muse, a Washington-based lawyer 2003, page 10). system to send money, pay bills, do cash- involved in Cuba issues, said travel for educa- Unlike Western Union, which must abide backs and reload cash cards,” said the com- tional purposes had become the second- by the OFAC-enforced limit of $300 a quar- pany’s president, Henry Martínez. largest category of legal travel to Cuba, after ter, the Canadian companies can process In early March, technical problems forced Cuban-American travel. unlimited transfers to Cuba, since the funds the shutdown of Cash2cuba.com. Two other The Bush administration is also trying to go through Canada rather than the United Cuba-related sites run by ICC, Precios- clamp down on so-called “fully hosted” trips to States. They also don’t require affadavits Fijos.com and Medicines2Cuba.com, were the island. At present, Americans may visit swearing that the funds won’t go to top gov- also temporarily grounded. Cuba without an OFAC license if they can ernment or Communist Party officials. Ruberto blamed the problems on new prove that a foreign national or entity has paid Transcard, though, set itself up for a long- Canadian banking regulations aimed at pre- all their expenses. term and more involved presence in the venting terrorist groups from using money Some organizations have taken U.S. busi- Cuban market when it created its own debit transfers to fund their activities. nessmen to Cuba on a “fully hosted” basis to card. Fincimex S.A., a subsidiary of Cuban “The rules have changed dramatically, so discuss business possibilities with Cuban offi- government-run Cimex S.A., jointly man- the banks and credit-card companies have to cials. But these trips are now threatened by an ages the Transcard remittance service. tighten up their rules, which in turn affects amendment that says fully hosted travelers The advantage of direct money transfers everyone,” he said, adding that ICC is ask- are still subject to the embargo’s ban on pro- into Transcard accounts is that the card is ing its customers to use Toronto Dominion viding anything of value to the Cuban govern- accepted at over 3,300 retail outlets across Bank as a back-up for online money trans- ment, including contacts with U.S. executives, Cuba. In addition, cardholders can go to fers until the problem is cleared up. without OFAC’s explicit permission. most Cuban banks to withdraw cash from – VITO ECHEVARRÍA If the regulations are finalized — there’s a 2003_04/CubaNews 4/3/03 10:23 AM Page 5

April 2003 ❖ CubaNews 5 POLITICAL BRIEFS EU OPENS OFFICE, HINTS AT COTONOU SUPPORT In their own words … The European Union has inaugurated its office in Havana with vague assurances that it would “Cuba can easily do without [the U.S. Interests Section]. The Swiss officials study Cuba’s petition to join the EU’s Cotonou who represented U.S. interests for many years did an excellent job, and did Agreement, which offers trade benefits and eco- not engage in espionage or organize subversion.” nomic assistance to 78 developing nations. — Fidel Castro, denouncing U.S. Interests Section Chief James Cason and threat- Preliminary approval of Cuba’s participation in ening to close the Havana mission in retaliation for its outspoken support of dis- the pact could come as early as June, with a final sidents, independent journalists and others arrested as “counterrevolutionaries.” vote on the issue later on. Yet Great Britain, Sweden and a few other EU members are reluc- “Sadly, the Cuban government is scared — scared of freedom of conscience, tant to admit Cuba into Cotonou, and Havana’s scared of freedom of expression, scared of human rights. This group is continuing crackdown against dissidents and oth- demonstrating that there are Cubans ... who do not have fear. We want them ers opposed to the Castro regime may signifi- to know that they are not alone, that the whole world supports them.” cantly reduce its chances of being admitted. — James Cason, chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, at a Feb. 24 meet- “We are opening a new relationship,” EU ing with 20 dissidents at the home of Castro opponent Marta Beatríz Roque. Development Commissioner Poul Nielson said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. During his week- long visit, Nielson met with Cuban Foreign “In no way will the project be stopped. There has been a flowering in Cuba Minister Felipe Pérez Roque — who thanked the of a peaceful movement for rights and reconciliation, to defeat this culture of fear. Cuba’s spring is the Varela Project, which has been sustained by thou- EU for its consistent opposition to the U.S. trade sands and which will grow.” embargo — as well as Vice President Carlos Lage, Foreign Trade Minister Raúl de la Nuez — Oswaldo Payá, founder of the Varela Project, a petition signed by 11,020 and Ricardo Alarcón, president of Cuba’s Cubans that demands greater political and economic freedom. National Assembly. The 15-member EU, which accounts for 80% of “People are not afraid anymore, and the merchants of hate we still have on Cuba’s imports, says its diplomatic mission will Miami radio are losing their clout.” be staffed by one EU official and three local — Carlos Saladrigas, chairman of the Cuba Study Group. assistants, and will administer the 15 million euros ($16.4 million) that the EU grants to Cuba “When normalization takes place between the United States and Cuba — every year in financial aid. whether it’s in two months or 10 years — we want to make sure Georgia is in According to Cuban government sources, the a position to be a major gateway to Cuba.” 15 EU member nations have poured $116 million — George Brown, executive director of the Georgia Council for International into Cuba — 66% of that in humanitarian aid — Visitors, which is organizing a visit of top Georgia officials to Cuba in early June. over the last decade. The 150-member delegation will fly Delta from Atlanta to Havana, via Miami. NEW TOLERANCE TOWARD CATHOLIC CHURCH “Give us our freedom to travel to Cuba back, or stop calling this the freest In late February, Cuban Cardinal Jaime Ortega country in the world.” Alamino commemorated the 150th anniversary — Gary Snow, an Austin, Tex., travel agent who has been to Cuba 150 times. His of the birth of Félix Varela with a pastoral letter. business, Cuba Travel USA, has helped over 20,000 Americans travel to Cuba. The letter, reproduced in The Miami Herald, con- tained ample criticism of the Cuban government and its response to current social problems. “What we found remarkable is the importance the arts play in Cuban life. But this time, unlike in 1993, there was no offi- No one seems to have any money, but the arts — fully supported by the gov- cial rebuttal or harsh criticism from official quar- ernment — are an essential part of their lives. That was a revelation.” ters, and Fidel Castro acknowledged that many — Francia Russell, co-artistic director of Pacific Northwest Ballet, who traveled to of Cardinal Ortega’s concerns were valid. At the Cuba in February with Sen. Maria Cantwell and 30 other Washington women. same time, an article in official media attempted to show how tolerant the state has been towards “They told me I had 20 days to respond or face a $20,000 fine.” the church — especially in the last decade, dur- — Tom Warner, the 77-year-old secretary of the Seattle/Cuba Friendship ing which time 20 new religious orders have Committee, who is being threatened by OFAC simply because his website posted been established, bringing the total up to 54. information about a U.S.-Cuba Sister Cities Association meeting in Havana. The newest order, the Holy Savior of St. Brigitte, was established Mar. 8. Its inauguration “I am informed that critical intelligence information about Castro’s support was attended by Castro, Ortega and high-ranking for terrorism and hostile espionage within the U.S. is being suppressed by cer- representatives from Mexico and the Vatican. tain elements within the intelligence establishment and is being withheld from the White House. In the aftermath of Sept. 11, and as we intensify the war on TOKYO SEEKS CASTRO’S HELP ON NORTH KOREA terrorism, it is ultimately disturbing that any threat might be ignored.” Japanese leaders apparently asked Fidel Castro — Rep. Lincoln Díaz-Balart (R-FL), in a Mar. 6 letter to FBI Director Robert S. to help mediate the current crisis with North Mueller III. Korea during the Cuban president’s recent tour of the Far East. According to press reports, “It’s a common misconception that gays are not revolutionaries or socialists. Castro promised Japan — one of Cuba’s largest I believe in socialism. But as long as I don’t commit a crime, no one has the trading partners and foreign-aid donors in the right to rule my life.” 1970s and 1980s — that he’d do everything with- — Kiriam Gutiérrez, the 28-year-old transvestite featured in a controver- in his power to make some positive contribution, sial new government-sponsored, 30-second TV spot aimed at promoting although he reportedly stressed that Havana’s safe sex among Cuban homosexuals and bisexuals. current ties with Pyongyang aren’t as good as they were when Kim il-Sung was still alive. 2003_04/CubaNews 4/3/03 10:24 AM Page 6

6 CubaNews ❖ April 2003 SMALL BUSINESS A glimpse into how Cuba’s fresh-produce system works BY DOUGLASS G. NORVELL day for food, and are able to make some side the costs of the truck and crew, and assumes ever mind Cuba’s claims to socialism. deals carrying packages, money and informa- the risk of transporting the produce. Its fresh-produce marketing system is tion back and forth from the east to Havana. The jefes de mercancía minimize risk in sev- Ncapitalist to the core. For example, truck drivers often pick up eral ways. They maintain close relationships Like merchant wholesalers in any other passengers for the ride east to Las Tunas or with retailers in the agromercados, often giv- country, Cuban entrepreneurs called jefes de Holguín, pocketing the $10 charge and pass- ing them goods on credit, a way to tie them to mercancía (merchandising chiefs) locate sup- ing a few pesos on to the rest of the crew. him. In addition, jefes diversify their ship- plies of papaya, mangos, melons, onions, gar- Early in the morning, the trucks make ments by including a variety of products, lic and other fresh produce, buy them, deliveries to one or more of Havana’s neigh- including long shelf-life staples such as garlic, arrange transport into the city, then accompa- borhood fresh produce markets, known as yucca and other root crops, along with higher- ny the trucks into town and supervise the agromercados. Generally, there’s an agromer- value but more perishable items like toma- products’ unloading and sale. cado within walking distance of most homes. toes and avocados. They also maintain close Most of following details on Cuba’s fresh- At each market, the truck pulls up and esti- contact with retailers to avoid bringing in pro- produce system come from Carlos and Joel — badores unload the produce. By mid-day, the duce that is undersold in the agromercados. estibadores who unload trucks for a living. crew is headed back to eastern Cuba, often Finally, many of the jefes are also farmers, Carlos is a former soldier who served in carrying light cargo and passengers. avoiding the necessity to make large outlays Angola, and Joel is a country boy who left a Carlos and Joel enumerated the costs of of cash for the produce they bring to town. small town to seek his fortune in Havana. bringing a truck from Las Tunas to Havana With their transport and product mainte- Both are from eastern Cuba, and are what loaded with 180 quintales (hundredweights) nance skills, jefes de mercancía are essential Havana residents call palestinos, because of fresh produce. The jefe pays 2,500 pesos to to the steady supply of produce to Havana and they’re uprooted, hence semi-homeless. rent the truck, 600 for gasoline, 780 for the other Cuban towns, as well as potential play- Six nights a week, about 100 trucks roll into crew, 100 for the estibadores and another 30 ers in a system that will one day export fresh Havana, mainly from the east. Carrying fresh for someone to guard the truck. The jefe pays fruits and vegetables to the United States. produce from Camagüey, Villa Clara, Holguín and Las Tunas, most of these trucks are rent- ed from the government, but some are pri- vate, including a few aging International Har- vesters left over from pre-embargo days. When the trucks arrive in the early morn- ing, the crew rests for a while, waiting for the estibadores to arrive and the unloading to begin. Sometimes the jefe de mercancía is aboard and sometimes not, but he usually shows up for unloading to collect on accounts. Each truck has a driver who earns 50 pesos each day, and two helpers, each of whom earn 30 pesos a day. All get another 30 pesos each

Noriega nominated for Reich’s old job FOR SALE: CANF ‘EMBASSY’ n Mar. 25, the White House formally While the nomination may face opposition WASHINGTON — The Cuban American nominated Roger Francisco Noriega to from Democrats on the Senate Foreign Re- National Foundation’s self-styled “Embassy Ohead the State Department’s Office of lations Committee who fought against Helms- for a Free Cuba,” inaugurated with much Western Hemisphere Affairs. Burton, such as Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), fanfare just two years ago, is on the block. Noriega, 44, is currently the U.S. represen- Noriega is likely to win quick confirmation. Dennis Hays, the CANF’s executive vice- tative to the Organization of American States. “I can’t imagine that anyone would do to president, said the historic buildings that A conservative who worked as a senior staff him what they did to Otto Reich,” said Dennis house the Miami-based exile organization’s member for both the House International Re- Hays, executive director of the Cuban Ameri- Washington operations were just too big. lations Committee and the Senate Foreign can National Foundation, who called Nori- “We don’t have a staff size to justify a Relations Committee, Noriega shares the ega’s prospects for confirmation “excellent.” building like this,” Hays said. Bush administration’s hardline view of Cuba. Opposition to Reich forced the Bush admin- Another reason for the sale is profit. Noriega is credited with drafting much of istration to give him a recess appointment Washington’s booming real-estate market the 1996 Helms-Burton Act, and wrote a with- that ended with the last Congress — disap- means the CANF can make $1 million or ering critique of the Castro government after pointing the CANF and other exile groups. more on the sale, according to Hays. The visiting Cuba during Pope John Paul II’s 1998 Reich is now chief of Latin American policy at “embassy” occupies two elegant 19th-centu- trip there. the White House’s National Security Council. ry row houses on Jefferson Place for which the CANF paid $1.75 million. One of them Yet he lacks the controversial past and pos- Noriega was born in Wichita, Kan., and at- was once the home of Teddy Roosevelt. sible conflicts of interest that dogged the tended Washburn University in Topeka. He came to Washington in 1983 as an aide Hays said the CANF will move to “more nomination of his predecessor, Otto Reich. traditional office space” after the sale. “He has less personal baggage than Reich, to former Rep. Bob Whittaker (R-KS) and Details: CANF, 1822 Jefferson Place NW, but ideologically, it appears he’s of the same worked for a time at the U.S. Agency for Inter- Washington, DC 20036. Tel: (202) 530- stripe,” said Brian Alexander, executive direc- national Development. On Aug. 6, 2001, Bush 1894. Fax: (202) 530-2444. E-mail: hays- tor of the Cuba Policy Foundation, an organi- named him to his current post at the OAS. [email protected]. URL: www.canf.org. zation that seeks to end the embargo. – ANA RADELAT 2003_04/CubaNews 4/3/03 10:24 AM Page 7

April 2003 ❖ CubaNews 7 As a result of Cuba’s latest moves, U.S. dip- and the United States or any other kind of Crackdown — FROM PAGE 1 lomats must now get prior approval to travel normal business exchange. The best way to “trying to foment the internal counterrevolu- outside a 434-square-mile area that includes bring all this to a halt is by provoking a clos- tion” and “organizing, financing and serving Havana and its suburbs. Previously, American ing of the Interests Section.” But, he conclud- as headquarters for activities meant to desta- diplomats had to notify Cuban officials when- ed, “I don’t think the Cubans in fact will do it, bilize and subvert the constitutional order.” ever they traveled outside the capital, but no because it’s dawned on them that that’s exact- Ricardo Alarcón, head of Cuba’s National advance approval was necessary. ly what the administration wants.” Assembly, claimed his government now has On Mar. 13, the State Department imposed Jaime Suchlicki, director of the University enough “evidence” to prosecute all 78 for similar restrictions on diplomats working at of Miami’s Institute for Cuban and Cuban-Am- “conspiring against Cuba.” the Cuban Interests Section in Washington. erican Studies and an avid embargo support- Indeed, some of those arrested had also met Neither Dagoberto Rodríguez, chief of that er, doesn’t buy a word of Smith’s argument. with visiting members of the House Cuba mission, nor his spokesman, Juan Hernández “What the Cubans are doing is not a reac- Working Group only a week earlier. Rep. Jeff Acen, could be reached for comment. tion to Jim Cason at all,” he told CubaNews. “I Flake (R-AZ), a leading member of that group, Also unavailable was Cason, who has de- think Castro has been planning to crack down wasted no time introducing a resolution urging clined our numerous requests for interviews on the dissidents for awhile. Everybody’s Cuba to release all political prisoners at once. in both Washington and Havana. looking the other way with Iraq now. This has On Mar. 25, Bill Nelson (D-FL) and George to do with cleaning house, paving the way for Allen (R-VA) did likewise in the Senate. ANALYZING CASTRO’S MOTIVES Fidel’s brother to have a smooth takeover, Interestingly, one of those not arrested was But Wayne Smith, who occupied that post eliminating opposition both outside and with- Oswaldo Payá, founder of the Varela Project. during the Carter administration and is now in the government. We’re going to see a very Carlos Saladrigas, chairman of the Cuba an outspoken opponent of U.S. policy toward difficult time in Cuba, with repression and ter- Study Group, said that by allowing Payá to re- Cuba, criticized Cason for publicizing his ror increasing over the next few months.” main free, Castro is “sowing division within the meetings with dissidents and holding press To back up his assessment, Suchlicki cited internal opposition and supporting the argu- conferences to denounce the Castro regime. the Mar. 6 appointment of Ramiro Valdés to ment by some right-wingers in Miami that “I also meet with dissidents when I go to Cuba’s Council of State (see box below). Oswaldo Payá is a government collaborator.” Cuba, but always in the context of broadening “As minister of interior, Valdés was Fidel’s Yet if Castro had jailed the famous dissident, dialogue and trying to improve relations,” right-hand man in repression. He was a real he told CubaNews, “it would quickly result in said Smith, a senior fellow at the Center for butcher. Now he’s rehabilitated, and he’s one his being a shoo-in for the Nobel Peace Prize.” International Policy in Washington. “That’s of the 31 members of the Council of State. To Philip Peters, vice-president of the Lexing- exactly the opposite of what the U.S. Interests me, that’s an indication that Fidel is moving ton Institute, said Fidel’s crackdown “certain- Section is doing now.” into a very harsh position, no different than ly spells trouble for Cuba in terms of any open- Smith added: “My own sense is that the what Mao or Stalin did before they died.” ing by the European Union, which was about to Bush administration would be delighted to Suchlicki added that Castro’s latest crack- let Cuba into the Cotonou Agreement. It has see the Interests Section closed. They don’t down on dissidents “will put a damper on any also probably cost some votes in Congress.” have any interest at all in travel between Cuba idea of normalizing relations with Cuba.” THE NEW LINEUP: CUBA’S 31-MEMBER COUNCIL OF STATE

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: MEMBERS: Orlando Lugo Fonte: President, ANAP President: Fidel Castro Ruz, President of José Ramón Balaguer Cabrera: Member, [National Association of Small Agricultural the Council of Ministers, First Secretary of Politburo of PCC Central Committee) Producers] the Central Committee of the Cuban Comm- Iris Betancourt Téllez: Regional Dele- Nidia Diana Martínez Pití: Director, unist Party (PCC) and Commander-in-Chief gate, Ministry of Science in Granma* William Soler Pediatric Hospital* of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) Julio Casas Regueiro: First Vice Minister Pedro Miret Prieto: Vice President, First Vice President: Raúl Castro Ruz, of Defense; General, (FAR), and Politburo Council of Ministers Vice President of the Council of Ministers, Member, PCC Central Committee Felipe Pérez Roque: Minister of Foreign Second Secretary of the PCC Central Affairs Committee and Defense Minister Vilma Espín Guillois: President, FMC [Federation of Cuban Women] (and wife of Marcos Javier Portal León: Minister, Vice President: Juan Almeida Bosque, Raúl Castro) Basic Industry [energy and mining] Politburo Member, PCC Central Committee Roberto Fernández Retamar: President, Otto Rivero Torres: First Secretary, UJC Vice President: Abelardo Colomé Ibarra, Casa de las Américas [cultural institution] [Union of Young Communists] General, FAR; Minister of the Interior [head of Cuba’s state security apparatus]; and María Teresa Ferrer Madrazo: Vice Pedro Ross Leal: Secretary-General, CTC Politburo Member, PCC Central Committee Dean, Salvador Allende School of Medical [sole state-authorized national labor union] Sciences* Vice President: Carlos Lage Dávila, Pedro Sáez Montejo: First Secretary, PCC Secretary of the Council of Ministers and Roberto Ignacio González Planas: Committee in Havana Province and Polit- Politburo Member, PCC Central Committee Minister, Information Technology and buro Member, Central Committee of PCC* Vice President: Esteban Lazo Hernán- Communications* Rosa Elena Simeón Negrín: Minister of dez, First Secretary, Provincial Committee of Armando Hart Dávalos: Director, Oficina Science, Technology and the Environment the PCC in the City of Havana and Politburo del Programa Martiano [national program Francisco Soberón Valdés: President- Member, PCC Central Committee to disseminate the thoughts of José Martí] Minister, Central Bank of Cuba* Vice President: José Ramón Machado and former Minister of Culture Ramiro Valdés Menéndez: President, Ventura, Politburo Member, Central Commit- Martha Hernández Romero: Provincial Electronics Group, Ministry of Information tee of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) Director of Education in Santiago de Cuba* Technology and Communications (and for- Secretary: José M. Miyar Barrueco, Luis Herrera Martínez: Director, Center mer Minister of the Interior)* Member, Central Committee of the Cuban for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology* Carlos Manuel Valenciaga Díaz: top per- Communist Party and Secretary of the Julio Christian Jiménez Molina: 1st Vice sonal aide to Fidel Castro Council of State (since 1980) President, Inder [national sports institute]* *new member as of Mar. 6, 2003 2003_04/CubaNews 4/3/03 10:24 AM Page 8

8 CubaNews ❖ April 2003 NEWSMAKERS Delahunt co-chairs House efforts to revise Cuba policy BY LARRY LUXNER they say hasn’t worked for over 40 years. In 1996, Delahunt was elected to Congress, ack in his college days, liberal Bill “The United States has profound differ- representing the 10th District of Massachu- Delahunt ran the Vermont Students for ences with Cuba, but our policy works against setts — long considered the nation’s most B Kennedy campaign. Across the country our own interests. By blocking a flow of peo- Democratic state. The district includes Cape in Arizona, conservative Jeff Flake headed ple, commerce and ideas, we have created an Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and the Barry Goldwater Institute. embargo on American principles,” the CWG Boston’s South Shore from Delahunt’s native Both men went on to become respected statement declared. Quincy to the town of Plymouth. members of Congress, and today, Delahunt “The way to advance our ideals is to put Delahunt currently serves on the Western (D-MA) and Flake (R-AZ) co-chair the House Americans in contact with Cubans,” it said. Hemisphere and Europe subcommittees, as of Representatives’ 50-member Cuba “Therefore, our top priority this year will be to well as the Judiciary Committee’s subcom- Working Group. Their objective: to change end the travel ban. We need to tear down the mittee on the Internet and intellectual proper- U.S. policy toward Cuba through legislation wall we have built that separates Americans ty. He assumed Democratic leadership of the that would — among other things — relax the travel ban, expand trade opportunities and kill the Helms-Burton Act. “Obviously, our politics are as disparate as

one could imagine,” says Delahunt of his LARRY LUXNER Republican counterpart. “But the intersection of left and right occurs more frequently than the public appreciates, and these are individ- ual liberty issues.” Adds Flake: “The fact that the two of us are involved shows this isn’t a philosophical issue. We have support across the political spectrum to change our Cuba policy.” Delahunt, interviewed at his Capitol Hill office, last month participated in a five-day mission to Havana along with Flake and six other CWG members: Jo Ann Emerson (R- MO), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Dennis Moore (D- KS), Butch Otter (R-ID), Denny Rehberg (R- MT) and John Tanner (D-TN). That Mar. 7-11 fact-finding trip was the Rep. Bill Delahunt of Massachusetts co-chairs Cuba Working Group in the House of Representatives. largest congressional delegation ever to visit Cuba, and it included meetings with Cuba’s from Cubans. Our government has no reason Cuba Working Group — along with Flake on minister of external trade, Raúl de la Nuez; to impose criminal penalties on Americans for the Republican side — upon the CWG’s for- Alimport chief Pedro Alvarez and prominent normal travel to Cuba — especially at a time mation last year. dissident Vladimiro Roca, as well as a four- when we need every law-enforcement “What you see now is a convergence of hour schmooze with Fidel Castro. resource to be used in the war on terrorism.” influences,” said the congressman, whose “It was a short meeting,” quipped the 61- office walls are decorated with navigational year-old Delahunt, who has spoken with Cas- TIME FOR A DEBATE ON CUBA POLICY charts of Cape Cod. tro numerous times during his dozen or so Delahunt said his fascination with Cuba “There hadn’t been a debate on Cuba in trips to the island. On the other hand, Flake dates back to 1960, when he campaigned this country for decades. I think the advent of refused to meet the Cuban leader, telling us enthusiastically for JFK at Middlebury Col- the Cuba Working Group for the first time that “we had limited time, and the last thing I lege along with fraternity brother Ron Brown, created a mechanism for coordinating inter- wanted to do was spend four hours hearing est in legislation, doing something within Fidel talk about the wonders of socialism.” who would later become U.S. secretary of commerce in the Clinton administration. Congress in a way that has some structure to Following the lawmakers’ return, CWG it. In the past, individual members would file “I was always interested in politics, and I members indicated they will support changes bills and receive a few co-sponsors — but to U.S. policy that would make bilateral trade came from that generation that was amazed there was nothing coordinated or focused.” more cost-effective in two ways. by Jack Kennedy,” he said. Delahunt graduat- Delahunt said he knew change was in the The first would allow Cuba to use dollars in ed from Middlebury in 1963, then earned a air when he and Flake were invited to speak paying for U.S. agricultural commodities law degree from Boston College in 1967. last year at an exploratory meeting at Miami’s under the Trade Sanctions Reform Act of Delahunt’s first trip to Cuba was in 1988, Biltmore Hotel a year ago — an event expect- 2000 (TSRA), while the second would save while still a district attorney in Boston, where ed to attract no more than 100 people. the island substantial shipping costs by allow- he specialized in domestic violence and sexu- “Instead, 300 to 400 came. We were both ing vessels to be unloaded more quickly after al assault. At that time, he was asked by the very surprised,” Delahunt said. “That sig- docking at Cuban ports. Human Rights Project to document the plight naled a shift within the Cuban-American com- The CWG also issued a statement blasting of Cuban political prisoners. munity, at the same time you have the busi- the subsequent arrest of 78 dissidents, inde- “Along with Bruce Morrison and [federal ness community focused on Cuba. And they pendent journalists and others who had met district court judge] David Nelson, we spent have considerable political influence in areas with the delegation as well as with James an entire day at the Combinado del Este inter- that are traditionally Republican.” Cason, the top U.S. diplomat in Havana. viewing prisoners,” he said. “We were invited Asked why he’s against the embargo, Dela- At the same time, however, the lawmakers by the Cuban government, and we met Fidel. hunt said: “It’s silly. It has clearly proven its are urging President Bush to end a policy That obviously piqued my interest in Cuba.” ineffectiveness. Even Dick Cheney recog- 2003_04/CubaNews 4/3/03 10:24 AM Page 9

April 2003 ❖ CubaNews 9 nized that during the [2000 presidential] cam- recent stay at Havana’s Hotel Nacional, “I was all a bunch of complicated rules, and you also paign. When posed that question, he admitted constantly running into people from Massa- have to deal with currency adjustment flows. that sanctions haven’t worked all that well.” chusetts” — including Harvard college stu- This ties up your staff’s time, chasing third- Delahunt added: “It’s irrefutable that, if the dents, a visiting group involved with indepen- party transactions,” he said. “With a change rationale for the embargo is to bring demo- dent libraries and another group dedicated to in the finance laws, we could get paid directly cratic change to Cuba, it has failed. It’s absurd helping Cubans with physical disabilities. from Cuba right to our company. That would to continue this policy.” “Clearly these people are motivated by be very beneficial, and I know Delahunt is in To drive home his point, he insists that “if humanitarian causes,” he said, adding that “I support of that.” you happen to be in Baghdad right now, you don’t know whether the Cubans really under- Rob Sequin is CEO of Cuban Ventures.com, can walk into any retail store and use your stand the magnitude of the deluge of an online news service based in the Cape Cod American Express card. But not in Cuba.” Americans that will come to Cuba once the town of Yarmouthport, which is also in Other totalitarian regimes like China and travel restrictions are removed.” Delahunt’s district. North Korea — not to mention “the most During a recent conversation with Castro “The congressman’s staff has been a fantas- repressive government in the world, Saudi about the 1961 Bay of Pigs fiasco, Delahunt tic source of information and has introduced me to some very knowledgeable and influen- tial people in the Cuba arena,” said Sequin. “I strongly support his efforts to ease the trade and travel restrictions.” But the Cuba Working Group has its critics, “If you happen to be in Baghdad right now, you can walk into any and one New York-based analyst said the group is quickly becoming irrelevant. retail store and use your American Express card. But not in Cuba.” “The perception now is that it’s being guid- ed by left-of-center Democrats, and that’s causing concern for the Republican mem- bers,” said the analyst, who asked not to be named. “They haven’t accomplished any- Arabia” — are also open to U.S. investment, warned the Cuban leader that “next time we thing. There’s nothing they can point to.” the lawmaker pointed out. invade, we’re going to win” because the He also complained that Delahunt “wants “Our inconsistency, I dare say, impacts United States has a secret weapon. to change TSRA to allow for payment terms or negatively on our claim to a certain moral “When Castro asked what that weapon was, bank financing, but the companies don’t want authority in the international order,” Dela- I told him two words: spring break,” Dela- that. They want to maintain the cash-only hunt told CubaNews. “I’m not an apologist for hunt recalled, laughing. “At that point, he relationship they have now. The CWG is so Fidel Castro, but the vast majority of raised his hands and said, ‘I surrender!’” hell-bent on changing policy that they’re not Americans do not embrace these policies.” focusing on whether or not the specific That’s why Delahunt says his No. 1 priority DARTS AND LAURELS FOR DELAHUNT changes they advocate may be detrimental at is lifting the travel ban as soon as possible. David Radlo, whose Boston-based Radlo this time to specific constituencies.” “I find it particularly offensive as an Foods has sold 40 million eggs worth around But Delahunt staunchly defends his poli- American that my right to travel is restricted,” $2 million to Alimport, thinks Delahunt has cies, saying that private financing should be he said. “The Cold War is over, and Cuba is done “an excellent job” trying to improve rela- allowed for companies that want it. not a threat. Fidel is exporting doctors rather tions between the United States and Cuba. “They have the option to insist upon trade than revolutions now. I know that he’s intelli- “I think his efforts and hard work are self- on a cash-only basis. But if we want to open up gent, and aware of the fact that Cuba has to evident, and I stand behind him,” said Radlo, and make [U.S. exports] competitive, then insert itself into the global economy if they who has a residence in Harwich, which is in private financing should be available,” said wish to survive.” Delahunt’s district. the congressman. “No one is compelled to Despite the difficulties of traveling legally “The fact we can’t get paid directly [for food lend money and utilize credit. I believe this to Cuba, Delahunt noted that during his exports] limits our ability to sell to Cuba. It’s should be left to the marketplace.” MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE CUBA WORKING GROUP The bipartisan Cuba Working Group is now composed of 50 mem- family remittances; relax the travel ban and allow the Helms-Burton bers of the U.S. House of Representatives — 25 Democrats and 25 Act to expire. Working-group members also hope to reform Radio Republicans — who want to change U.S. policy toward Cuba. The Martí, shut down TV Martí and reach a settlement with the Cuban group’s main objectives are to remove credit and other restrictions government over $1.2 billion in U.S. property claims. Here are the on food sales to the Castro regime; abolish the $100-a-month cap on group’s members, the states and the districts they represent: DEMOCRATS: REPUBLICANS: Stephen Lynch (Massachusetts-9) Jerry Moran (Kansas-1) Neil Abercrombie (Hawaii-1) Jim McGovern (Massachusetts-3) John Boozman (Arkansas-3) George Nethercutt (Washington-5) Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin-2) Dennis Moore (Kansas-3) Kevin Brady (Texas-8) Tom Osborne (Nebraska-3) Howard Berman (California-26) Collin Peterson (Minnesota-7) Dave Camp (Michigan-4) Butch Otter (Idaho-1) Marion Berry (Arkansas-1) Charlie Rangel (New York-15) Jo Ann Emerson (Missouri-8) Ron Paul (Texas-14) William Lacy Clay (Missouri-1) Mike Ross (Arkansas-4) Jeff Flake (Arizona-1) Jim Ramstad (Minnesota-3) Peter DeFazio (Oregon-4) Vic Snyder (Arkansas-2) Sam Graves (Missouri-6) Dennis Rehberg (Montana-at large) William Delahunt (Massachusetts-10) Hilda Solis (California-31) Jim Greenwood (Pennsylvania-8) Paul Ryan (Wisconsin-1) Rosa DeLauro (Connecticut-3) Charlie Stenholm (Texas-17) Wally Herger (California-2) Chris Shays (Connecticut-4) Cal Dooley (California-20) John Tanner (Tennessee-8) Amo Houghton (New York-29) John Shimkus (Illinois-20) Mike Doyle (Pennsylvania-14) Mike Thompson (California-1) Tim Johnson (Illinois-5) Nick Smith (Michigan-7) Sam Farr (California-17) Edolphus Towns (New York-10) Ray LaHood (Illinois-18) Pat Tiberi (Ohio-12) Nick Lampson (Texas-9) Chris Van Hollen (Maryland-8) Jim Leach (Iowa-1) Ed Whitfield (Kentucky-1) 2003_04/CubaNews 4/3/03 10:24 AM Page 10

10 CubaNews ❖ April 2003 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Saddam & Fidel: An unpleasant marriage of convenience

BY DOMINGO AMUCHASTEGUI and its leader, Yasser Arafat. In 1968, the first year, after Cuba was hit by a severe hurri- ith the American-led war against Iraq training camp run by Cuban officers was set cane, Saddam donated $10 million in food aid. dominating world headlines, this is up in Jordan under Fatah’s control; other Nevertheless, frictions and clashes contin- W as good a time as any to study the forms of cooperation followed suit. ued to plague bilateral relations, partly be- Between 1969 and 1972, Saddam Hussein cause some of Cuba’s closest friends in the complex relationship between two men who had consolidated his power in Iraq and began share little else than their hatred for the Uni- Mideast — Syria, Lebanon, Algeria, Eritrea, implementing radical reforms, such as social Iran and Southern Yemen among them — ted States: Fidel Castro and Saddam Hussein. programs, partial agreements with the Kurds, Following the victory of Castro’s revolution were constantly at odds with Iraq. nationalization of the oil industry and negotia- In September 1980, Saddam’s forces in 1959, the Cuban leader made it a priority to tions with the Iraqi Communist Party. link himself with the fledgling Non-Aligned attacked Iran, whose Islamic revolution had It is in this context that Havana cautiously been welcomed by Castro, and Cuba immedi- Movement. To this end, he quickly estab- decided to resume ties with Baghdad. lished close ties with nationalist and revolu- ately cancelled its military cooperation with tionary Arab countries such as Egypt, Algeria AN UP-AND-DOWN RELATIONSHIP Baghdad and withdrew its advisers. As chair- and, to a lesser extent, Iraq. man of the Non-Aligned Movement, Cuba The first Cuban doctors and construction engaged in several mediation efforts to stop When Iraq’s Gen. Qarim Abdul el-Kassem workers were sent to Iraq, among them was overthrown in a bloody coup in 1963 by the Iran-Iraq war, none of them successful. orthopedic surgeon Rodrigo Alvarez Cam- Things got even worse in 1990, after Iraq the Ba’ath Party, Cuban officials protested bras, who later removed a lethal tumor from loudly. They knew very little about the invaded and occupied Kuwait. Cuba, then Saddam Hussein’s spine and was rewarded by chairing the UN Security Council, had little Ba’athists and were angry to see their Iraqi the Cuban government with a mansion in choice but to support Resolution 660, which contacts and friends brutally butchered. Cuba Havana’s upscale Miramar neighborhood. condemned Iraq. In September 1990, Castro closed its embassy in Baghdad, and relations In September 1973, Castro broke diplomat- sent a delegation to Baghdad — armed with were frozen for almost a decade. ic ties with Israel. At the end of that year — the latest Soviet intelligence on U.S. military But another branch of the Ba’ath Party — immediately following the Yom Kippur War — firepower — in a bold attempt to convince the one in Syria — sought a relationship with Cuba sent a regiment of tanks to Damascus Saddam to withdraw his troops from Kuwait. the Cubans. Relations with Damascus became under the command of César Lara Roselló. But the top-secret mission, led by the vice- cozy after the Syrian Ba’athists’ 1965 victory Two Cuban tanks were seriously damaged by president of Cuba’s Council of Ministers, José and their participation at the Tricontinental Israeli artillery. Cuban forces deployed in Ramón Fernández, failed due to the Iraqi dic- Conference in Havana, in January 1966. Syria returned home in February 1975. tator’s intransigence. After Israel defeated the Arabs in the 1967 In 1976, Cuba began sending military advis- Following the Gulf War, bilateral coopera- Six-Day War, Castro criticized the Arab mili- ers to Iraq, at Saddam’s request. During his tion in the form of Cuban construction proj- tary effort, especially that of Egypt. Cuba’s state visit to Havana in 1979, the Iraqi leader ects and medical assistance dropped substan- focus shifted to the PLO’s Fatah movement agreed to lend $50 million to Cuba; later that tially. At the same time, Cuba has boosted ties with other nations such as Algeria, Lebanon, Qatar, Turkey and the now-unified Yemen. VENEZUELAN ENVOY DEFENDS OIL SALES TO CUBA Iran, the second member of Bush’s “Axis of WASHINGTON — Bernardo Alvarez, a key position in a country that derives 80% Evil,” is now a big client of Cuban biotech and Venezuela’s new ambassador to the United of its foreign exchange from petroleum. medical services. And despite the lack of dip- States, says his nation’s oil trade with Cuba “We have to supply not only the United lomatic ties between Havana and Jerusalem, shouldn’t worry Washington in the least. States, but the entire hemisphere. These are there’s been significant Israeli investment in In 2002, Venezuela ranked as the island’s countries that need our help. For us, Cuba is Cuban citrus and real-estate ventures. No. 1 trading partner, with nearly all of that another country in the Caribbean, and if we Alvarez Cambras, chairman of the Arab- consisting of petroleum exports. have a policy to help those countries, we Cuban Friendship Society and a member of “Cuba is a good market for Venezuela,” cannot exclude Cuba.” Cuba’s National Assembly, has frequently Alvarez told CubaNews. “Because of all the Alvarez, who helped manage the Chávez reiterated his country’s solidarity with Iraq restrictions, they have to buy oil through presidential campaign, conceded that while and condemned “the Zionist crimes against traders. What we did, as we have done with the recent strike against state-run PDVSA our people in Palestine.” other Caribbean countries, is include Cuba resulted in billions of dollars in lost reve- Yet Cuba has denied cooperating with Iraq in an energy cooperation program. nues, Venezuela will continue to supply its on biological weapons research, specifically “We give them the possibility of buying traditional customers including Cuba — de- the development of anthrax and West Nile up to 53,000 barrels a day on a commercial spite objections from exile groups in Miami. virus for use against the United States. basis, with no discount prices,” Alvarez “We have friends all over the world, and And now, with the war in full swing, Cuba’s explained. “If the price goes higher than we respect the sovereignty of other coun- current position is to condemn the U.S. $30 a barrel, we finance 25% of the deal, tries to deal with their own internal issues,” “aggression against Iraq” and to express sym- meaning that they have to pay cash for the he said. “Of course, the Cuban-American pathy and solidarity with the Iraqi people. But other 75%. If it goes down to $15 a barrel, we community has a great deal of influence in Castro has carefully avoided showing any only finance 5% of it. the United States, and they try to distort kind of explicit support for Saddam Hussein. “The whole idea is that Venezuela is pro- what is a normal relationship between two Just before American bombs began falling moting a policy of rational prices,” he said. countries that have historical ties. They say on Baghdad last month, Castro urged Sad- “We’ve established a mechanism to allow we are giving away oil to Cuba. This is com- dam “to destroy every last bit of any chemical poorer countries a financial mechanism to plete nonsense.” or biological weapon that may remain, if any counteract the effect of higher prices.” He added: “Venezuela has never support- still exist or could have been produced” — Before his current post, Alvarez was ed the embargo against Cuba — even well and to deal “only with the full truth.” Venezuela’s vice-minister for oil and gas — before President Chávez came to power.” If only Saddam had listened to his one-time comrade in Havana. 2003_04/CubaNews 4/3/03 10:24 AM Page 11

April 2003 ❖ CubaNews 11 COMMODITIES Delays, inefficiencies hint at dismal 2003 sugar harvest BY ARMANDO H. PORTELA Camagüey, the nation’s most important sugar producer, worked barely at 60% capaci- he way Cuba’s 2003 sugar harvest is ty in February and March, instead of the min- struggling, the government’s unofficial imum 80% required. The province reached T 2.7 million-ton target already seems the 100,000-ton mark on Mar. 23, with 67% of unrealistic, and the industry will need to work its sugar still waiting to be harvested in the overtime to reach even two million tons. fields — mostly in southern, soggy soils. As the harvest neared its peak, production Provincial authorities had little choice but delays have been reported, with some key to switch to the production of sugar at the provinces as Camagüey falling well short of Siboney and Brasil mills, both of which were the most optimistic expectations. slated to produce only molasses this season. By late March, only six of 13 provinces had Brasil entered the harvest on Mar. 24, a reached the 100,000-ton mark in production of month behind schedule. raw sugar. With half its mills shut down, Villa In addition to Camagüey, the provinces of Clara was the first to meet this modest goal Pinar del Río, Granma, Guantánamo, Sancti early in the month, followed by Las Tunas a Spíritus and maybe Ciego de Avila and week later and Santiago de Cuba on Mar. 18. Holguín will need to grind into May. By comparison, Las Tunas and Villa Clara The sugar-cane combines, which account had reached the 200,000-ton mark by late for 75% of the zafra, seem to be the big disap- February 2002, when the overall tally reached pointments this year. Most of them chop well 3.6 million tons. This suggests that Cuba’s below the 150-ton-per day norm and even national output so far is roughly half that of below 100 tons daily, according to Sugar the previous season. Minister Ulises Rosales del Toro. This, in To cope with the obvious delay and pro- turn, forces down the industrial grinding pace duce more sugar, some provinces will have to because of the lack of sugar cane in the mills. grind deep into April and even May — even if Propaganda asks Cubans to produce more sugar. Sucrose yield in the cane is also poor this at the beginning of the harvest authorities harvest. From late February to mid-March, rejected the idea of milling at the very period plans foresaw a short harvest, lasting from when the last report became available, Cuba’s when sucrose yields naturally decline, rains January to March with an early end in April. national average ranged between 10.4% and become more frequent and both workers and That contrasts with the costly November to 10.8%, compared to 11.2-11.5% a year ago. If machinery are at the point of exhaustion. late May grinding season that plagued much this doesn’t improve, Cuba could lose up to With overall efficiency in mind, the original of the last decade. 150,000 tons in the 2003 harvest. Alimport buys frozen seafood from California export firm mitation crab meat from China, octopus negotiations during and immediately after the unlike his Canadian or Chilean counterparts, from Vietnam and smoked salmon from U.S. Food and Agribusiness Exhibition held doesn’t have to worry about getting paid; he I California could soon end up on restaurant last September in Havana. gets his money up front. tables across Havana — thanks to the first “At that time, we were overwhelmed with “That’s why I can sell them on reasonable seafood shipment from a U.S. company to Cubans from every side of the seafood indus- pricing and quantities that are much lower Cuba since the 1959 revolution. try. I stayed three or four days after the show than they’d otherwise have to take,” he said. City Seafoods, based in Los Angeles, has ended, hoping we could put something “For example, I can sell them very small snared a $180,000 contract to supply 35,000 together,” Heidelmaier told CubaNews. quantities, like 3,000 lbs. of imitation crab pounds of frozen delicacies to Cuban food “They made a list of all the seafood items meat, rather than one large container.” import agency Alimport. they thought Cuba would use in one year — City Seafood’s products are destined for the “It’s the first-ever fish export from the U.S. down to the kilogram — then they broke it Hotel Nacional and other luxury resorts to Cuba, and it opens a tremendous new mar- into a spreadsheet and asked us to provide catering to tourists. ket for American companies,” said Greg pricing on everything from salmon to caviar. Heidelmaier conceded that “we had some Estevani, president of Global Strategies It took two and a half days, and 30 people with bugs to work out” to make seafood exports to Trading LLC, which brokered the deal. laptops. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Cuba a reality, but added that since then, “We are in pre-contract negotiations with It may seem puzzling why Cuba needs a business with Alimport has been “absolutely quite a few California companies that could U.S. company to supply octopus from Viet- profitable,” with profit margins of 10-20%. also be on a first-ever status,” Estevani said, nam or crab meat from China — two nations Another company, Beaver Street Fisheries noting that City Seafoods is one of 50 compa- that maintain strong political and commercial of Jacksonville, signed an $85,000 contract nies on his client list. “We’re taking a creative ties with the Castro government. But Heidel- last November to supply Alimport with 25 dif- approach in an attempt to set up a gateway for maier explained the logic behind the deal. ferent frozen seafood items, though none of California trade. Our very focused objective is “Obviously Cuba has access to seafood the items have been shipped yet. to drive as many California companies as pos- from around the world. They do a tremen- Karl Frisch, vice-president of Beaver Street sible through our gateway.” dous amount of business with Chile, for Fisheries, said that besides seafood, his com- The first container of frozen seafood under example. But these other countries know that pany has agreed to supply Alimport with the contract was handled by Crowley Liner Cuba pays its bills very late; that’s why they chicken quarters, soft drinks, spices and Services out of Jacksonville, Fla., with similar make the Cubans pay through the nose for other third-party items. shipments to follow in coming months. their products,” he said. “We’re working on other items,” he told us, Joe Heidelmaier, vice-president of City Because U.S. law allows food exports to “but I don’t want to tip off my competition.” Seafoods, said the deal followed a month of Cuba on a cash-only basis, Heidelmaier, – LARRY LUXNER 2003_04/CubaNews 4/3/03 10:24 AM Page 12

12 CubaNews ❖ April 2003 try’s physical infrastructure.” $100,000 in the venture. BUSINESS BRIEFS The report — which is available at no cost “We decided that Cuba might open up soon, from ICCAS — discusses corruption in the and we thought we would try to develop a BRAZIL’S PETROBRÁS MAY RESUME OIL SEARCH former Soviet Union and its Eastern European freight cargo service between Cuba and the Brazilian oil giant Petroleo Brasileiro (Petro- allies as well as in post-Sandinista Nicaragua, Bahamas, particularly down in the southern brás) is interested in resuming oil exploration and concludes with several specific policy rec- islands,” Wells told the Nassau Guardian. and production activities in Cuba, reports ommendations. “This is a viable entity, because Cubans have Dow Jones Newswires. Details: ICCAS, PO Box 248174, Coral quite a number of products that I believe can Marcia Muñoz, a spokeswoman for the Gables, FL 33124. Tel: (305) 284-2822. Fax: sell in the Bahamas.” Cuban Embassy in Brasília, said Petrobrás (305) 284-4875. E-mail: [email protected]. Likely Cuban exports to the Bahamas in- has been in talks with the Castro government URL: ctp.iccas.miami.edu/index_800_2.htm. clude furniture, juices, processed foods, han- and has shown interest in working new off- dicrafts and building supplies, said Wells. shore exploration and production blocks in METAL EXPORTS UP 33%, SAYS MINISTRY “If an Exumian can pay $1.80 for a concrete the Gulf of Mexico. Cuba’s steel and metal-extraction industry block landed in Exuma, why should he pay $2 “Cuba is looking to partnerships with for- reported exports of $81.5 million in 2002, a or $2.50 for a block that came from the United eign companies to develop its oil reserves, 33% jump over 2001 figures, according to offi- States or even from Nassau for that matter?” and Petrobrás would be a fantastic partner,” cial data quoted by Spanish news agency EFE. asked Wells. “Steel in Cuba can be bought for said Muñoz. This year, the industry will sell $100 million half or probably 60% of what you would pay in Petrobrás, which couldn’t be reached for worth of aluminum and other products over- the United States.” comment, spent $16 million on a highly publi- seas. But Jorge Luís Ricardo, the vice-minister He added: “If this venture goes the way I cized but unsuccessful search for oil along for metals and mechanics, says Cuba will have anticipate it will, we’ll have to get a bigger Cuba’s north coast about two years ago. Oth- to be “highly competitive” to reach that figure. ship or another ship to assist in going there. ers involved in Cuban oil exploration include Besides aluminum, the industry’s principal We really want to provide a service from Cu- Spain’s Repsol-YPF and two Canadian compa- exports are engineering and by-product recov- ba to the southern islands and also Nassau.” nies, Sherritt International and Pebercan. ery projects and agricultural machinery, espe- Meanwhile, Cuba’s Empresa Petrolera del cially equipment used in the sugar industry. MCI NEARLY DOUBLES COST OF CALLS TO CUBA Centro reported production of 271,000 tons of Top markets for Cuba’s processed-metal Due to increases in costs, MCI is boosting crude oil during the first two months of 2003, exports are the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico its calling rate to Cuba from 56 cents to $1.07 a 9% increase over the same period in 2002. and Venezuela. According to Ricardo, 2002 effective Apr. 1. The long-distance company The high-sulfur, heavy crude extracted from exports exceeded projections by 10% and rep- had no immediate explanation for the astro- the western province of Matanzas, where the resented 185 of foreign-currency reserves nomical increase, which appeared on cus- company has over 170 wells under exploita- derived from production and services. tomers’ long-distance bills in late February. tion, is used for power generation and Cuba’s domestic cement industry. CARGO SERVICE TO LINK CUBA, BAHAMAS HAVANA CLUB NOW 54th IN WORLDWIDE SALES CUBANA, AIR EUROPA SIGN COOPERATION PACT A cargo vessel will provide freight service Cuba’s Havana Club now ranks 54th among between the Bahamas and Cuba for the first Impact Databank’s top 100 premium distilled State-run Cubana de Aviación and Spain’s time in more than 40 years. spirits brands worldwide — right behind Air Europa airlines have signed an agreement The 500-ton Hydra I, which carries up to 18 Finlandia vodka and just ahead of Fernet that combines the services of both companies, 40-foot containers and four 20-foot containers Stock bitters. guaranteeing weekly flights between the two at a time, began plying the waters between the In 2002, Havana Club, a joint venture countries. Under the deal signed by Ramón Valdivia Acosta, president of Cubana, and two Caribbean nations in late March. The between the Cuban government and Pernod Juan José Hidalgo, president of Air Europa, service is owned and operated by Bahamian Ricard of France, sold 1.7 million nine-liter Cubana will offer four flights a week in sum- lawyer Tennyson Wells, who has invested over cases, up 12% from the 1.5 million cases sold mer and two in winter, and Air Europa will maintain seven flights a week. Sherritt bargains for better tax rate in Cuba FIGHTING CORRUPTION IN POST-CASTRO CUBA Canada’s Sherritt International will spend Last year, Sherritt’s oil and gas business The University of Miami’s Institute for $110 million to develop its oil and gas hold- enjoyed record operating profits of $98.9 Cuban and Cuban-American Studies (ICCAS) ings in Cuba this year while it negotiates million and record revenue of $218.8 million, has issued a 46-page report on a subject usu- with the Castro government over the way thanks to higher oil prices and sales volume. ally linked to the pre-Castro, rather than the its business is taxed, said company officials. Sherritt estimates its 2003 net oil produc- post-Castro, era: corruption. According to Sherritt, its overall effective tion in Cuba will be about the same as last The study, entitled A Transparency/Accoun- tax rate jumped to 29% in 2002 from 8% in year. However, to maintain that output, tability Framework for Combating Corruption 2001, mainly due to increased taxes on its Sherritt will spend about $110 million this in Post-Castro Cuba, was co-authored by Cuban oil and gas business. Previously, year to develop known reserves along Sergio Días-Briquets and Jorge Pérez López, Sherritt considered all its Cuban oil and gas Cuba’s northern coast and to evaluate newly and made possible through a grant from the operations as a singled taxable entity, but acquired offshore properties. U.S. Agency for International Development. the government said last year that each of “The reserves that we have are in a rela- “While we recognize that combating corrup- several oil and gas production areas should tively high decline rate,” said Dennis Masch- tion cannot be the central policy objective of a be taxed separately. Cuba generally applies meyer, Sherritt’s president and CEO. transition strategy, we also note the potential a 30% tax on oil and gas income. While energy is the major part of Sher- for rampant corruption to undermine the tran- Jowdat Waheed, Sherritt’s CFO, said the ritt’s business in Cuba, the company is also sition process itself,” the authors write. company is negotiating with Havana to clari- involved in nickel mining, hotels, power gen- “Left unchecked, corruption could retard fy how its oil and gas business is taxed. In eration and soybean processing. It also owns economic growth, negatively impact the flow the meantime, Sherritt will continue to 40% of mobile phone network Cubacel. of foreign investments, lead to the sale of make investments in Cuba. Details: Ernie Lalonde, Investor Relations national assets at lower-than-market prices, “At these oil price levels, the income is Dir., Sherritt, 1133 Yonge St., Toronto, Ont. exert a profound regressive effect on income sufficiently strong to justify making the M4T 2Y7. Tel: (800) 704-6698. Fax: (416) distribution, and increase the cost of provid- investments nevertheless,” said Waheed. 924-5015. E-mail: [email protected]. ing social services and improving the coun- 2003_04/CubaNews 4/3/03 10:24 AM Page 13

April 2003 ❖ CubaNews 13 in 2001. That growth rate made it the 11th Chinese origin became generals. One of the rebuilding of thousands of homes that fastest-growing premium spirit in the world. them, Moisés Sio Wong, was Raúl Castro’s top were destroyed or damaged by Hurricanes The year before, Havana Club showed even aide for many years; today, Wong is president Michelle, Isidore and Lili. bigger growth, with sales up 12.8% from the of the Cuba-China Friendship Society. “If we add to the annual balance of the busi- 1.3 million cases sold in 2000. ness group the $8.3 million of insured stocks, Yet Havana Club’s impressive numbers pale SANTA CLARA AIRPORT TO RECEIVE JUMBO JETS inspections both in and outside of the country, in comparison to those of its archrival, Abel Santamaría International Airport, locat- plus efficiency and added assets from assis- Bacardi, which still ranks as the world’s No. 1 ed in the central province of Santa Clara, has tance services, insurance brokerage and premium distilled spirit. In 2002, Bacardi sold enlarged its runway to 3,000 meters, allowing transfers and the professionalism of its work- 19.4 million cases, a 1% rise from the 19.2 mil- the airport to receive large jumbo jets for the force (more than 1,300 employees),” said lion cases sold in 2001. first time ever. Millares, “we have to conclude that Grupo Other rums in the Impact Databank Top 100 The Cuban government reports the installa- Caudal’s contribution to the state is solid, list include Diageo’s Captain Morgan (2002 tion of a new lighting system to allow planes opportune and consistent.” sales of 5.1 million cases); Pernod Ricard’s to take off and land at night, as well as the Caudal now proposes to extend its capital Montilla (2.1 million cases); Bacardi’s Castillo enlargement of a waiting hall to improve investment base in Cuba through a venture (1.6 million); Venezuela’s Santa Teresa (1.4 immigration and customs services. The new with Colonial Life Financial Group (Clico) and million); Diageo’s Cacique (1.3 million) and lounge can accommodate 300 passengers. the Ceiba Finance Ltd. investment fund. Jamaica’s Appleton (1.1 million). The new investments, for which no dollar Details: Alejandro Gil, Grupo Caudal, Calle Details: M. Shanken Communications Ltd., figure was given, will allow three or four big 43, No. 2210, Havana. Tel: +53 7 204-3838. 387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016. planes — in addition to small aircraft — to Fax: +53 7 204-8813. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: (212) 684-4224. Fax: (212) 779-3334. arrive and depart every day. That’s important, given the proximity of growing tourism devel- BICSA OPENS BRANCH IN SANTA CLARA LEISURE CANADA NAMES NEW CFO opment in Jardines del Rey, Las Brujas, Banco Internacional de Comercio (BICSA) Leisure Canada Inc, which hopes to develop Ensenachos and the Santa María keys. opened a branch in Santa Clara — its fifth in at least three luxury resorts in Cuba, named Cuba — with an eye to expanding its services Mark Katsumata its new chief financial officer. FACTORY BOOSTS PRODUCTION OF IODINE SALT to domestic and foreign institutions. Katsumata, formerly LCI’s controller, is now The Guantánamo Salt Factory in Caimanera The new BICSA branch will serve clients in responsible for managing the Vancouver- will produce 85,000 tons of sodium chloride the provinces of Villa Clara, Cienfuegos and based company’s financial reporting obliga- for the domestic market this year. Sancti Spíritus. BICSA, an affiliate of Grupo tions “and will have a significant role in shap- The factory — located only a few miles Nueva Banca, already has three offices in ing the business strategy of the corporation.” north of the U.S. Naval Base at Guantánamo Havana and one in Santiago de Cuba. Separately, Mark Morabito has resigned as Bay — employs 320 workers, mostly women BICSA, founded in 1994, reported revenues LCI’s vice-president of corporate and business from Caimanera. It has nearly 8 million sq last year of $33 million and assets of $550 mil- affairs to pursue a career in the mining sector. meters of evaporation surface area, and the lion. The bank loans $250 million a year to LCI plans to build up to 4,300 rooms in 11 polythene bags of salt it produces are distrib- companies seeking financial assistance. luxury hotels throughout Cuba via a joint ven- uted throughout Cuba’s five easternmost pro- ture with Grupo Hotelero Gran Caribe S.A., a vinces, as well as to the Havana metro area. HABAGUANEX SAYS OCCUPANCY UP AT HOTELS unit of Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism. Total The company focuses on production of Habaguanex S.A., which owns 156 hotels, investment could run as high as $450 million iodine-enriched salt, which helps prevent goi- restaurants and other establishments in Old (see CubaNews, January 2003, page 8). ter, mental retardation and other illnesses. Havana, says that in the first half of March, its Details: J.J. Jennex, Investor Relations, LCI, Fluoride, used to fight dental cavities, is also overall occupancy rate reached 92%, com- 213 W. First St., N. Vancouver, BC V7M 1B3. added to salt produced in Guantánamo. pared to 86% in February and 85% in January. Tel: (888) 600-8687. E-mail: jjjennex@leisure- “Historically, there has been an iodine defi- The agency, founded in 1994, said its Park canada.com. URL: www.leisurecanada.com. ciency in certain regions of our country,” said View Hotel received over 8,000 guests in the Daisy Zulueta of the Food, Nutrition and first year of operations, translating into occu- AUTHORITIES THREATEN TO CLOSE CHINATOWN Hygiene Institute. pancy of 65% and revenues of $650,000. So far, The Cuban government’s current crack- Zulueta said one of her agency’s goals is to the top source of guests for the 55-room prop- down against drug dealers, porn producers help Cuba receive certification as a non-IDD erty is the United States with 23% of the total, and all kinds of peddlers, hawkers, private (iodine deficiency disorder) nation by 2005. followed by Germany (17%) and France (13%). taxis and other unauthorized activities now This year, Habaguanex plans to open the 25- threatens to do away with an important sym- GOVERNMENT GIVES CAUDAL HIGH MARKS room Hotel Raquel. Other recently opened bol: Havana’s Chinatown. Grupo Caudal S.A., a group of state-owned hotels include Armadores de Santander, In February, the government announced it companies whose interests include insurance, Palacio O’Farrill and Beltrán de Santa Cruz. would start closing down such businesses in reinsurance and financial services, announced Details: Eusebio Leal, Habaguanex, Oficios Chinatown, a hub of private restaurants, small that despite economic adversity last year, it 152, Habana Vieja. Tel: +53 7 863-9862. Fax: markets and other legal and not-so-legal activi- has “met its commitments to the State +53 7 66-6763. E-mail: [email protected]. ties. The Cuban-Chinese cooperative that reg- Treasury ($9.9 million) and indemnities to the ulates the neighborhood strongly objected, economy for insured losses ($33.4 million) DOLLAR-STORE SALES TO JUMP 20% and even got the Chinese Embassy in Havana without affecting the state budget.” Sales at Cuba’s domestic hard-currency to intervene, which resulted in postponement Caudal, comprised of Esicuba and La Isla shops are expected to reach $160 million this of the action. (general insurance); Reaseguradora de La year, a 20% increase over 2002 figures. Some observers say the crackdown is a big Habana (reinsurance); Financiera Caudal Cuba’s light industry also expects to sell blunder, given the current state of close rela- (financial services); Asistur (travel services) $340 million worth of products to state institu- tions between Cuba and China, and wonder and Intermar (inspection and damage adjust- tions, in addition to $40 million in investments whether the government will actually do any- ments), currently insures economic assets for and tourism inputs. thing following Fidel Castro’s visit to Beijing. over $8 billion. This year’s exports could exceed $10 mil- One hundred years ago, the Chinese com- Manuel Millares, Cuba’s minister of finance lion, said authorities, adding that 1,000 new munity represented 1% of Cuba’s total popula- and prices, said that last year, Caudal injected products will be offered. No further details tion but contributed disproportionally to $125.7 million into the national economy were available on what kinds of products will Cuba’s armed struggle for independence. through investments from insurance funds be introduced, or how much they’ll sell for in During the Cuban revolution, three Cubans of and reserves. The agency also helped finance the dollar stores. 2003_04/CubaNews 4/3/03 10:24 AM Page 14

14 CubaNews ❖ April 2003 GEOGRAPHY Camagüey, Cuba’s largest province, is an industry leader

This is the 9th in a series of monthly articles on Cuba’s 14 Cayo Coco Cayo Paredón Grande provinces by geographer Armando H. Portela, who has a L C o s a Ph.D. in geography from the Soviet Academy of Sciences. P y Cayo Mégano e r Grande r o o s B a y J Area of Detail BY ARMANDO H. PORTELA Cayo Cruz i Camagüey is Cuba’s largest province, covering 14.4% of g R Old Bahama’s Channel ü o Cayo Confites e the island’s territory. Its 15,997 sq kms (6,179 sq miles) make m y it bigger than Jamaica, Puerto Rico or the U.S. state of Morón a A n L B Connecticut. Camagüey’s size was even larger before 1976, I o a La Lisa cove when the government took away its western part to form the V y

A L new province of Ciego de Avila. a Cayo Esmeralda G l Guajaba o Camagüey has been shaped by geography and history into E Jaronú r i a BRASIL Palma City B a y D S a land of cattle raising, sugar-cane plantations and low popu- Jiquí i e r La point O S r Cayo Sabinal llos lation. Most of the land is flat, rising 120 meters (390 feet) to a a Gloria rni G n te F d Cubitas a E e e Sola M the watershed, with the exception of a few scattered step hills li C I p u e b C i t a s — a relic of prolonged erosion processes — topping 330 Lugareño C.M. DE CÉSPEDES Santa R. DOMINICANA Lucía meters (1,083 feet) at Sierra de Cubitas. Céspedes Florida NOEL Senado H FERNÁNDEZ SIERRA DE Nuevitas ARGENTINA Minas CUBITAS I. AGRAMONTE POPULATION FC Bagá cc Redención With only 50 inhabitants per sq km, Camagüey is the Florida Beach La Tomatera Camagüey loneliest province in Cuba. In 2002, it had only 795,000 inhab- Camalote

itants, or around 7% of Cuba’s total population. Sibanicú San Pablo SIBONEY But population growth has virtually stagnated. Its pace of PANAMÁ Vertientes Jimaguayú Cascorro Hatuey S growth between 1993 and 2001 averaged only 0.4% a year, a Palo Seco A. ALVAREZ FC La Najasa Martí A fact apparently linked to dwindling living standards. That Sacra BATALLA DE contrasts with annual growth of 2.5% during the 1970s, and Macurijes LAS GUÁSIMAS Sierra de N Najasa Guáimaro cc Point Cuatro Compañeros 1.3% in the 1980s. U T The provincial capital, also named Camagüey, has 312,000 J. SUÁREZ GAYOL Las Tunas people, making it Cuba’s third-largest city after Havana and L A S Santiago de Cuba. Other important cities are Florida C. GONZÁLEZ 20 40 kilometers 0 (51,000); Nuevitas (43,000); Vertientes (27,000); Guáimaro HAITÍ 10 25 miles (20,000); Sibanic (20,000); Santa Cruz del Sur and Minas Santa Cruz del Sur Armando H. Portela (19,000 each); Esmeralda (13,000) and Céspedes (11,000). Camagüey holds the sad distinction of suffering the worst Population Industrial facilities Miscellaneous natural disaster in Cuban history. On Nov. 9, 1932, a 20-foot- Camagüey (312,000) Reservoir high tidal wave spawned by a hurricane killed 3,000 people Sugar mill Florida (51,000) Swamp and wiped out the fishing village of Santa Cruz del Sur, which Sugar mill (dismantled) Beach Nuevitas (43,000) at the time had 3,600 inhabitants. A memorial where the orig- Nickel deposits Sugar bulk terminal inal town existed venerates the victims. 20,000 - 30,000 H Hotels 10,000 - 20,000 Fish processing plant Military range ECONOMY 5,000 - 10,000 Fishing fleet Transportation Sugar is the backbone of Camagüey’s economy, a condi- Less than 5,000 tion likely to endure even after the industry’s dramatic down- Brewery cc Central road Land Use Main road sizing last year. That left the province with seven active mills Fertilizer plant producing sugar and another two making only molasses, out Sugar cane Other paved roads Cement plant of 14 in existence until the 2001-02 harvest, when Camagüey Central railroad Grasslands FC still accounted for 10-13% of national sugar production. Weapons and ammunition factory Main railroad Current daily grinding capacity has fallen from 77,700 tons Rice pads Thermal power plant Secondary railroad of sugar cane a year ago to around 50,000 tons today. Citrus orchards International airport Camagüey has some of Cuba’s largest sugar mills. The 220 Kv Powerline Dairy farms Airstrip Brasil (formerly Jaronú) and Panamá (Vertientes) mills have 33 Kv Powerline a daily grinding capacity of 10,200 tons of sugar cane each, Forest, shrubs Port among the highest in Cuba. The Batalla de las Guásimas sugar mill, built in the 1970s, can grind up to 6,800 tons a day. All together, these three mills account for 54% of the province’s mills: Haití (formerly Macareño); República Dominicana (Estrella); grinding power. Alfredo Alvarez Mola (Najasa); Noel Fernández (Senado) and Jesús But in the last few years, the sugar sector has fallen from grace. Suárez Gayol (built in the 1980s). About half the province’s mills remined idle during the last zafra, or The Brasil and Siboney mills are slated to produce only molasses, but harvest, while the rest could barely grind at 70% of capacity. This can be switched back to sugar as soon as world market prices climb wretched performance forced authorities to dismantle the following above production costs. 2003_04/CubaNews 4/3/03 10:24 AM Page 15

April 2003 ❖ CubaNews 15

Half of the arable lands in Camagüey province are devoted to pas- NEW HOPE FOR NUEVITAS? ture. The province has the largest cattle herd in Cuba, and produces 23-25% of the island’s fresh milk. This serves as the basis for an Nuevitas is the only large harbor and industrial hub along Cuba’s important dairy industry, but herds have dramatically diminished in northern coast between Matanzas and Nipe. As such, Nuevitas would size in recent years, and over 55% of grazing lands are infested with serve as an excellent port for trading with the United States — as it marabú, a woody, thorny shrub that makes the lands impenetrable. was before 1961 — once the trade embargo is lifted. Its location A dairy processing plant at Nuevitas, which currently produces makes it ideal for handling the shipping needs of 2.2 million people yogurt from soybeans instead of milk, illustrates the sector’s crisis. living from Sancti Spíritus to Las Tunas. At its pinnacle in the mid-1980s, Camagüey enjoyed annual fresh In its heyday, the port handled 8.0 million tons of dry products a milk production of 125 million liters, or 13% of Cuba’s total. By 2001, year, including 500,000 tons of sugar and 2.5 million tons of fuels. A modest town of 13,000 in 1959, Nuevitas enjoyed the benefits of milk production had fallen to 64 million liters, and by 2002 it had a large investment program in the 1960s and 1970s that transformed dropped further, to 60 million liters. it from a little port handling sugar and fish exports into one of the Citrus groves, introduced by U.S. immigrants over a century ago, leading industrial centers of Cuba. are today cultivated in a coastal belt of ferralitic soils over an area of The expansion, however, brought serious problems. 10,800 hectares (26,690 acres); about two-thirds of that consists of Aging Soviet and Eastern European industrial technologies, along orange groves. with decades of environmental neglect and the more recent econom- In addition, rice is grown in the southwest, with 16,500 hectares ic crisis, has severely damaged the bay’s fragile marine ecosystems (40,770 acres) yielding 10-15% of Cuba’s total rice production. while posing a permanent health threat to the inhabitants of Nuevitas. Any future development in the area must include a cleanup of pol- INDUSTRY luted environs and the drastic improvement of industrial standards. Camagüey has some industries of national significance. Today, with its facilities partially idle, Nuevitas (population 43,000) Cement production at Nuevitas (see box at right) tumbled in the suffers from an official unemployment rate of 7.4%, the second-high- 1990s, but is making a slow comeback, thanks to a joint venture with est in Cuba. The actual figure is undoubtedly much higher. foreign investors that plans to export 144,000 tons annually for the Nearby Santa Lucia beach is a little-visited,13-mile strip of white next five years to Caribbean countries. sand with some spectacular scuba diving sights backed by 1,601 Last year, the cement plant produced 167,700 tons of gray cement. rooms in five modest hotels and villas. Its distance to Camagüey’s That’s roughly 10% of Cuba’s output, but still a far cry from the international airport — a trip of one and a half to two hours — seems record 553,000 tons in 1989. inadequate for transatlantic travelers, but construction of a closer A fertilizer plant built in 1975 with Soviet technology remained airstrip along with timeshare units and other forms of accommoda- idle for years as a result of Cuba’s economic collapse in the mid- tions could boost the area’s tourism potential significantly. 1990s. Theoretically, the plant is capable of producing 200,000 tons Central point Old Bahama’s of nitrogen-based fertilizers and herbicides a year. C The 10 de Octubre thermal power plant in Nuevitas is one of A Maternillos Point Channel Cuba’s leading power plants. With a capacity of 442 megawatts, the Y O Bonita facility was recently adapted to burn domestic crude oil. S Beach In 1985, a brewery using East German technology opened in the A Prácticos B Point I Santa Lucía Beach city of Camagüey under the brand name Tínima. The brewery can N A La Club Mayanabo 225 rooms produce up to 100 million liters, equivalent to 11.9 million cases of 24 Paloma Point L R H Boca e Mayanabo cove a Santa Lucía hotel 400 r. bottles each. In 2002, the brewery produced 5.69 million cases, most l H l a g Club Santa of which was exported to Italy, Spain, Great Britain, Japan and the 442 Mw o o H Lucía 252 r. n Caribbean island of Martinique. Cuatro Vientos Pastelillo 420 r. Point H Caracol 304 r. The Ignacio Agramonte weapons factory was inaugurated in 1988 Las Calabazas Ganado in Camagüey, with nominal production capacity of 100,000 semi- Nuevitas Ballenatos H point Santa Rita Keys Jutías automatic Kalishnikov rifles a year. Due to lack of raw materials and Point Ganado possibly falling demand, the plant has been reconfigured to make Nuevitas Bay Palmas de Lucía

tools and parts for other industries. Bagá Beach The fishing port of Santa Cruz del Sur is among the most impor- tant in Cuba. White shrimp and lobsters are the most valuable cap- Las Flores tures, though overexploitation and environmental degradation have El Gual led to a decline in volume and quality. Pollution has also hurt overall Carmen B a y San Basilio d e s 15r kman activity at the fishing port of Nuevitas. v a s G 0 N u e La Rosalía El Tropezón 5 10 miles INFRASTRUCTURE El Cultivo The old two-lane Central Highway and the Central Railroad link Camagüey with the rest of the island, and a network of secondary 442 Mw Diez de Octubre thermal power plant, (1972), 442 Mw capacity roads and railroad branches reaches all settlements and economic Revolución de Octubre fertilizer plant (1975), 0.2 million tons cap. hubs. Roads are narrow and generally in poor shape. For most of the 20th century, the Tarafa sugar terminal at 26 de Julio cement plant (1968), 0.6 million tons capacity Nuevitas was the world’s leading sugar port. Tarafa still ranks as one Gonzalo E. Lugo wires & electrodes factory (1963) ; of the most important in Cuba, but its volume has fallen drastically s over the last few decades as new terminals have been developed and Pastelillo oil tank farm overall sugar output has declined. The port also handles cement, Tarafa sugar terminal, over one million tons shipping capacity t chemicals, fuels and general cargo (see CubaNews, August 1995). b Ignacio Agramonte International Airport, not far from downtown Fishing fleet Camagüey, is one of the oldest airports in Cuba. 2003_04/CubaNews 4/3/03 10:24 AM Page 16

16 CubaNews ❖ April 2003 CALENDAR OF EVENTS CARIBBEAN UPDATE If your organization is sponsoring an upcoming event, please let our readers know! You already know what’s going in Cuba, Fax details to CubaNews at (301) 365-1829 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. thanks to CubaNews. Now find out what’s happening in the rest of this diverse and Apr. 4-13: “Cuba at the Crossroads” Reality tour to Havana and provinces. “With the fast-growing region. foreseeable ending of the embargo approaching, this delegation will help participants Subscribe to Caribbean UPDATE, a monthly newsletter founded in 1985. This gain a true understanding of the problems Cuba is facing in this transition.” Cost: $1,750 publication has been praised by corporate from Cancún. Details: Global Exchange, 2017 Mission Street, Suite #303, San Francisco, and government executives, as well as by CA 94110. Tel: (800) 497-1994. Fax: (415) 253-7498. URL: www.globalexchange.org. scholars and journalists, for its insightful, timely coverage of the 30-plus nations and Apr. 7: “Cuba: View From the Ground,” Casa Bacardí, University of Miami. Talk by Jim territories of the Caribbean and Central Cason, chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana: Cost: $25. Details: Institute of Cuban America. When you receive your first issue, you have two options: (a) pay the accom- and Cuban-American Studies, 1531 Brescia Ave., Coral Gables, FL 33134. Tel: (305) 284- panying invoice and your subscription will 2822. Fax: (305)284-4875. E-mail: [email protected]. URL: www.miami.edu/iccas. be processed; (b) if you’re not satisfied, simply write “cancel” on the invoice and Apr. 7-12: Foro 2003: Conference on HIV/AIDS in Latin America & Caribbean, Havana. return it. There will be no further obligation Cost: $200. Details: Zosima López Ruíz, Palacio de Convenciones, Havana. Tel: +53 7 208- on your part. 5199. Fax: +53 7 202-8382. E-mail: [email protected]. URL: www.foro2003.sld.cu/ingles. The cost of a subscription to Caribbean UPDATE is $267 per year. A special rate of Apr. 10, 16 and 24: “Three Periods in Cuban Literature” Series of lectures at Univer- $134 is available to academics, non-profit sity of Miami by literature professor Olga Connor. Cost: $75. Details: Institute of Cuban organizations and additional subscriptions mailed to the same address. and Cuban-American Studies, 1531 Brescia Ave., Coral Gables, FL 33134. Tel: (305) 284- To order, contact: Caribbean UPDATE, 2822. Fax: (305)284-4875. E-mail: [email protected]. URL: www.miami.edu/iccas. 52 Maple Ave., Maplewood, NJ 07040. Tel: (973) 762-1565. Fax: (973) 762-9585. Apr. 11-13: Nation and Immigration Conference, Havana. Meeting sponsored by Cuban E-mail: [email protected]. We accept government aims to attract overseas Cubans to discuss common interests. Details: Juan VISA, MasterCard and American Express. Hernández Acen, Cuban Interests Section, 2620 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009. Tel: (202) 797-8518, ext. 104. Fax: (202) 797-8521. E-mail: [email protected].

May 14-15: “Doing Business With Cuba,” Omni Austin South Park Hotel, Austin, TX. Sponsored by Texas-Cuba Trade Alliance. Cost: $100 ($150 after May 1). Details: Dr. Parr Rosson, TAMU, 464 Blocker Bldg., College Station, TX 77843-2124. Tel: (979) 845-3070. Fax: (979) 847-9378. E-mail: [email protected]. URL: www.tcta.us/texascubaevents.htm.

May 21: Cuba-New England networking event, Boston. David Radlo, Adolfo García, oth- Editor & Publisher ers to speak. Details: Rob Sequin, CubanVentures.com, 19 Covey Dr., Yarmouthport, MA LARRY LUXNER 02675. Tel: (508) 760-2599. E-mail: [email protected]. URL: www.cubaclips.com. Washington correspondent ANA RADELAT

Jun. 1-8: “Georgia-to-Cuba 2003” Historic trip to Cuba by 150-member Georgia delega- Political analyst tion to focus on agriculture, health, education, urban planning and Afro-Cuban traditions. DOMINGO AMUCHASTEGUI Cost: $2,295 from Atlanta; payment due Apr. 15. Details: George Brown, project dir., Geor- Feature writers VITO ECHEVARRÍA gia Council for International Visitors, 34 Peachtree St., Suite #1800, Atlanta, GA 30303. DOUGLASS G. NORVELL Tel: (404) 832-5560. Fax: (404) 832-5568. E-mail: [email protected]. URL: www.gciv.org. Cartographer ARMANDO H. PORTELA

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