Vol. 16, No. 10 November 2008

www.cubanews.com

In the News Obama victory could mean substantial

GOP dynasty over? changes in Washington’s Cuba policy Díaz-Balart brothers face challenges from BY ANA RADELAT and remittances to family on the island. Joe García, Raúl Martínez ...... Page 2 en. Barack Obama’s likely presidential vic- As a punitive measure, Bush in 2004 limited tory will bring about quick and substantial visits to once every year and only to immediate Tourism thrives S improvements in U.S.-Cuba policy, but a family members. He also restricted remittances, permanent thaw in relations — and an end to but Obama has promised to restore the “unre- Visitors flock to Cuba despite hurricanes, the embargo — isn’t imminent, say analysts. stricted right” of exiles to visit family and send them money. global financial meltdown ...... Page 3 After nearly 50 years of promises by Ameri- “Beyond that, he may initiate discussions can presidents to put an end to Fidel Castro’s with Cuban representatives, but not the top EU, Cuba: Friends again socialism, Obama may be the one who finally leader,” Suchlicki told CubaNews. witnesses a Cuba without a Castro at the helm. European Union renews cooperation pact Criticized by his rival for the White House, Fidel Castro, 82, is ailing, and his brother and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), and Bush foreign pol- with Cuba after 5-year hiatus ...... Page 4 successor Raúl is only five years younger. icy officials for his willingness to negotiate with While a full normalization of U.S.-Cuba rela- hostile nations, Obama will probably send U.S. Who’s in, who’s out tions won’t occur until the Castro brothers leave representatives to meet with Ricardo Alarcón, the world stage, observers do expect a marked Casas and Cabrisas promoted, Valenciaga president of Cuba’s National Assembly, or change in U.S. policy, one that lacks the ideo- another Cuban official on the same level while booted in latest reshuffling ...... Page 6 logical bent of the Bush administration. avoiding direct contact with Raúl Castro him- Jaime Suchlicki, director of the University of self, Suchlicki said. Leptospirosis alert Miami’s Institute for Cuban and Cuban-Ameri- “But the point is negotiations with the Cuban can Studies, said the Illinois Democrat is likely government is a waste of time,” said Sucklicki, In hurricanes’ wake, Cuba worries about to move fairly quickly to end President Bush’s who favors a hard line against Cuba’s socialist a nasty old infection ...... Page 7 restrictions on Cuban-American travel to Cuba See Obama, page 2 Newsmakers CANF President Francisco ‘Pepe’ Hernán- Cuba may have 20 billion barrels of oil dez tells CubaNews why U.S. policy to- ward the island must change ...... Page 8 but cash crunch threatens investment BY LARRY LUXNER Further out in the Gulf, Tenreyro said, are Nickel nightmare oes Cuba really have more petroleum re- structures that belong to the same geological World prices take a nosedive as Ike slash- serves than Angola, Qatar or even Brazil? formations off of Mexico and the United States which had produced celebrated finds such as es production in Holguín ...... Page 10 DWell, yes — if you believe the latest claim by state-run oil entity Cubapetroleo (Cupet). Mexico’s Cantarell and Poza Rica fields. Speaking only about an oil belt north of the “All these geological elements indicate that Business briefs island deep underneath Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico we are talking about a new oil province — an oil Spaniards to restructure $1.5 billion debt; waters, Cupet’s production manager Rafael Ten- zone that has not been drilled nor has it been reyro Pérez, announced Oct. 16 that “this belt touched,” said Tenreyro, adding that the poten- New salary reforms delayed ...... Page 12 now has resources, calculated not hypothetical, tial is there for “giant and super-giant oil fields.” of more than 20 billion barrels. They are the re- Pie in the sky, retorts Jorge Piñón, energy fel- Harlista heaven serves. That could be multiplied several times.” low and Cuba expert with the University of Miami’s Center for Hemispheric Policy. Devoted Harley-Davidson riders save their The geology of the oil belt extends to a basin further north where much larger structures “I was in Houston when that announcement prized bikes from oblivion ...... Page 14 hold the promise of hydrocarbons, he said. was made, and I think it backfired on them, “The effect of the [belt] is reflected in this because people in Houston thought Cupet was a CubaNews (ISSN 1073-7715) is published monthly zone in the presence of enormous structures,” little more professional,” he told CubaNews. by Luxner News Inc. © 2008. All rights reserved. Tenreyro told reporters in Havana. “Here we’re “Oil industry people are now taking Cupet Subscriptions: $429 for one year, $800 for two years. talking about structures of 80, 100, 120 sq kms. less seriously, when they make unprofessional For editorial inquires, please call (301) 452-1105 and unscientific statements like that,” he said. or send an e-mail to: [email protected]. Therefore, the reserves multiply practically sev- eral times and the resources, too.” See Oil, page 9 2 CubaNews ❖ November 2008 pact that stopped a rash of Cuban “rafters” in Kirby Jones, founder and president of the Obama — FROM PAGE 1 1994. Bush ended these bi-annual meetings, U.S.-Cuba Trade Association, said Obama is regime. He said Cuba is already committed — which allowed for cautious diplomacy. likely to be pressured by other Latin leaders politically and economically — to Iran, China, Obama could also move to increase Ameri- to improve U.S.-Cuba relations. Russia and Venezuela, and doesn’t need in- can contacts with Cubans by removing Bush’s “If you want to send a message to Latin centives from Washington. restrictions on non-exile travel to the island. America there’s a new team and a new “The United States has little to offer Cuba But Obama’s ambitions would be ham- approach: you do something about Cuba.” except tourists and investment in the tourism pered by a series of laws approved by But lifting the embargo — even a little to industry, and that’s not what Cuba really Congress over the years. First among them is allow all Americans to visit Cuba — would wants,” said Suchlicki. He added that an the 1996 Helms-Burton Act, which stripped take an act of Congress. Obama administration will likely insist on pre- the White House of authority over the embar- ‘A WHOLE NEW PLAYING FIELD’ conditions before easing economic sanctions, go. Most of those laws tightened the embar- such as the release of all political prisoners. go, but a 1999 regulation that allowed U.S. In the 110th Congress, Bush’s threat to “Countries don’t give away their policy; food sales to Cuba had a tradeoff: it limited veto any relaxation of sanctions helped derail they negotiate,” Sucklicki said. the White House’s ability to expand travel any efforts to improve relations with Havana. beyond what was already allowed. There was another obstacle, too — Senate But Cuba’s government does not accept As part of his “people-to-people” policy, conditions to changing relations, he said. Majority Leader Harry Reid’s opposition to Clinton had increased U.S. travel to Cuba by improved ties. POSSIBLE GOODWILL GESTURES allowing 13 categories of Americans including Jones said that wouldn’t be a factor in a Sen- scholars, amateur athletes, journalists, reli- Vicki Huddleston, former chief of the U.S. gious leaders and farmers negotiating sales to ate where Democrats have picked up seats Interests Section in Havana, also said Obama visit Cuba. Most of those who qualified need- and it may be easy to muster the 60 votes would move quickly to end restrictions on ed licenses from the Treasury Department to needed to thwart an attempt by Reid, or any Cuban-American travel and remittances. spend money on those trips. other senator for that matter, to keep Cuba- “But sitting down to negotiate is pretty far Bush restricted the approval of licenses related legislation from a vote. down the road,” she told CubaNews. and limited the categories of Americans who “It’s risky to predict that Reid would have Huddleston, now a visiting fellow at the could travel to Cuba. In contrast, Obama is the same attitude, with Obama and other Washington-based Brookings Institution, said likely to encourage the “people-to-people” Democrats wanting change,” Jones said. Obama and Raúl may move to “improve the contacts once again, Huddleston said. Besides supporting a move letting all atmosphere” of bilateral ties which became Americans visit Cuba, Obama may back an ef- increasingly toxic during the Bush years. LATIN AMERICA AGAIN A PRIORITY? fort that stalled in the last Congress allowing For example, both governments might con- Obama has been criticized for never having U.S. oil giants to drill for oil in Cuban waters. sider eliminating travel restrictions on each visited Latin America and seeming to know Cuba has recently announced there may be other’s diplomats. Huddleston said those little about the Spanish-speaking world. And up to 20 billion barrels of petroleum under its restrictions prevented U.S. representatives in there’s a good reason the region may not be a Gulf of Mexico exclusive economic zone. The Havana from getting any sense of what was priority for the new president: wars in Iraq potential of a huge oil find has drawn the in- happening on the island — making it hard to and Afghanistan are certain to take center terest of major international energy firms. develop contacts with both dissidents and stage, as are Iran’s nuclear ambitions and The biggest change, however, said Jones, is Cuban officials. instability in North Korea. that Cuba policy would no longer be driven by “I could never have carried out my job that But Huddleston said Obama’s promise of the ideology of hardline exiles and their State way,” she quipped. “I would have left Cuba.” appointing a special envoy to Latin America Department allies, like Roger Noriega and Huddleston also said Obama may reinstate indicates he’s not going to ignore the region. Otto Reich, both former assistant secretaries migration accords instituted during the Clin- And she said he’ll be a quick learner when it of state for Western Hemisphere affairs. Said ton administration as part of an immigration comes to Cuba. “The man’s smart,” she said. Jones: “Its a whole new playing field.” ❑ All eyes on S. Fla. as Díaz-Balart brothers fight for their jobs he battle for the White House may dominate world news, but by the Miami Herald — is “willing to do anything and say anything” for Cuba-watchers, what really counts is the outcome of three to keep his seat in Congress, including bringing up the Cuba issue T key Congressional races in South Florida. when voters are interested in more pressing issues like the economy. Rep. Lincoln Díaz-Balart and his younger brother, Rep. Mario “The Díaz-Balarts have used [Cuba] to besmirch my name. Ob- Díaz-Balart, face the toughest challenges of their careers in the form viously, they do it in Spanish on the Cuban radio stations where they of two Democrats: former Hialeah mayor Raúl Martínez, who’s seek- get free advertising to say horrific things about me,” he said. ing Lincoln’s seat in Florida’s 21st congressional district, and Joe Even arch-conservative political commentator Robert Novak García, who hopes to unseat Mario in the 25th congressional district. appears to be calling the election for the one-time CANF executive. The Díaz-Balart brothers — nephews of Fidel Castro from the rev- “With Fidel Castro out of power, and Obama taking a middle-of- olutionary’s failed first marriage — are lifelong Republicans and the-road stance on U.S. policy towards the dictatorship,” Novak wrote strongly oppose any easing of sanctions against Cuba, including let- in his latest column, “García has based his campaign on mocking ting Cuban-American exiles freely visit their families on the island. Díaz-Balart as a one-trick pony who is inept on all other issues.” A third veteran GOP lawmaker, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, is vying with Neither Lincoln nor Mario could be reached for comment for this Democratic upstart Annette Taddeo for control of the 18th congres- article, though Martínez — in an Oct. 31 interview with Reuters — sional district, though few expect Ros-Lehtinen to lose her seat. called the Díaz-Balart brothers “dinosaurs,” saying “they never had As of press time, the two other races were way too close to call. any opposition. That’s why they kept winning.” Even so, García, a former executive director of the Cuban American Asked what Obama’s victory means for Cuba policy, García told us: National Foundation, is optimistic he’ll win. “In the short term, it means we’re going to lift family visits and remit- “We’ve got the momentum, and if current trends hold, I think we tance restrictions on Cuban-Americans but not the embargo. That’s could do it,” García told CubaNews in a phone interview Oct. 31. what Obama stated, and that’s the policy of the Democratic Party.” But he complained that his opponent — who has been endorsed – LARRY LUXNER November 2008 ❖ CubaNews 3 TOURISM Tourism thrives despite hurricanes, financial meltdown BY LARRY LUXNER gular event. It’s going to have international lations of tours booked for the December- ewer tourists are booking cruises to catastrophic consequences,” said Cummings. March peak season, and that an expected Jamaica. In the Bahamas, sales at duty- He added that “9/11 was a challenge of great increase in Canadian visitors should help off- F free shops along Nassau’s picturesque proportions, but with this one, nobody seems set any reduction in Europeans put off by ris- Bay Street are flat. to be able to tell what the endgame is.” ing airfares and other economic problems. And in the Turks & Caicos Islands, a group In addition to the worsening U.S. economy, “There will be some decline in tourism of disgrunted Chinese construction workers tourism-related businesses also face rising from Europe as airfares are up 30%, but we expect another big jump from Canada to recently took their Israeli bosses hostage, energy costs, rising competition and dramati- cally reduced air service to the Caribbean — make up at least part of the difference, along after a Ritz-Carlton resort they were building with new markets like Russia,” the represen- fell through following the collapse of its chief all of which could result in lower hotel occu- pancy levels for the region’s hotels. tative of a European hotel chain told Reuters backer, Lehman Brothers. on condition his name not be used. Throughout the Caribbean, nothing is mak- “Given the region’s dependence on airlift, the most daunting issues facing the Carib- Immediately after hurricanes Gustav and ing bigger headlines than the worsening glob- Ike hit the island, some tours to hard-hit areas al financial crisis. In fact — with the exception bean hotel industry are the rising cost of air- fares and the announced cutbacks in air serv- were canceled, but not for the months ahead, of Cuba, which doesn’t depend on American he said. The hurricane season ends Nov. 30. tourism — the repercussions of this crisis on ice,” said Scott Smith, senior vice-president of PKF Consulting. “The hotels are completely taken by tour the Caribbean could be deeper and longer- operators starting in late December, and to lasting than those caused by the Sept. 11 ter- “Due mostly to the rising cost of fuel, four of the five leading air carriers to the Carib- date there have been no cancellations of rorist attacks seven years ago. flights or rooms.” The bigger uncertainty “In 2001, it was an issue of security. In this bean have announced cutbacks in service. now, he told Reuters, was the financial crisis instance, you’re talking about people’s liveli- Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic roiling markets around the world. hoods,” said Wayne Cummings, director of could see as many as 26% fewer flights in De- “We will have to see what happens with the business administration for Sandals Resorts cember 2008 compared to December 2007.” global economy over the next months, but so International and president of the Jamaica CUBA RIDES OUT THE STORM far we see a good season despite it all.” Hotel & Tourist Association. The number of tourists from Canada, “Eight months ago, I started hearing about Yet so far, Cuba seems immune to the prob- already the top tourism country for Cuba, problems with subprime mortgages, and lem — nor has its tourism industry been could rise as much as 20-30% because of the that’s when I knew the very foundations of much affected by the two back-to-back hurri- weak U.S. dollar and increased marketing, the American economy were shaky,” he said. canes that ravaged the island this summer. the sources said. “Even so, I don’t believe this crisis is a sin- Reuters reports there have been no cancel- HOTEL OCCUPANCY STEADY AT 58.9% Cuba’s currency is pegged to the dollar, New edict lets farmers buy what they need which makes the country an inexpensive des- tination for Canadians seeking warm tropical uba will allow most farmers to pur- teries, spare parts for irrigation systems.” beaches during their country’s long winter. chase basic supplies at stores for the Shortly after President Raúl Castro took Reuters reported that while Gustav and Ike Cfirst time since the 1960s, as Havana over in February from his ailing brother inflicted $5 billion in damage on the island, seeks to encourage farmers to increase Fidel, the new government quickly imple- key tourist areas like Havana and the Vara- production, Reuters reported Oct. 27. mented a similar supply scheme for cattle dero beach resort were largely spared. The Castro regime nationalized all small ranchers in exchange for milk. It decen- Spanish firm Sol Meliá, which has 24 hotels businesses, including wholesale and retail tralized decision-making in agriculture and in Cuba, said it was back up to full speed after farm supply outlets, decades ago. Since announced it would lease all vacant land to the hurricanes. “Sol Meliá's hotels and then farmers have had to wait for the state whomever wanted to till it. resorts are open and operating normally after to deliver what they need in exchange for Hurricanes Ike and Gustav devastated complete recovery from minor damage,” said their products. crops in September resulting in food short- Gabriel García, the company’s marketing Farmers complain the cumbersome sys- ages, but there was no indication the new director in Cuba. tem does not work, leaving crops to rot and measure was related to the current crisis. Hotel occupancy through the end of August farmers without timely supplies. Sources in two other provinces said reached 58.9%, and tourism revenues rose by Reuters correspondent Marc Frank, farmers had heard for months they’d join 20%, according to Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism. quoting from Villa Clara province’s Com- cattle ranchers in buying some supplies, Varadero, located 150 kms east of Havana, munist Party weekly Vanguardia, reports but there’s been no official announcement. has welcomed 700,000 tourists so far this year, that as of late October, farmers were accu- “When you have something to work and may reach one million by year’s end. mulating credits on top of normal prices in with, obviously you produce more, and this “We’ve maintained a progressive increase exchange for product delivered to the system will allow us to buy what we need to since the second half of 2007, and specifically state, redeemable starting in January 2009 work and at the same time stimulate us,” this year we’ve seen very good results, even for supplies at special stores. Alaida Hernandez, a member of a private though we know the sector can be more effi- “To increase production of vegetables, cooperative in central Camagüey province, cient,” said Armando Acosta, a Tourism roots, grains and fruit, and direct sales to said in a phone interview. Ministry official in Matanzas province. prioritized sectors, the ministries of agri- More than 70% of Cuban land is owned During the first eight months of 2008, Cuba culture and sugar have decided to make it by the state and farmed by state companies received 1,693,054 visitors, 13.5% more than easier for producers to obtain various sup- and cooperatives. Some 250,000 family the year-ago period. Tourism revenues were plies,” Vanguardia said. farmers and 1,000 private cooperatives own up 20% and are expected to total some $2 bil- “Farmers will be able to use the credits the remainder of the land but must sell lion this year. With 17,300 rooms, Varadero is to buy hand tools, work clothes, tires, bat- most of their output to the state. the most important tourism attraction in Cuba, followed by Havana. ❑ 4 CubaNews ❖ November 2008 POLITICS EU, Cuba revive cooperation accord after 5-year chill n Oct. 23, Brussels and Havana finally tion in what Michel called “a turning point for including the issues most difficult, but always kissed and made up. The 27-member EU-Cuban relations.” over a base of mutual respect,” Michel said to OEuropean Union — ending a five-year The agreement calls for the two sides to Pérez Roque at the Havana signing ceremony. standoff with the Castro regime — agreed to work together in areas such as trade, the envi- Pérez Roque said Cuba welcomed the re-establish cooperation with Cuba and send ronment, science and technology. agreement because it imposed no conditions the island $1.3 million in immediate hurricane The European Commission, the EU’s exec- on his government, while still opening a path recovery aid and up to $38.8 million more in utive body, voted in June to lift sanctions that for dialogue “without interference in interna- financing next year. were imposed in 2003 after Cuba imprisoned tional affairs, and with mutual respect for Cuba’s foreign minister, Felipe Pérez 75 opponents of the regime. About 55 are political independence.” Roque, and the EU commissioner for develop- believed to still be in jail. The foreign minister added there’s been an ment and humanitarian aid, Louis Michel, “What appears most important to us is that “important advance” in EU-Cuba relations but that “there remain things to do and rectify.” signed a declaration pledging new coopera- this dialogue can approach all these issues, A EU delegation will return to Cuba later this month to determine needs and priorities for next year’s financing. Cuba has stated it won’t allow EU interfer- Experts debate next refugee crisis ence in domestic issues, but has agreed to re- BY VITO ECHEVARRÍA ington’s new “wet foot-dry foot” policy, res- instate official political dialogue that was one of the casualties of the EU sanctions. ill the recent hurricane devastation cuing balseros in international waters meant their obligatory return to Cuba. The Castro regime considers political pris- throughout Cuba unleash a new oners to be mercenaries working at the wave of Florida-bound refugees? Even if it wanted to get involved in future W efforts to save refugees, it can’t, due in part behest of the United States, which openly sup- That’s a distinct possibility, according to ports the dissidents. an article co-authored by retired U.S. Army to two of its aircraft being shot down by the Cuban Air Force in February 1996. Indeed, U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Col. Lawrence Wilkerson and Patrick Gutierrez said this week the American gov- Doherty of the New America Foundation, a Basulto, who escaped from that deadly encounter along with Silvia Iriondo (head ernment was not likely to follow the EU down Washington think tank. the path of engagement with its long-time foe. “Faced with a displaced, hungry and of the anti-Castro women’s group M.A.R. Por Cuba), adds: “It’s very likely that we “To the best of our knowledge there are still frustrated population, Havana could do will not be able to help, because we are sell- political prisoners dying in jail and people still what it has done in the past: allow a mass ing our last aircraft, a Cessna, for $100,000 don’t have freedoms, so I don’t know why any- migration to head north,” they wrote. to raise humanitarian aid for Cuba.” one would say that any other strategy appears “In 1980, responding to unrest triggered Meanwhile, an Oct. 14 posting by to be working,” Gutiérrez told Reuters. by economic downturn, Havana launched Havana blogger Miriam Celaya on her site “Nothing has changed.” ❑ the Mariel boatlift that brought 125,000 “Sin Evasión” notes that pre-existing food Cuban immigrants over a five-month period shortages on the island have been made to South Florida. In 1994, facing another worse due to a crackdown on the country’s Orthodox church inaugurated economic catastrophe, the Castro govern- black market. Cuba’s first Russian Orthodox cathedral ment allowed at least 35,000 Cubans to Yet the U.S. Coast Guard says it hasn’t leave the island — an episode that cost the was consecrated Oct. 19 amid church bells, witnessed any noticeable spike in Cuban liturgical chants and the presence of U.S. Treasury more than $500 million.” balsero activity. Wilkerson and Doherty cited that sce- President Raúl Castro, in a sign of goodwill “We don’t see anything like that at the toward the island’s former chief benefactor, nario as part of efforts to urge the Bush moment,” said spokesman Lt. Luís Díaz of administration to temporarily lift the trade the Associated Press reported. the 7th Coast Guard District, which covers Russian diplomats and members of embargo against Cuba, and allow the Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Puer- Castro regime to buy badly needed con- to Rico. “It’s business as usual. We’re pat- Cuba’s dwindling Russian community struction materials from U.S. companies on rolling the Florida Straits with our assets crowded into the whitewashed seaside the open market. and our Homeland Security partners.” cathedral, which is topped by a gleaming Some Cuban-Americans are expressing When asked by CubaNews if the Coast gold dome. the same concerns. In a phone interview Guard is prepared in the event of a new The ceremony was part of activities in with CubaNews, José Basulto — head of the wave of Cuban balseros, Díaz would only Cuba called the Day of Russia in Cuba, and Miami-based group Brothers to the Rescue say: “We are ready. The DHS plan is which also included concerts and the — blamed the Cuban government for not designed for Dominican, Cuban and screening of Russian-made feature films accepting a modest U.S. aid package. Haitian migrants.” and TV documentaries. “The possibility exists [of a new balsero According to U.S. Border Patrol figures, “This is a monument to Russian-Cuban wave],” said Basulto. “As suffering increas- at least 7,640 Cuban migrants arrived in the friendship and all the efforts that have pre- es and Cuba refuses U.S. aid, a new human- United States between Oct. 1, 2007, and served our relations including the most dif- itarian crisis will occur in Cuba.” Sept. 30, 2008. The majority of Cuban ficult moments of the Cold War,” Metropo- Brothers to the Rescue is quite familiar migrants who arrived, 5,784, came through litan Kiril, a permanent member of the Holy with this issue. Back in the 1990s, the the Mexican border. The balance, 1,856, Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church and group flew small planes over the Florida landed on South Florida beaches. head of the Moscow Patriarchate Depart- Straits in search of balseros lost on the high The Miami Herald says these figures ment for External Church Relations, said at seas, and in danger of either drowning or suggest Cuban migrants have switched to the opening. being eaten by sharks. the Mexican route as the preferred way to The new Our Lady of Kazan church will But Basulto’s group stopped conducting reach the U.S. given more effective inter- attend mainly to Russians married to rescue missions in 2003, since under Wash- diction methods in the Florida Straits. Cubans and their children. November 2008 ❖ CubaNews 5 POLITICAL BRIEFS UN VOTES 185-3 TO CONDEMN U.S. EMBARGO In their own words … The UN General Assembly voted overwhelming- “It’s so sad that right off the shores of our great nation that believes in human ly for the 17th year in a row Oct. 29 to demand an rights and human dignity exists this dungeon. But someday Cuba will be free. end to the 46-year-old U.S .trade embargo against Someday the people who are there will realize the blessing of freedom. And I Cuba, with only three countries (United States, want to thank the people around this table for working to see that day come.” Israel and Palau) voting no, and two countries — President Bush, in an Oct. 10 meeting with leaders of South Florida’s Cuban- abstaining (Micronesia and the Marshall Islands). American exile community at Havana Harry’s restaurant in Coral Gables, Fla. The margin of support for ending the embargo has grown steadily since 1992, when 59 countries voted in favor of the resolution. The figure was “This was a deceitful strategy used to court international public opinion to 179 in 2004, 182 in 2005 and 184 in 2007. lend legitimacy to the new president [Raúl Castro]. We are convinced there is no Noting that the embargo is “older than Barack interest whatsoever in implementing what is set out in the [UN] agreements.” Obama and my entire generation,” Cuba’s foreign — Oct. 14 statement from the banned Cuban National Liberal Party, comment- minister, Felipe Pérez Roque, said the next U.S. ing on the regime’s February 2008 signing of two UN human rights documents. president “will have to decide whether to concede that the embargo is a failed policy which each “It is time to establish a new scientific relationship between Cuba and the time creates greater isolation and discredits his United States, and not only to pay attention to common challenges such as country or whether he continues, with obstinacy health, climate, agriculture and energy.” and cruelty, to try to wear out the Cuban people — Editorial in the latest issue of Science magazine. with hunger and diseases.” Ronald Godard, the State Department’s senior “Raúl is convinced that the agricultural sector has to change. Cuba has to pro- adviser for Latin American affairs, countered that duce foodstuffs, because if it doesn’t, it will starve to death. All agrarian reforms “the real reason Cuba’s economy is in terrible have failed. The Soviet system doesn’t work, as we saw in Europe. Now, Raúl condition and that so many Cubans remain mired encourages the small farm owner to acquire larger plots of land. That was in poverty is that the regime continues to deny its impossible with his brother.” people their basic human and economic rights.” — Bernd Wulffen, former German ambassador to Cuba (2001-05) and author of MADRID APPOINTS NEW AMBASSADOR TO HAVANA two books on Cuba, in a recent interview with the German news agency DPA. Spain’s Council of Ministers on Oct. 17 named “It’s beautiful to see the amount and quality of food here, the choices, the pos- Manuel Cacho Quesada ambassador to Cuba, sibilities. Meanwhile, people are hungry in Cuba, scraping to get by, obsessing replacing Carlos Alonso Zaldívar, the Miami about where they’ll find dinner. I have to be careful with all this great food. If I Herald reported. keep eating, I won’t be able to run anyore and I’ll get out of shape.” Cacho, who will be 57 this month, was the Reinier Alcantara spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, a post he — Cuban soccer player , who defected while in Washington, D.C. held from May 2005 to Sept. 12, 2008. Previously, he was Spain’s ambassador to Nigeria and Syria “I think we all know that the Cuban-American vote can be vital to whether I and consul in Jerusalem, Israel. win Florida or not. So I do want to say again that we will never waver in our mis- He has also served in diplomatic missions to sion to restore freedom and democracy to Cuba.” Zaire, the Philippines, Chile and Great Britain. — Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), in an Oct. 28 interview with Miami’s Radio Mambí. No reason was given for the removal of Zaldívar, who has represented Spain in Havana since 2004. “These officials have offended thousands of Cuban citizens who have signed this petition for a referendum, which is also a demand for fundamental rights ANALYST: AIR SHIELD IS RESPONSE TO U.S. STRATEGY and which the Cuban government is denying its citizens.” Russia’s offer to advise Cuba on air defense and — Oswaldo Payá, angrily responding to Venezuela’s minister of foreign affairs, improve its defense capabilities is a tit-for-tat Nicolas Maduro, who said Payá’s Varela Project, which seeks democratic change response to the U.S. proposal to install missile in Cuba, had “little credibility.” Maduro made his comments during a joint press interceptors in Poland and a radar station in the conference in Madrid with his Spanish counterpart, Miguel Angel Moratinos. Czech Republic, said a noted Russian analyst. According to an Oct. 27 article in the Miami “There is no more embarrassing reminder of the current isolation of the Herald, Alexander Pikaev, a military specialist at United States. All our friends and allies in the Caribbean, the Western Hemis- the Russian Academy of Sciences, told the news- phere, Western Europe and Asia oppose us. Our only significant supporter is paper Gazeta that “although [Moscow] will offi- Israel, which actually follows a contrary policy as its citizens manage Cuba’s cially deny thi interpretation, it is obvious that largest citrus groves and are major investors in [Cuban] property development.” Russia’s actions are a response to the American — John McAuliff, executive director of the Fund for Reconciliation and Develop- anti-missile systems in the Czech Republic and ment, commenting on the United Nations’ 185-3 vote to condemn the embargo. Poland and to NATO’s decision to help Georgia restore its air-defense system.” Pikaev is certain that “Russia decided to renew “Cubans who believe this election will bring positive change for our country military technical cooperation with Cuba” and that are fooling themselves. Political campaigns are one thing; political reality is another.” an improved air-defense shield is one of the island’s means of protection against the U.S. — Nathaly Vicente, a 23-year-old law student at the University of Havana, com- “No one ignores the fact that relations between menting to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel on the U.S. presidential election. Cuba and the U.S. remain very strained and that Cuba has to protect itself,” Pikaev told Gazeta. “I don’t think many Cubans will be going to work on Nov. 4. They’ll be watch- “The fact is that [Cuba’s] air-defense systems ing to see what happens. I won’t miss it.” long ago became obsolete,” said the military — Psychiatrist Elsa Gutiérrez, quoted in the same article. expert. “In other words, Russia will help Cuba to restore its military potential.” 6 CubaNews ❖ November 2008 POLITICAL ANALYSIS Who’s in, who’s out in Cuba’s latest political reshuffling BY DOMINGO AMUCHASTEGUI rers through dedication, performance and the second secretary of the UJC, was ousted and ey changes have taken place within completion of risky missions abroad. sent as a history professor to an unspecified Cuba’s Ministry of the Revolutionary Many of them are known as “los africanos” military academy. Hassan was also one of K Armed Forces (MINFAR) since Raúl due to their repeated fighting missions in those young leaders handpicked by Fidel, con- Castro was named president on Feb. 24, 2008, Africa, and the fact that many are black or sidering his miliatry service and his Party and chose Deputy First Minister and Army mestizo, as is the case with Bello Rivero and membership despite his young age. Morales Abad. These generals have also trav- Corps Gen. (ACG) Julio Casas Regueiro to During the fierce confrontations between eled to China and Vietnam, and therefore have succeed him as Cuba’s minister of defense. Miami and Havana over Elián González, been exposed to those countries’ far-reaching Hassan had played a signficant role as an Previously, Casas was deputy minister of economic changes and reforms. MINFAR in charge of economic activities and organizer and agitator. He was also chosen by a key player in the promotion of perfec- Fidel to refute former President Jimmy cionamiento empresarial. Carter’s dissertation on democracy and Casas, 72, a member of the Politburo since human rights at the University of Havana dur- 1991 and, since February, a vice-president of ing his 2002 visit to Cuba. the Council of State, was a distinguished guer- Prior to the holding of the Sixth UJC rilla fighter along with his deceased brother, Congress, Hassan was a leading candidate for Senen, both under the command of Raúl’s II the position of first secretary. The nomination Eastern Front. Senen had been chief of the and final election of the current incumbent, General Staff for more than a decade until his Julio Martínez Ramírez, indicated strong passing in the early 1980s. opposition to Hassan’s rising star and marked Six months later, two other major changes the end of his political career. took place. First, the chief of the Central Army CABRISAS PROMOTED for 20 years, ACG Joaquin Quinta Solas, 70, Finally, in one of the most important reshuf- was replaced and promoted to deputy minister Havana billboard proclaims: “I’ll be faithful to you!” at MINFAR’s General Staff. Quintas Sola was fles, Ricardo Cabrisas has been appointed replaced by Brig. Gen. Rafael Bello Rivero, VALENCIAGA’S DOWNFALL vice-president of the Council of State to super- vise ministries such as Foreign Trade who was his chief of staff for several years. Meanwhile, Carlos Valenciaga, Fidel’s per- Then in early October, the chief of the (MINCEX) and Foreign Investment and sonal assistant and member of the Council of Cooperation (MINVEC) — as well as all other Western Army, also for almost 20 years, ACG State, is definitively out of the political equa- Leopoldo Cintra Frias, 67, was promoted to institutions and agencies that conduct finan- tion. CubaNews sources tell us he was ousted cial transactions abroad in hard currency. first deputy minister of MINFAR just a few from his influential position rather harshly, months after personally being nominated to For the past 10 years, Cabrisas, 71, had even by Cuban standards. been minister without portfolio in charge of the Council of State by Fidel Castro. Graduated in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree He was replaced, also, by his recently Cuba’s multilateral and major intenraitonal in history and philosophy from Havana’s cooperation agreements — a position that appointed chief of staff, Division Gen. (DG) Higher Pedagogical Institute with excellent Lucio Morales Abad. required him to work very closely with Fidel. credentials as active leader within the UJC and Cabrisas never earned his university Both Quintas Sola and Cintra Frias have a FEU youth movements, Valenciaga was per- long record of service, first as members of the degree because he chose instead to become sonally chosen by Fidel to join the Grupo de an intelligence officer. His work as commer- Rebel Army fighting against Batista, as com- Apoyo support team, created by Fidel in 1963. manding officers of the newly created FAR, cial counselor in Canada was praised by When Felipe Pérez Roque was appointed Cuban leaders, especially by Celia Sánchez, and as distinguished commanders in Angola minister of foreign affairs in 1995, Valenciaga and Ethiopia — especially Cintra Frias, who Fidel’s personal assistant and secretary of the took over the latter’s position as personal Council of State until her passing in the early was greatly admired by his subordinates. assistant to Fidel. Different sources had speculated previous- 1980s; she was always supportive of Cabrisas. His initial years working with the Maximum In 1970, Cabrisas was named ambassador to ly about the possibility of ACG Abelardo Leader were considered very commendable Colome Ibarra or ACG Alvaro López Miera Japan, and in 1978, he was appointed minister in government and Party circles. When Fidel of foreign trade. He became a member of the (both very close to Raúl and with excellent had his accident in Santa Clara, the two people credentials) being the strongest candidates to Central Committee in 1991, during the Party’s who Fidel depended on most for instructions IV Congress, but stepped down in 1995. replace Raúl as minister. and briefings were Pérez Roque and Carlitos Many saw this change as a sort of decline or Appointing Cintra Frias as first deputy min- (as Valenciaga was affectionately called). final downfall, but quite the contrary was true; ister places him as the strongest candidate to As Valenciaga gained further authority del- Cabrisas became increasingly important. His replace Casas Regueiro in the short term, egated by Fidel, he started to clash with sev- new position is even more crucial under again leaving behind Colome Ibarra and eral important figures who perceived him sim- Cuba’s current circumstances and its desper- López Miera. ply as an “errand boy” and a “yes-man.” ate search for foreign investment in key areas. Should changes continue, experts point to Heavy criticism started to pound on This change may also be perceived by some the likely ouster of ACG Ramón Espinosa Carlito’s ways from high-ranking Party and as a loss of power and influence by Vice Martín, chief of the Eastern Army, and Rear government leaders, while, at the same time, President Carlos Lage Davila, though most Adm. (RA) Pedro Pérez Betancourt, chief of his ostentatious personal life began to raise experts tend to agree that Lage Davila is the Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria). eyebrows. The final straw came in the form of entirely dedicated to dealing with the domes- Another consideration: for the first time in a lavish party thrown by Valenciaga’s wife. tic economy and its recovery. ❑ 50 years, the new commanding officers of The party became major political gossip in the Central and Western armies don’t belong Havana, and by summer 2008, Valenciaga was Former Cuban intelligence officer Domingo to the historical generation of the Rebel relieved of all his political positions and sent Amuchastegui has lived in Miami since 1994. Army. Rather, they represent the post-1959 home pending his final destination. He writes regularly for CubaNews about politics “milicianos” who made their professional car- At the same time, Hassan Pérez Casabona, in Cuba and the South Florida exile community. November 2008 ❖ CubaNews 7 MEDICINE MEDICAL BRIEFS CANADIAN FIRM: WASHINGTON IS ‘INTERFERING’ Cuba’s leptospirosis scare Canada’s Cari Med Trading Inc. has filed a complaint with the U.S. government for inter- BY OUR HAVANA CORRESPONDENT (including 52 deaths), compared to an average fering with its trade with Cuba, reported the hen hurricanes Gustav and Ike hit 460 cases per year in 1985-89. Communist daily Juventud Rebelde. Cuba with devastating force in late The outbreak occurred in 1991, when 1,141 Alberto Rodríguez, Cari Med’s sales and WAugust and early September, Cuban people became infected — double that of the marketing manager, told participants at an authorities rushed to prevent any epidemic preceding year. From 1992 to 1996, Cuba Oct. 27 conference on anesthesiology that outbreak in the affected areas. reported 9,015 cases and 274 deaths, translat- U.S. authorities “increasingly ask for more A prompt response to the threat — along ing into a death rate of 3.04% among infected things. Licenses granted by the U.S. Depart- with efforts by Cuba’s Ministry of Public people. Males ranging from 15 to 54 years old ments of Commerce and Treasury to sell Health (MINSAP) — have so far averted a were most commonly affected. products to Cuba are extremely restricted and major catastrophe. Despite the poor economic conditions, exhaustive. They ask us for completely absurd details.” He added: “Among the recent problems we have faced due to the tightening of the U.S. blockade is the semi-collapse of the non-inva- sive surgery program at the Cardiovascular Center at the William Soler Children’s Hospi- tal. We want people to know that pressure from the blockade has been so hard we’ve had to stop negotiations with this hospital.” Outraged by the interference, Cari Med reportedly filed a letter of complaint with the U.S. Interests Section in Havana. “Incredibly, [the head of the U.S. mission in Havana] said that orders come from Washing- ton and that he wasn’t even asked his opinion on the matter,” said Rodríguez. Yet efforts by CubaNews to locate Cari Med Trading Inc. were unsuccessful. No reference to that company can be found anywhere on the Internet. Rodríguez told Juventud Rebelde his compa- ny cooperates with Medicuba and Insume in Cuba to achieve three main goals: provide Yet the hurricanes tore apart Cuba’s hous- Cuba’s government managed to halt the Cuban doctors with state-of-the-art technolo- ing infrastructure, and now tens of thousands spread of the disease with an intense cam- gy, provide products at accessible prices, and of people live in crowded shelters. At the same paign spearheaded by MINSAP, including a break the U.S. embargo on medical equip- time, the power grid, water-treatment and drive to educate the population about the ment and devices. drainage systems, garbage collection and means of transmission. In 1996, it also CUBAN DOCTORS OPEN EYE CLINIC IN PERU health-care services were all affected by the See Leptospirosis, page 11 hurricanes — leading to the possible and A Cuban medical brigade is setting up an rapid spread of water-borne infections. ophthalmology center to perform free eye sur- One of the possible outbreaks the regime geries in Cuzco, Peru. tried to curtail was leptospirosis, a zoonotic Olga López said the eye center is part of bacterial infection transmitted to humans Operation Miracle (a program run by Cuba when the urine of rats, pigs, dogs and other and Venezuela aimed at helping low-income domestic or feral mammals comes into contact people recover their vision) and is taking place with the human food and water supply.’ in Cuzco, 1,165 kms south of Lima. It’s also transmitted through skin lesions — The brigade, named after the late Vilma not an uncommon risk for people living or Espin, founding leader of the Cuban Women’s working in the fields, or in shelters and ware- Federation, replaced a medical team that came houses, especially in soaked soils and crops. from Cuba after the earthquake that devastat- In its acute human form, leptospirosis is ed part of southern Peru in August 2007. known as Weil’s disease and is potentially López said the new medical team has been lethal though rarely so. working in city of Pisco for six months now, MINSAP is particularly concerned because and has given 80,000 consultations and made of an increase in the number of leptospirosis 12,000 doctor’s visits to patients in other locali- cases last year in the provinces of Las Tunas, ties during this period. Holguín and Pinar del Río — precisely those The brigade has performed 445 operations hit hardest by the hurricanes. and thousands of medical checkups, besides Cuba suffered an outbreak of leptospirosis carrying out 38 health campaigns. in the darkest years of the so-called Special Cuban doctors are developing, as a pilot Period, when the sudden loss of its Soviet and project, the family doctor program in five Eastern European trading partners led to a health posts located in remote and poor areas, chaotic drop in living standards. The number by virtue of a cooperation agreement with the of leptospirosis cases peaked in 1994 at 2,828 Peruvian Ministry of Health, said López. 8 CubaNews ❖ November 2008 NEWSMAKERS CANF’s Francisco ‘Pepe’ Hernández talks to CubaNews BY LARRY LUXNER Given those die-hard anti-Castro creden- precisely to have more communications with egardless of who wins the White House tials, it seems ludicrous for anyone to label the Cuban people, and untie the hands of on Nov. 4, Francisco “Pepe” Hernández the CANF chief “soft on communism.” Cuban-Americans in the United States in R insists that Washington’s policy toward Yet that’s exactly what’s happening in order to help civil society in Cuba,” he said. Cuba must change. South Florida today, he said. To that end, the CANF raised hundreds of Since 1991, Hernández has been president “There are political interests here who re- thousands of dollars for emergency relief in of the Cuban American National Foundation, fuse to accept the fact they do not represent the wake of hurricanes Gustav and Ike this a Miami-based exile group that has between all of the community,” he said. “They want to summer, thanks to a special Treasury Depart- 20,000 and 25,000 members and operates on a $1.5 million annual budget. In an interview Oct. 6 with CubaNews, the CANF retired economist and businessman said it’s time to “do away with all these absurd restric- tions of the Bush administration” concerning Cuban-American travel and remittances. “The most important thing we Cubans in exile can do is become agents of change inside Cuba,” he said. “Especially after the de- vastation of two hurricanes has put the Castro government in a situation where they cannot respond to the needs of the people, someone else must fill that vacuum, and nobody be- sides the Cuban exile community can do it. “Therefore, it’s extremely important that we convince the U.S. government this is the time to help [dissident] movements on the is- land become self-sufficient and gain some independence from the government.” It’s obvious from our interview that Her- nández believes Sen. Barack Obama — key- note speaker at the group’s annual May 20 dinner — will be that agent of change. Since 1991, Francisco “Pepe” Hernández has been president of the Cuban American National Foundation. “The CANF has never endorsed any candi- date, but we invite all candidates and person- maintain control over our image in Washing- ment license. The money was sent via West- alities who might have some influence on U.S. ton. I’m talking about the Díaz-Balart broth- ern Union to around 1,200 families in Cuba. policy towards Cuba. This is why we brought ers. Unfortunately, they say anybody who About $130,000 came in donations of $1,000 Obama here in May,” he said. digresses just a little bit from their position is or more, with the rest consisting of small “I think Obama seems to have a very clear soft on Castro — and might even be an agent donations of $40 or less. purpose. He came to me as an honest man of Castro. It’s a power play they’ve been play- Hernández says he has no family left in who wanted to help. Most of all, he wanted to ing for some time. I personally have been Cuba, though he’d love to go back someday. understand the issues.” working not only for Joe García and Raúl For now, such a visit is out of the question Martínez — not as president of the founda- since he still faces a 30-year prison sentence CANF LEADER HARDLY ‘SOFT ON COMMUNISM’ tion but as an individual in this community the moment he steps onto Cuban soil. Hernández, 72, is originally from the who feels this has to change." “We are able to interact with some high offi- Havana suburb of Marianao. Martínez, the former mayor of Hialeah, is cials [in the regime],” he said. “I’ve talked to “I was a student at the University of Hav- trying to unseat Rep. Lincoln Díaz-Balart in some close relatives of Raúl Castro, and they ana, and my father was in the military,” he Florida’s 21st congressional district, while tell me he’s different from his brother, in the told us. “About three months after Fidel took García, the CANF’s former executive vice- sense that he’s more family-oriented, and that power, my father was called to be a witness in president, is challenging Lincolns younger he’s not egocentric like Fidel.” the trial of a colleague. He refused to testify brother, Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, in the 25th. Hernández said he has never met Raúl. So against his friend, and he ended up being sen- Hernández, who lives in Kendall, will vote we asked him what he might say to the new tenced to 30 years in prison after a trial that for Martínez, though as of press time, he had Cuban leader if such a meeting could be lasted only two and a half hours. not decided who he’d support for president. arranged. “That same night, after being sentenced, “I’ve been a Republican all my life, and I “I’d tell him, ‘look, it’s time to go. It’s time he was taken out of his cell and executed, know Sen. McCain and have met with him to let the Cuban people choose their own des- along with his friend.” over a dozen times, so it’s not easy,” he said. tiny. And if you don’t do it now, you might not Hernández fled Cuba for Miami in 1960 but be able to do it later.” returned the following year as part of the PEPE: LOOK FORWARD, FELLOW CUBANS As for his adversaries within the Miami failed Bay of Pigs mission. He was captured Like Obama, the two Democratic challen- exile community, Hernández told CubaNews and spent two years in prison. gers to the Díaz-Balart brothers say they do he understands their bitterness, because he's During his imprisonment, Fidel came to not support ending the U.S. trade embargo lived it himself. the cell where he and 40 others were being against Cuba. Rather, they want to roll back “You certainly cannot forget 50 years of held and lectured the inmates about all restrictions on exile travel to the island, pain and tragedy,” he said. “But if we’re ever Marxism. The Kennedy administration even- and lift the cap on remittances. really going to overcome this period of our tually paid $100,000 for his release. “The change in policy we are advocating is history, we have to look forward, not back.” ❑ November 2008 ❖ CubaNews 9 crease pressure by U.S. oil giants to ease the Janeiro, owns a refinery in Houston, among Oil — FROM PAGE 1 embargo against Cuba so they, too, could get other U.S. holdings. “Block 37 is a very long, skinny block going Piñón, a veteran oilman who has held exec- a piece of the action, he said no. But, he added, “we may see the interim development from Varadero to Havana,” Piñón told utive positions with Shell, Amoco and BP dur- of an ‘embargo-lite’ that lifts “some export CubaNews. “It’s not close to the U.S. demar- ing his 30-year career, noted that offshore controls on oil technology and project man- cation line, so it’s politically safe. And it’s not reserves of 20 billion barrels would catapult agement knowledge.” going to be a geologically difficult area in Cuba — which now produces only 60,000 bar- Repsol was the first to take on the chal- which to drill exploratory wells.” rels a day, all from onshore wells — into one lenge posed by Cuba in mid-1999 when it Veteran Cuba-watcher Phil Peters of the of the world’s top 20 oil-exporting nations. opened up a bidding process for 59 explora- Lexington Institute in Arlington, Va., said the Yet a study by the U.S. Geological Survey tion blocks in a 112,000-sq-km area in Cuban fact Repsol will return to Cuba next year for says Cuba’s offshore filed contains 5 billion waters in the Gulf of Mexico. more exploratory drilling is a promising sign, barrels of oil and 283 billion cubic meters of In addition, Venezuela’s PDVSA, Malaysia’s not to mention the latest Petrobras contract. natural gas. Those numbers are the mean of Petronas and PetroVietnam are all involved in CASH-FLOW PROBLEM SCARES INVESTORS Yet success in tapping Cuba’s oil potential depends on a variety of factors outside the country’s control. “Oil industry people are now taking Cupet less seriously, when “A lot of those blocks are leased, but that doesn’t mean any of those companies is ready they make unprofessional and unscientific statements like that.” or able to bring in a rig and start drilling,” said Peters. “In addition, deepwater rigs are — JORGE PIÑÓN, ENERGY EXPERT AT UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI’S CENTER FOR HEMISPHERIC POLICY scarce right now, so that’s another factor slowing things down.” Furthermore, Cuba could have difficulty attracting investment in its oil sector, given its shaky cash-flow situation. estimates that go no higher than 9 billion bar- projects in the EEZ, while other companies In early October, Canada’s Sherritt Interna- rels of oil and 595 billion cubic meters of gas. are working in what is considered the most tional Corp., which produces most of Cuba’s “The methodology that Cupet used for its promising area, the northeast coast of the 60,000 barrels a day from onshore wells in a estimate is not an industry-acceptable archipelago, both on land and offshore. joint venture with Cupet, announced it was method,” said Piñón. “In addition, there’s no PETROBRAS INKS EXPLORATION DEAL owed $392.8 million by the Cuban govern- independent, third-party source. Whatever ment. According to the company’s third-quar- data they have on which to base that 20 billion On Oct. 31, Brazil’s Petrobras signed an $8 ter report, that debt “represents an exposed barrels has to be available for oil companies million agreement to explore Block 37. After credit risk” and could jeopardize Sherritt’s to take a look at. an immediate exploration phase lasting 18 to drilling plans for 2009. “I was very surprised, because even the 24 months, more funds from Petrobras and Back in July, the Toronto-based mining and recent [offshore] finds in Brazil are only esti- Cupet could be forthcoming, depending on energy conglomerate said it would abandon mated at 15-18 billion barrels, and we know how much oil is found. plans to drill in Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico EEZ, those fields are huge.” Under the deal — signed in Havana by Bra- and would restructure its oil business toward Only one test well has been drilled in zilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and land-based operations. Cuban waters, that by a consortium led by Raúl Castro — Petrobras gets seven years to In addition to oil, Sherritt — the largest for- Spain’s Repsol-YPF SA and Norway’s Norsk explore, then another 25 years to produce oil eign investor in Cuba — also operates the Hydro. Tenreyro said Repsol plans to drill and gas from the 1,600-sq-km concession. Pedro Sotto Alba nickel refinery in Moa, in a another well in mid-2009 and that if all goes as “I don’t understand why it took so long to 50-50 venture with state-owned Cubaniquel hoped, Cuban oil could be flowing into the sign this agreement,” Lula told reporters. (see page 10 of this issue). That in large part market by 2013. “There’s a geological study process and I explains why Sherritt is now owed money by Another Cuba oil expert, Jonathan Benja- hope the results will be positive and we will the Castro regime. min-Alvarado of the University of Nebraska at search at whatever depth.” “What’s happening now is that the price of Omaha, told Reuters of Cuba’s 20-billion-bar- Piñón said he understands the Petrobras nickel has dropped 60% in the last 12 months,” rel estimate: “I trust they are legitimate deal was delayed at the behest of lawyers wor- Piñón told us. “So Cuba doesn’t have enough claims, but they must be verified.” ried that it would violate the terms of the 1996 cash in nickel to offset the purchase of Asked if a substantial oil find would in- Helms-Burton Act. Petrobras, based in Rio de Sherritt equity, and that’s where the $393 mil- lion comes from.” He added: “For the first time, Sherritt says UN gives Cuba $5.7 million in hurricane aid this is a credit risk. They also say, for the first time, that in the 4th quarter they have the lmost two million Cubans affected by areas that bore the brunt of hurricane dam- option of exporting the oil they drill if Cuba hurricanes Gustav and Ike will re- age in late August and early September. doesn’t get the money to pay Sherritt.” A ceive vital assistance from the United “WFP is playing an important role help- Sherritt isn’t the only Canadian company Nations World Food Programme over the ing people who suffered great losses in the Cuba is indebted to. By year’s end, Cupet will next six months. storms,” said Sonsoles Ruedas, WFP repre- owe $118.9 million to Montreal-based Under the newly-approved emergency sentative in Cuba, in a prepared statement. Pebercan, having only paid $2 million so far. operation, WFP will provide $5.7 million in In addition to the rations, said Ruedas, “Cuba doesn’t have any cash,” said Piñón. food rations, including rice, beans, vegeta- WFP will supply temporary food storage “They bought huge amounts of grain and ble oil, canned fish and CSB, a blended food warehouses and liquid gas stoves to people foodstuffs this year, thinking nickel prices compound of maize and soy fortified with who lost cooking facilities in the storms. would keep on increasing. But nickel dropped vitamins and minerals. “As on previous occasions, we trust in the and food prices went up. Cuba’s problem The agency says its efforts are in support generosity of donors to carry out this oper- today is cash flow, pure and simple.” ❑ of the Cuban government as it responds to ation which will allow us to provide assis- communities needing food assistance in tance to affected populations,” he added. This article contains information from Inter Press Service, Reuters and other news sources. 10 CubaNews ❖ November 2008 COMMODITIES Ike slashes nickel output as prices take a nosedive BY OUR HAVANA CORRESPONDENT The local Communist party paper put dam- are located, seriously damaging housing and he price bonanza enjoyed by Cuba’s age to the industry at 38 million pesos, with- buildings and swamping the area with torren- nickel industry in the past two years out detailing how much was in foreign ex- tial rains and a storm surge. T seems to be coming to an end, as the change and how much was in local currency. Assuming a 2008 price average of world economic slowdown and financial panic Industry sources said the Pedro Sotto Alba $22,000/ton (it’s currently $12,700/ton and sends a chill throughout the global commodi- plant in Moa — a joint venture between state- falling), and annual production of 71,500 tons, ties markets. run Cubaniquel and Canada’s Sherritt Inter- the expected value of Cuba’s nickel would be Today’s nickel sells only for one-fourth of national was operating at capacity. The Pedro $1.6 billion, which is comparable to 2006. the price recorded in the spring and summer Sotto Alba plant is Cuba’s most efficient, with But if price trends continue in the absence of 2007, when it peaked above $50,000 per ton a capacity of 33,000 tons of unrefined nickel of a drastic production increase, the value of amid fears of a permanent shortage, and plus cobalt per year. Cuba’s nickel in 2009 will be much lower. strong world demand. Cubaniquel also owns the Che Guevara Prices are currently less than a half of the plant in Moa, with capacity of 33,000 tons, and SUGAR Rene Ramos Latour at Nicaro, Cuba’s oldest, early 2008 levels, and the outlook for the fore- With production just above 1 million tons in seeable future appears gloomy. The prospect which has capacity of 10,000 to 15,000 tons. Cuba is one of the world’s top nickel pro- the past three harvests, Cuba is no longer a of a deep global economic crisis has led to major player in the sugar trade world. It is sharp drop in demand. Fears of pandemic in- ducers, at 75,000 tons of unrefined nickel per flation are also eased by softer commodity year, and supplies 10% of the world’s cobalt, more accurate to say that is not a player at all. prices, and central banks certainly shouldn’t according to the Basic Industry Ministry. Ike Once a major force in the sugar world mar- be too concerned by the current trend. hit Cuba at Holguín’s northern coast, where ket, capable of pushing prices and setting For Cuba, however, the drop in nickel the nickel industry's three processing plants See Commodities, page 11 prices is unwelcome, since nickel is by far the island’s leading source of hard currency. The export value for all Cuban nickel in 2006 reached $1.35 billion and more than doubled to $2.76 billion in 2007, according to the prevalent world market price — eclipsing tourism and dwarfing sugar exports, which came to only $100 million for 2007. But this year, nickel earnings will be sharply lower, not just because of the drop in prices but also as a result of a slowdown in the wake of Hurricane Ike. The industry is still operating at below capacity nearly two months after taking a direct hit from Ike, according to a Reuters report Oct. 22 that quotes local media in east- ern Holguín province. “Last week the three nickel plants in the region worked at 81% of their plan,” said Holguín’s state-run Radio Angula. Local TV, meanwhile, reported that the two most impor- tant plants in Moa were operating “practically at capacity” while a third plant in Nicaro was still under repair. November 2008 ❖ CubaNews 11

MEDIA Commodities — FROM PAGE 10 world standards for the industry, Cuba is now Dubious Havana Times goes online ironically more concerned with prevailing market prices in case it needs to make mas- BY LARRY LUXNER — though plenty of articles attack U.S. policy sive purchases of sugar for domestic con- toward Cuba and Latin America. sumption. Brazilian sugar is now sold in state- uba now has an online English-language ruled bodegas, where the rationed staples are The Havana Times For now, CubaNews wonders how objective publication: . Under distributed, according to eyewitnesses Cthe motto “open-minded writing from The Havana Times will really be. Cuba,” the new online service claims it’ll seek In an article entitled “My Cuba Wish List accounts reaching us from Havana. to “avoid the black-and-white stereotyped for 2008” — written last year, before the new The extent of losses to the sugar industry reporting” from and about the island. service came online — Robinson hopes for no caused by hurricanes Gustav and Ike isn't yet The site at www.havanatimes.org carries hurricanes, more Chinese buses, increased clear. But reports of serious damage to the stories from Prensa Latina, Inter Press Ser- industrial production, legalization of same-sex Antonio Guiteras sugar mill in Las Tunas (the vice and its own sources. Among other things, marriages, a war on bureaucracy and a top-10 largest in the island) and the 30 de Noviem- the new outlet features “Diaries from Havana” finish in the Beijing Olympics — but not a bre in Pinar del Rio (the most important in with contributions by Maite Vera, Leonid word on freedom of speech, democracy or the the west) along with damage to plantations, López, Mavis Alvarez, Veronica Fernández release of all political prisoners. indicate a sharp drop in Cuba’s production and Rainer Rubira. In other media news, the Russian state plans; the island might even be forced to buy It also features the work of professional and news agency RIA Novosti has opened a extra sugar abroad to meet domestic demand. amateur photographers, as well as commen- Havana bureau as part of the agency’s major World raw sugar prices increased in the taries by the editor, Circles Robinson, who media strategy in the Latin American region. first half of 2008 to more than $330/metric ton has lived in Cuba for the past six years. “We are sincerely glad that Cuba is set to to decline by mid-year and rise again to the “By the time it gets in full swing, the What’s become an important and significant center current average of $311/ton in July- On section will present a comprehensive sec- for us,” said Svetlana Mironyuk, the head of September, despite evidence of a slight sur- tion on cultural activity in the Cuban capital RIA Novosti, adding that “Latin America is plus in production. For part of the year, man- with an accent on those things that might be one of our biggest priorities.” aged investments and the depreciation of the of interest to non-Spanish speaking visitors,” RIA Novosti’s Oct. 31 event was attended U.S. dollar drove prices instead of fundamen- according to the website. by Russian Communications Minister Igor tals. The current slowdown of the world econ- None of the articles at the HT website are Schegolev, his Cuban counterpart Ramiro Val- omy, financial fears and the strengthening openly critical of the Castro regime — for des, Russia’s envoy to Cuba Mikhail Kamynin dollar so far seem to be having a limited influ- example, no interviews with dissidents so far and various Russian and Cuban officials. ❑ ence on world sugar prices. ❑

Leptospirosis — FROM PAGE 7 ‘Peak Oil’ praises Cuba as model to follow embarked on a massive vaccination of low-budget documentary produced by The result: a 53-minute film, co-written and 200,000 people living in high-risk areas. an Ohio-based nonprofit group aims to co-produced by Eugene Murphy, executive In the mid to late 1990s, Havana’s A teach Americans how to make do with director of Community Solutions. With subti- Carlos J. Finlay Institute developed a new scarce petroleum supplies. tles available in English, Spanish, French vaccine (vax-Spiral) with an immunization “The Power of Community: How Cuba Sur- Portuguese, Norwegian and Mandarin, the effectiveness of 78% that was successfully vived Peak Oil,” was put together by the Ar- documentary details Cuba’s emergency tran- tested in humans and has been in use ever thur Morgan Institute for Community Solu- sition to local organic agriculture, renewable since. Recently, the government of tions, a nonprofit group that promotes low- energy and large-scale mass transit — rang- Argentina bought over 50,000 doses of energy alternatives to the current U.S. fossil ing from bicycles to camellos. vax-Spiral to curtail an outbreak in that fuel-based, industrialized way of living. “The film has since been released and country’s northern provinces. Although oil prices have receded dramati- According to official reports, in 2007 shown in over 40 film festivals, and gotten cally since the $147-a-barrel record reached eight awards, one of which was at DC Inde- almost one million people in Holguín earlier this summer, market experts increas- province (nearly everyone) received a pendent Film Festival last year,” she said in an ingly talk about “peak oil” — the point when email to CubaNews. “It has reached 35 coun- homeopathic product developed by the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction Finlay Institute to prevent both leptospiro- tries and is in both DVD and VHS formats.” is reached, after which the rate of production Among those appearing in this documen- sis and hepatitis A. begins to decline. In Cuba, the highest prevalence of lep- tary are Mario Coyula, a Cuban architecture tospirosis consistently occurs in the east- The term is used by environmentalists as a professor and community development speci- wake-up call for industrialized countries to ern provinces of Holguín and Las Tunas, alist; Bruno Enriquez, co-founder and direc- search for alternative sources of energy which in 2007 reported 256 and 383 cases tor of Cuba Solar, a state entity which by 2006 respectively (169 and 27 cases in 2006). before oil runs out. During the Cold War, Cuba enjoyed sup- had equipped 2,354 primary schools with The western province of Pinar del Río solar photovoltaic panels, and Roberto Pérez, also shows a high prevalence of the dis- plies of cheap oil from Russia. When Moscow abandoned communism in the 1990s and dis- an expert with Cuba’s Antonia Niñez Jiménez ease, with 90 cases reported in 2007. Foundation for Nature and Humanity. Although Cuban health authorities continued fuel shipments to Cuba, the island’s economy went into a tailspin. Also featured is Miguel Salcines, adminis- don’t offer any explanation for this, it so trator of a small farm in the Havana suburb of happens these provinces have a higher With significant reductions in oil supplies, ratio of rural settlements due to their and food imports cut by 80%, Cuba was com- Alamar, one of the most successful organo- prominence in sugarcane, rice and tobac- pelled to find an alternative means to fuel its pónicos in Cuba. co production. economy and provide for its people. Details: Arthur Morgan Institute for Com- The prevention effort seems to be bear- Filmmaker Faith Morgan made two trips munity Solutions, PO Box 243, Yellow Springs, ing fruit, as only 172 cases were reported to Cuba in 2003 to analyze the island’s transi- OH 45387-0243. Tel: (937) 767-2161. URL: nationwide through early October. ❑ tion to a low-energy society, and went back www.powerofcommunity.org/cm/index.php. the year after to start shooting. – VITO ECHEVARRÍA 12 CubaNews ❖ November 2008 struction of zones ravaged by hurricanes Ike species like tilapia, carp, snapper and grouper. BUSINESS BRIEFS and Gustav in September. Located in the southern Río Cauto munici- Spanish daily online La Razón said Roque pality and responsible for 50% of Cuba’s culti- REGIME DELAYS DEADLINE FOR SALARY REFORM had asked in talks with Spain’s president, José vated shrimp exports, Calisur employs 802 Implementation of reforms launched by Luís Rodríguez Zapatero, to refinance part of workers and oversees 100 ponds covering Raúl Castro to energize Cuba’s sluggish econ- Cuba’s bilateral debt as well as for credit roughly 1,000 hectares, where they raise lar- omy is going more slowly than hoped, Com- financing to face the hurricane devastation. vae brought from spawning centers in munist Party daily Granma admitted Oct. 28. Roque also extended an invitation from Cienfuegos province and nearby Manzanillo. The newspaper said the period has been President Raúl Castro to Zapatero to visit extended for companies to adopt the “pay for Cuba sometime soon. CIENFUEGOS REFINERY TO GET STORAGE TANK performance” system — a dramatic departure If the trip takes place, Zapatero would be Construction workers will soon build a from the rigid egalitarianism imposed by the first Spanish head of government to visit 50,000-cubic-meter crude oil storage tank at Raúl’s brother, Fidel. the island since 1999, when conservative the Camilo Cienfuegos oil refinery along The new date postpones by another four President José María Aznar was there for an Cuba’s southern coast, Juventud Rebelde and a half months the period set for compa- Ibero-American summit. reported Oct. 15. The new tank will comple- nies to apply this payment system that Raúl The only official visit was by socialist head ment for smaller tanks with capacities of Castro has been pushing since 2007. of government Felipe González in 1986. Since 20,000 cubic meters. Deputy Labor Minister Carlos Mateu told it first came to power in 2004, Zapatero’s Julio Sánchez Gil, head of the expansion Granma that all the companies have their new socialist government has promoted a policy of project for the Venezuela-Cuba joint venture, compensation regime approved for January constructive engagement towards Cuba. explained that as part of setting up the large 2009, and that in February there’ll be a natio- Spanish Foreign Minister Jorge Moratinos capacity tank, the external portion that sur- nal inspection of the “redesigned systems.” announced Oct. 14 that in addition to the aid rounds the unit has already been constructed. Performance-linked pay is one of the char- package, a Cuban delegation would visit Spain In December, metal plates and other sup- acteristic features of the perfeccionamiento the following week to meet with officials of plies and accessories for the complete renova- empresarial model that Raúl — then serving the Ministry of the Economy and finalize an tion of the storage facilities should arrive. as defense minister — established 20 years agreement on the debt issue. The construction of four smaller tanks will ago in entities managed by the armed forces. Moratinos also said Spain will extend a new allow the daily transport of nearly 5,000 cubic Currently around 800 companies are man- line of credit worth 50-100 million euros to meters of crude from other areas. These aged with this business model, 32% of the cover Cuba’s most pressing needs. investments are essential because the plant total. But the system is currently not perform- needs increased storage capacity. ing at its best, Granma said. FREIXENET OPENS WINE SUBSIDIARY IN CUBA Mateu said that “only very discreet results Spain’s Freixenet, a bottler of sparkling COMCAST’S NEW ‘BARGAIN’ PHONE RATES have been obtained as yet” in a recent review wines, has announced the opening of a sub- Comcast/South Florida is now offering a of 679 companies using the system. sidiary in Havana, after more than 20 years reduced rate for calls to Cuba. For the first doing business with Cuba. time, select Comcast customers can dial land- CHINA SENDS HUGE VEHICLE SHIPMENT Luís Ortega Mateo, director of Freixenet for line phones in Cuba for 79 cents a minute. Cuba has received a new lot of 2,500 trucks, Central America and the Caribbean, told “We know that for many of our Comcast vans and buses from China — marking the Prensa Latina his company is the largest man- Digital Voice customers, the high cost of com- largest single shipment of any type to arrive ufacturer of sparking wines of cava origin in municating with relatives and friends in Cuba in Havana in 20 years. the world. It has subsidiaries in 180 countries, is a constant challenge,” said Comcast’s The energy-efficient vehicles will replace with wineries in the United States, France, regional senior vice-president, Filemon López. gas-guzzling trucks and buses in the agricul- Australia, Mexico and Argentina. “This is a competitively priced per-minute to ture, domestic trade, sugar and food indus- Neither Freixenet’s New York sales agent all of our Comcast Digital Voice customers.” tries, according to Prensa Latina. nor Freixenet USA headquarters in Sonoma, Unfortunately, that low rate is only offered This shipment is an addition to the 1,000 Calif., offered CubaNews any details about the to those who sign up for $24.95-a-month Chinese passenger buses already providing new Havana office when reached by phone. “Digital Voice” or $39.95-a-month “Comcast inter-provincial service. Unlimited” — on top of cable or high-speed SHRIMP PROCESSOR PREDICTS RISING EXPORTS Internet service. BRAZIL TO AID CUBA WITH MINING DATABASE Three years after cultivating a new and Sounds like 79 cents a minute may not be The Brazilian Geological Service has agreed more efficient shrimp species, Camaroneras much of a bargain after all. to help Cuba, the world’s No. 3 nickel produc- del Litoral Sur (Calisur) in Granma province er, compile data to develop the island’s mining is increasing production bound for domestic industry, Bloomberg News reported Oct. 16. and export markets. U.S. parcels to Cuba up 327% Work on a databank will start in January, Company vice-director Pedrol Luis Lavi, told The number of packages sent by U.S. mail said Ricardo Jonusan, spokesman for the Cuban media that the 2005 introduction of the from South Florida to Cuba is at its greatest Geological Service in Brasilia. He said the Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp species, known volume since President Bush prohibited the project will organize existing data and involve for rapid growing capacity and strong resist- shipment of non-essential items to the island new research. The signing of the accord in ance, had helped his entity increase output to in 2004, reports El Nuevo Herald. Havana follows increased investments in 1.5 tons per hectare. A U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman said Cuban nickel output. The enterprise expects to collect 200 tons of the post office shipped 33,926 Cuba-bound “Cuba is modernizing,” Jonusan said. “The shrimp monthly until the end of the year, a packages from South Florida between De- databank aims to make data available to socie- figure that, if reached, will allow meeting the cember 2006 and June 2007. ty at large and facilitate investor interest.” 1,625-ton production plan, worth $6.2 million. That number increased to 110,859 from The vice-director said 2009 export earnings SPAIN AGREES TO RESTRUCTURE CUBAN DEBT December 2007 to June 2008, representing will surpass $8 million, with 80% of production an additional $2 million in USPS revenues. Spain has accepted Cuba’s request to devoted to the European export market. The post office charges $29 to ship up to restructure its commercial debt, estimated at Locally cultivated frozen shrimp is sold at 4 lbs of goods. With the exception of food $1.5 billion, during Cuban Foreign Minister Cuban markets in pesos; the commodity is items, each person can send one package Felipe Perez Roque’s recent visit to Madrid. also sold in tourist facilities for hard currency. per month to immediate family members. A It was also announced Spain would give The islandwide network of fish and seafood package’s value cannot exceed $400. Cuba 24.5 million euro in aid for the recon- commercial centers also offers other farmed November 2008 ❖ CubaNews 13

BOOKSHELF Tastes like Cuba: Eduardo Machado goes back in time BY VITO ECHEVARRÍA and had no contact with anyone or anything chain in East Harlem, Washington Heights uban-American playwright Eduardo Cuban for a while, I connected my longing for and other Latin enclaves in New York. Machado came to the United States in Cuba with my longing for Cuban food. So it Machado also recounts his food-rich child- C1961 as one of thousands of “Pedro Pan” seemed natural. All my plays about Cuba have hood as a reflection of his family’s upper-class children spirited out of Cuba to avoid the a lot of eating in them. My plays about standing in Cojímar before the revolution. prospect of being sent to Russia for commu- Americans have a lot of drinking in them. “The Serrano ham and cheese came more nist indoctrination. Also, Michael and I wanted people to be able from my grandmother Manuela — my moth- While some of these kids, being torn away to feel my life equally when they read the er’s mother — her father was a Basque immi- from their parents, arrived in America emo- book and grant in Cuba,” he notes. “He influenced a lot tionally distressed, Machado’s painful migra- when they of the food we ate at my mother’s parents’ tion centered around his stomach — a stom- tried the food.” house, and we know that the Catalans and Basques have incredible food. ach which until that moment was accustomed MIAMI CUISINE to a culinary fiesta of Cuban dishes ranging Machado has spent his time putting togeth- from sour orange-flavored Cuban fried chick- In later vis- er various theater productions, including en with the black-bean-and-white-rice dish its to South “In the Eye of the Hurricane” —a play about known as moros y cristianos to shrimp and Florida — in- the loss of his grandparents’ bus company to spicy tomato sauce, and Basque-influenced cluding a road Fidel’s revolutionaries. That, along with meals like roast lamb with rosemary. trip that he coaching famed Italian-American actor Al From Machado’s brief but palate-numbing and his reunit- Pacino on perfecting his Marielito Cuban per- stay in Hialeah, Fla., in 1961 — where he was ed family took sona for the 1983 gangster film “Scarface,” forced to live on cold Velveeta cheese sand- from Califor- teaching at New York’s Columbia University, wiches and the canned mystery meat known nia to Miami and dabbing in independent filmmaking. — Machado as Spam — to southern California suburbs GETTING CUBAN FOOD JUST RIGHT where the closest thing to strong Cuban cof- found that de- fee was Italian espresso, he found himself spite the grow- Machado’s film background gave him a constantly searching for an answer to the fol- ing Cuban chance to visit Havana in 1999 as part of that lowing question: How do you make a meal community in Miami-Dade County, there’s a city’s annual film festival. Not even the Elian taste like a place? real difference between Cuban cuisine in González fiasco, raging in both Miami and Machado’s newly released autobiography, Miami and back home in Cojímar. Havana at the time, distracted him. “Tastes Like Cuba: An Exile’s Hunger for The Cuban eateries that dotted the Miami “I went back to Cuba to find myself, to take Home,” co-authored by Michael Domitrovich, landscape back then weren’t the fancy restau- a positive step in finding who I was,” he said. dedicates its 357 pages to coming up with an rants that later popped up in glossy maga- From that and later trips, Machado couldn’t answer to that question. zines like Ocean Drive, but mom-and-pop help but compare pre-Castro Cuban cuisine Machado contacted CubaNews via email to greasy spoons with copper-tubed, polished from what became of it afterwards, such as give us insight on what motivated him to write chrome Cuban coffee machines, Cuban sand- what now passes for paella there. his account of exile in the United States. wich presses and glass cases with heating “Cuban food in Cuba has gone through “Well, I think I see life through food,” he lamps that kept warm croquetas and empa- decades of not having the right ingredients to explained. “When we went to Los Angeles nadas — eateries reminiscent of the Mambí prepare it all the time,” he says. “I think it has become more basic and has lost some of the French influence. It isn’t less subtle, but it is more rural.” BONE UP ON CUBA’S FOREIGN INVESTMENT LAWS Along with certain Havana paladares in uba: The Regulation of Foreign Invest- advisors, government and non-governmen- neighborhoods like Vedado, Machado was ment” provides 928 pages of original tal organizations, academic institutions, impressed with the well-regarded restaurant Clegislative texts and sum- students and others with an El Aljibe, whose chicken-based cuisine was maries in English and Spanish interest in Cuban law.” what he called “amplified, but still teetering with side-by-side presentation. This comprehensive refer- on the edge of restraint.” The book (price: £250 in the ence book can also be pur- These days, Machado has stopped trying to United Kingdom, $495 in the chased online at www.ama- find Cuban dishes reminiscent of his child- U.S. and Canada, 325 euro in zon.co.uk and in selected hood. “No, you cannot make another place Europe and CUC 457 in Cuba) bookstores. It is also available taste like a place,” he said. “Look at all the is published by Berger Young through CubaNews by special cigar companies trying to get Dominican & Associates Ltd. in collabora- arrangement. If you’d like to cigars to taste like Cuban ones. No matter tion with the Cuban law firm buy a copy, please email us at how good they are, they never really taste like of Consultores y Abogados [email protected]. the Cuban ones. The same with French cham- Internacionales (Conabi), on Details: Sebastiaan Berger, pagne. I think you just learn how to love the Director, Ceiba Investments different taste and you have to stop compar- the basis of relevant Cuban ❑ legislation that was in effect as Ltd., Edificio Barcelona, Ofic. ing. You accept the present.” of June 30, 2008. #401, Miramar Trade Center, Its promoters call the book 5ta Ave. e/76 y 78, Habana. Details: Adenike Olanrewaju, Publicist, “a unique and essential refer- Tel: +53 7 204-7934. Fax: +53 Dutton/Gotham Books, Penguin Group, 375 ence tool for foreign investors and busi- 7 204-7935. Email: sberger@ceibainvest. Hudson Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY nesses in Cuba, their legal and investment com. URL: www.bergeryoung.com. 10014-3672. Tel: (212) 366-2255. Email: [email protected]. 14 CubaNews ❖ November 2008 CULTURE Harlistas keep their prized machines humming along BY TRACEY EATON tionaries. They aren’t trying to make a state- can say that many people who could have sal- ergio Morales says his wife, Miriam, isn’t ment. Nor are they bandits or criminals. They vaged the Harleys didn’t save them because it the jealous type. And that’s a good thing just like to ride their hogs. And foreigners was easier to abandon them. It was easier than Sbecause there’s another “woman” in his who have met them say they’re impressed. trying to keep them alive.” life: His beloved 1946 Harley-Davidson. “I have been around motorcycles and mo- In the 1960s and ‘70s, many Cubans started He has kept the battered red motorcycle torcyclists for over 40 years and the Cuban riding newer, lighter motorcycles imported running for more than three decades with lit- motorcyclists are authentic bikers,” said Rich- from the former Soviet Union, Germany and tle more than sweat, ingenuity and home- ard Snowden, 61, who has led motorcycle other countries. made spare parts. tours in Cuba. One popular motorcycle was the German- “I take pride in keeping her alive,” he said. On weekends in Havana, the harlistas often made MZ, short for Motorradwerk Zschopau. Morales, 58, is the dean of Cuba’s intrepid motorcycle mechanics. And he and other Har- ley riders go to great lengths to maintain their vintage machines despite the decades-long U.S. ban on trade with the socialist regime. The Harley devotees fabricate their own parts or scavenge pieces from other motorcy-

cles, cars, tractors, lawn mowers and even PHOTOS BY TRACEY EATON anti-tank guns. “We do whatever it takes to keep our Harleys on the road,” said Morales, cracking open a can of Bucanero beer. Morales, a wiry man with salt-and-pepper hair and a deep voice, speaks of Harleys with the reverence usually reserved for such en- dangered creatures as tigers and black rhi- nos. These Cuban hogs, he explains, have also teetered on the brink of extinction. Before Fidel Castro took power in 1959, as many as 6,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycles rumbled across the island, he said. But now, Cuba is a virtual open-air museum for vintage American motorcycles. These classic Harley-Davidson as Cuba’s Revolution approaches its 50th bikes are parked along the street near Sergio Morales’ garage in the Havana neighborhood of Luyano. anniversary, that number has dwindled to gather near the 78-year-old Hotel Nacional, But Morales said harlistas refused to switch only about 100. which has a sweeping view of the Atlantic to the MZ. “We’re passionate about four- The V-twin motorcycles could have been Ocean. Or they cruise along the Malecón sea- stroke engines,” he said. “The MZ has a two- wiped out entirely, he said, if not for the wall as Cubans flash thumbs-up signs. stroke motor. It can’t keep up with us. Harley efforts of the island’s mechanics. “Some outsiders might find it strange that has a strong motor, a motor with a very par- “Harleys were in danger of disappearing,” Harley-Davidson, once dubbed “America’s ticular sound.” Morales said. “We are the generation that Greatest Freedom Machine,” has such a loyal took the few remaining Harleys and put them following in socialist Cuba. But Morales said NO SUBSTITUTE FOR THE REAL DEAL to work. And they have paid us back for our it’s only natural. But it’s not just the throaty roar that comes sacrifices.” Harley-Davidson has a long tradition on the from the exhaust. STAYING OUT OF POLITICS island. The best-known dealership was Casa Other motorcycles just don’t have the qual- Breto in Centro Habana, according to ity of an old twin-cylinder Harley, explained As he and other aficionados see it, Harleys Philippe Diederich, author of “Communism Morales, who refers to his motorcycle as in Cuba aren’t just hunks of metal. Cubans and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.” “she,” not “it.” rely on them for their survival. They use them Cuban police and soldiers rode Harleys “A Harley’s motor can be repaired and its to get to work, pick up groceries and take before the revolution. So did telephone and life extended for as long as you want,” he said. their children to school. They ride them to electric company workers. The Breto dealer- “I think a Harley can last more than 100 years. weddings, they take them camping. ship closed in the early 1960s, cutting off the If a man is capable of following her for that “In the world of Harleys outside Cuba, supply of motorcycles and parts, Diederich long, she’ll repay him for what he gave her.” many people ride Harleys to rallies, parties or wrote. And Harleys began to fade away. Morales once cut a perfectly good Harley motorcycle exhibits,” Morales said. But here exhaust system in half just to see how it “they are part of the family.” NO ONE KNOWS WHERE THE HARLEYS WENT worked. He said his fascination with Harleys Morales and other Harley riders in Cuba As one tale goes, Castro revolutionaries began in the 1970s. He got his first Harley, a call themselves harlistas. Their ranks include wanted to rid the country of Harleys, linked to model known as a flathead, and worked as an Ernesto Guevara, son of the late revolution- both American “Yankees” and the Batista gov- apprentice under a revered mechanic named ary known as Che. The harlistas try to stay out ernment they overthrew. So they dumped José “Pepe Milesima” Lorenzo. of politics, but sometimes that’s impossible. hundreds of Harleys into a big hole and Lorenzo, who died in 1990, was both In 2005, the harlistas received an official buried them. demanding and meticulous. His nickname notice telling them they couldn’t take part in At least that’s what the legend says. Mora- warns of that. Milesima means one-thou- Havana’s annual carnival parade because les said no one really knows what happened. sandth, a reference to his quest for mechani- their motorcycles “represented an American “We weren’t there when the Harleys disap- cal perfection. symbol,” French news service AFP reported. peared,” he told CubaNews. “We can’t say if Harlistas honor Milesima every year on the The harlistas say they aren’t counterrevolu- they were buried, if they were burned. But we day of his death. They ride to Havana’s Colon November 2008 ❖ CubaNews 15

Harlistas — FROM PAGE 14 ating, looking for alternatives so that the Harleys don’t stop running,” Morales said. INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS Cemetery, gather around a tomb marked, The harlistas say the struggle to maintain CUBA OPENS NEW EMBASSY IN SAUDI ARABIA “Pepe Milesima, Harley-Davidson mechanic” their motorcycles has drawn them together. and rev their engines in a show of respect. “One day, a cyclist was stuck with a broken Cuba foresees stronger relations with Saudi With Milesima gone, Morales rose to mas- chain on the way to Santa Clara in central Arabia — the world’s top oil exporter — fol- ter mechanic and runs a garage dedicated to Cuba. “No one had a chain and no one had a lowing the recent opening of its embassy in repairing old Harleys. link,” said Morales. “So we walked over to a Riyadh, said Laureano Rodríguez Castro, Maintaining the motorcycles without a reli- fence, cut a piece of barbed wire, made a link Cuba’s new ambassador to Saudi Arabia. able supply of spare parts has been a daunt- and we made it to Santa Clara.” “The establishment of the mission in Riyadh ing task, he said. Morales sipped his beer and lit a cigarette. will step up cooperation between the two In the 1970s, riders had particular trouble Riders who have shiny, modern motorcycles countries. This new Cuban mission is our 3rd finding tires. So they used tires from Indian that never break down might not understand. station in the Gulf after Kuwait and Qatar,” motorcycles, BMW cars and even old Soviet “When we’re out on the highway, we enjoy said Rodríguez in an Oct. 29 press briefing the mechanical carried by the Middle East News Agency. part, the challenge Rodríguez, who served as Cuba’s top diplo- of keeping our mat in Kuwait from 2004 to 2007, noted that motorcycles “even before the mission was established, going,” Morales Cuba supported the kingdom on all interna- said. “Motorcycles tional issues. We severed diplomatic relations give us a kind of with Israel in support of the Palestinians.” friendship we Thanking King Abdullah and senior govern- might not find any- ment officials for helping establish Cuba’s where else. I don’t embassy in Riyadh, Rodríguez said he hoped think writers, philo- the gesture would be reciprocated with a mis- sophers, laborers or lawyers have the sion in Cuba. The Saudi mission in Mexico tight friendship we currently looks after Cuban interests. have. The friend- Noting that “Cuba is ideal for a Saudi family ship between us is holiday,” the ambassador said the Cuban Em- clean. It’s genuine.” bassy issues visas within 24 hours to Saudis And no, his wife, and expatriates residing in the kingdom. Miriam, doesn’t GRENADA TO ERECT SHRINE TO DEAD CUBANS stand in the way. She readily climbs A monument will be built in St. George’s, aboard his ‘46 Grenada, in memory of 24 Cuban construc- Harley, a three- tion workers who were killed during the 1983 wheeled Servi-Car. U.S. invasion of that tiny Caribbean island. “She doesn’t get Peter David, Grenada’s minister of foreign Mechanic Sergio Morales has spent 36 years keeping Harley motorcycles running. jealous because affairs, said his government is in the process 37 mm anti-tank guns. That doesn’t mean the my children were of finding a suitable location for the memorial. tires fit — they did whatever it took to make practically born on a Harley,” Morales said. “We cannot forget the Cubans who died in them fit. Harlistas have also had trouble find- “I’ve been with Harley for 36 years and I won’t the invasion,” David said. “They were making abandon it ever.” ❑ ing pistons, rings, brakes, sprockets, rims, a contribution towards the development of this country and it’s time we recognize their leather seats and everything else. But they Tracey Eaton, a former Cuba correspondent contribution with an appropriate monument.” have kept their machines going, even if it for the Dallas Morning News, was based in Hav- means resorting to Czech brake pads or ana from 2000 to 2005 and now teaches jour- At the time of the U.S. Marine invasion 25 clutches from lawn mowers. nalism in St. Augustine, Fla. To visit his blog, go years ago, hundreds of Cubans were in “That’s how we’ve survived, inventing, cre- to http://alongthemalecon.blogspot.com/. Grenada constructing a new international air- port as well as other projects. GALGERIA, EQUATORIAL GUINEA OFFER RELIEF Two oil-rich African countries, Algeria and Equatorial Guinea, have donated $2 million each to Cuba in the wake of this summer's hurricane devastation. Emilio Caballero Rodríguez, Cuba’s ambas- sador in Algiers, thanked the Algerian govern- ment for its assistance at an Oct. 29 press con- ference, during which he also announced that Cuba would build seven ophthalmology hospi- tals throughout the vast North African nation. Meanwhile, a statement from the govern- ment of tiny Equatorial Guinea called its gift “an initiative of solidarity with Cuba, which has suffered enormous material damage.” The declaration notes that “our offer is based on a sincere and fruitful friendship with Cuba, which has supported Equatorial Guinea at different moments in its history, particular- A three-wheel Harley-Davidson is parked near the beach at Tarara, a seaside community east of Havana. ly in healthcare and the training of doctors.” 16 CubaNews ❖ November 2008

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