Vol. 13, No. 8 September 2005

www.cubanews.com

In the News Gulf ports quickly recover from Katrina; Cuba-bound shipments to resume soon Reviving claims U.S. reopens long-dormant Cuban claims BY VITO ECHEVARRÍA perimeter and will soon be available throughout the facility,” according to a Sep. 15 press release program at Starwood’s urging .....Page 2 ith the Port of New Orleans and Gulf- port, Miss., in shambles following the issued by the Mississippi State Port Authority. Wonslaught of Hurricane Katrina, it first “On the day following the storm, it was esti- Housing crisis appeared that Mother Nature had done more to mated that limited port operations would not be available for months or even up to a full year,” Hurricane Dennis worsens Cuba’s already disrupt U.S. food exports to Cuba — at least temporarily — than anything the pro-embargo said the release. “It now appears that [terminal critical housing shortage ...... Page 3 lobby in Washington could have come up with. operators] P&O Ports North America Inc. and In the days following the killer hurricane, SSA Marine will be ready to resume terminal Pink slip for aide Crowley Liner Services Inc. told CubaNews that operations within a matter of days.” as a result of “devastating damage” at its facili- The two ports together, along with Mobile, Wilfredo López Rodríguez sacked as key ties in New Orleans and Gulfport, “we are un- Ala., have handled close to 75% of the $1 billion advisor to Fidel Castro ...... Page 4 able to safely operate in the affected region and in food commodities shipped to Cuba from U.S. no cargo is being moved in, out or through that ports since passage of the 2000 Trade Sanc- Thanks but no thanks area for the foreseeable future.” tions Reform and Export Enhancement Act. But the two ports are recovering from Katrina Under TSRA, agricultural commodities are State Department snubs Cuba offer to aid more quickly than anyone had imagined — exempted from the embargo as long as Cuban government purchasing agency Alimport pays victims of Hurricane Katrina ...... Page 7 especially considering the widespread destruc- tion in New Orleans and the Mississippi coast. for such commodities up-front, in cash. “Despite the extensive damage, recovery at U.S. food conglomerates in the forefront of Phones for everyone Gulfport is well underway. Electricity is now that trade were initially worried that Katrina had Etecsa working to boost teledensity with available in the northeast corner of the port See Katrina, page 6 fixed wireless technology ...... Page 8 Despite the risks, Canadian companies Counting the losses Snapshot of local destruction incurred in find Cuba fertile ground for trade deals wake of devastating Dennis ...... Page 9 BY LARRY LUXNER own ZP International Inc., which designed Tor- Business briefs rom a Vancouver hotel developer to a Nova onto’s famed Eaton Centre. A few blocks away, Scotia-based exporter of ambulances, hun- Leisure Canada Inc. of Vancouver is planning to Minaz to further downsize sugar industry; dreds of Canadian firms large and small build a five-star business hotel. F And the largest investor of all, Toronto-based OPEC lends Cuba $10m ...... Page 12 are doing business with Cuba — and some are making big money in the process. Sherritt International, has sunk at least $300 Canada’s impact can be felt throughout Cuba. million into various nickel-mining, oil, gas, agri- No more cruises In suburban Havana, beer giant Labatt is build- culture, power generation, tourism and telecom Castro suddenly cancels cruise-ship con- ing a $100 million brewery with a capacity of 1.5 ventures across the island since 1995. All this is happening, of course, in spite of the tract with Italy’s Silares S.A...... Page 14 million hectoliters; it already commands a 29% share of the domestic beer market through its long-standing U.S. embargo against Cuba, easi- 50% stake in Cervercería Bucanero S.A. ly the most glaring foreign-policy difference Haiti’s balancing act In Cayo Coco, off Cuba’s northern coast, the between Washington and Ottawa. “Canada has seen fit to take a different view of New Haiti envoy in Washington describes 690-room El Senador Hotel — run by a consor- tium of Québec investors — has become a pop- Cuba than the United States, going back many nation’s ties with Cuba ...... Page 15 ular destination for Canadian tourists. Not far years,” said Charles Barrett, an observer previ- away, Montreal-based Pebercan is extracting oil ously with the Conference Board of Canada. “That’s been a source of tension with Cana- CubaNews (ISSN 1073-7715) is published monthly in commercial quantities from its highly lucra- by Luxner News Inc. © 2005. All rights reserved. tive Block 7 concession. dian investors, in particular with Sherritt. My Subscriptions: $429/year. For subscription or edito- Havana’s biggest real-estate work in progress sense is that there’s been some disenchantment rial inquiries, call us at (301) 365-1745, send a fax to at the official level with Cuba. There’s a feeling (301) 365-1829 or e-mail us at [email protected]. is the 18-building Miramar Trade Center “intel- ligent office” complex, designed by Canada’s See Canada, page 11 2 CubaNews ❖ September 2005 POLITICS U.S. revives Cuba claims program at Starwood’s behest BY ANA RADELAT Claims Settlement Act to establish a Cuban commission’s chairman, Mauricio Tamargo, claims program. ne of the world’s largest hotel conglom- “any new claims certified as valid by the com- Between 1966 and 1972, that program mission will be added to those already certi- erates has convinced the U.S. Justice received 8,816 claims, eventually certifying Department to revive its long-dormant fied in the previous program. Although there O 5,911 claimants whose loss was fixed at are no funds currently available to make pay- Cuba claims registry — a program to certify around $1.85 billion. If interest were included property claims against the government of ment on any American claims, the certifica- at the annual rate of 6%, those claims would tion of the commission’s findings to the sec- Fidel Castro. today be worth over $6.8 billion. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. retary of state will be used as a basis for — the parent company of Sheraton, St. Regis, future negotiation of a claims settlement with Westin, W and other well-known hotel brands TOP 40 CERTIFIED CLAIMS* the government of Cuba.” — on Aug. 19 became the first U.S. entity Tamargo, noting that all claims must be since 1967 to file a claim against Cuba with COMPANY VALUE filed by Feb. 13, 2006, told CubaNews he did the Justice Department’s Foreign Claims 1. Cuban Electric Co. $267.6 not expect a new flood of claims, and that his Settlement Commission (FCSC). 2. North American Sugar Industries 97.4 agency is aware of only a few possible The claim stemmed from Starwood’s 3. Moa Bay Mining Co. 88.3 claimants aside from Starwood. Sheraton division, which had inherited some 4. United Fruit Sugar Co. 85.1 “I am pleased the secretary of state gave of ITT Corp.’s claims in Cuba, including an 5. West Indies Sugar Corp. 84.9 the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission obscure company that operated in Cuba for 6. American Sugar Co. 81.0 an opportunity to further evaluate U.S. citizen more than 30 years after the U.S. embargo 7. ITT Corp. — Trustee 80.0 property claims against the government of barred such commerce in the early 1960s. 8. Standard Oil Co. 71.6 Cuba,” said Tamargo, himself a Cuban exile That company, Radio Corporación Cubana 9. Francisco Sugar Co. 58.5 who fled the island with his family in 1961, at (RCC) had a Treasury Department license to 10. Int’l Telephone & Telegraph 50.7 the age of 4. “These American claims remain continue operating in Cuba because it routed 11. Texaco Inc. 50.1 important to this administration and have not been forgotten.” long-distance calls from the United States to 12. Manati Sugar Co. 48.6 the island — communication the U.S. govern- 13. Bangor Punta Corp. 39.2 MOVE COULD SPUR A RUSH OF OTHER CLAIMS ment wanted to continue. 14. Nicaro Nickel Co. 33.0 Yet Robert Muse, a Washington lawyer RCC remained in Cuba until mid-1992, 15. Coca-Cola Co. 27.5 when Hurricane Andrew damaged its equip- who represents some of the original claim- 16. Lone Star Cement Corp. 24.9 ants, said there aren’t many U.S. corporate ment. Nevertheless, it continued to have a 17. New Tuinucu Sugar Co. Inc. 23.3 presence in Cuba until 18 months ago, when claims left against the Cuban government. 18. Colgate-Palmolive Co. 14.5 the Cuban government confiscated its hold- Even so, he called the Bush administra- ings, ignoring the pleas of Starwood officials. 19. Braga Brothers Inc. 12.6 tion’s explanation for its new Cuba claims pro- After the seizure, Starwood contacted the 20. Boise Cascade Corp. 11.7 gram incomplete and “surprisingly opaque.” State Department, which turned the matter 21. American Brands Inc. 11.7 Muse warned that the new FCSC program over to the FCSC. 22. West India Co. 11.5 could open the door for claims from Cuban At the time of RCC’s confiscation, the little- 23. Atlantic Richfield Co. 10.2 exiles who were largely shut out of the first known subsidiary consisted of some tele- 24. Burrus Mills Inc. 9.8 Cuba claims program because they were not phone towers, a few buildings and a handful 25. Pan-American Life Insurance Co. 9.7 U.S. citizens at the time of the expropriations. of employees. But the operation also owned 26. United States Rubber Co. Ltd. 9.5 “I have been able to identify only one sig- 500 acres of land, mostly near Havana’s José 27. William A. Powe 9.5 nificant class of beneficiaries — whether Martí International Airport. Taken together, 28. Estate of Sumner Pingree 9.3 deliberate or inadvertent — of such a pro- Starwood claims these assets are worth 29. F.W. Woolworth Co. 9.2 gram,” he told CubaNews. “That is naturalized around $63 million today. 30. Havana Docks Corp. 9.2 Cuban-Americans who lost their ownership 31. Inter-Continental Hotels Corp. 8.9 rights by inheritance to houses or small farms STARWOOD CLAIM WOULD RANK 9th 32. Continental Can Co. Inc. 8.9 in Cuba upon the deaths of their owners, and If that amount is certified by the FCSC, it 33. John L. Loeb 8.6 the subsequent taking of those properties by would make Starwood one of the top 50 clai- 34. Owens Illinois Inc. 8.0 the government.” mants against Cuba, ranking it somewhere 35. Brothers of Order of Hermits 7.9 Whether the new Cuba claims program between Francisco Sugar Co.’s claim of $58.5 results in many new certifications, they are 36. Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. 7.6 likely to suffer the same fate of those that are million and Standard Oil’s claim of $71.6 mil- 37. Helen A. Claflin 7.5 lion (see box at right). now almost 40 years old: inaction. 38. Chase Manhattan Bank 7.5 Both Washington and Havana say they “Starwood is very protective of its proper- 39. Carl Marks & Co. Inc. 7.3 ties. It wants to protect its claim in Cuba and want to settle the property claims, but neither everywhere else,” said Washington attorney 40. IBM World Trade Corp. 6.4 side has taken a real step toward the negoti- Ignacio Sánchez, whose firm, DLA Piper *Value is at time of certification, in millions of dolllars. ating table. Rudnick, represents the hotel chain. However, several U.S. laws including the Starwood, which merged with ITT in the On Aug. 11, reportedly following lobbying 1996 Helms-Burton Act mandate a settling of late 1970s, owns, manages, leases or franchis- from Starwood, the commission instituted a the claims before normalization of diplomatic es 752 hotels and vacation ownership resorts new program to receive claims of U.S. citizens relations and bilateral trade can resume in 80 countries. This represents a combined or corporations against the Cuban govern- between the United States and Cuba. 236,000 rooms. The company is headquar- ment for previously unadjudicated losses of All inquiries concerning the filing of a claim tered in White Plains, N.Y., and expects 2005 real and personal property taken after May 1, should be sent to the Foreign Claims Settlement revenues of $5.9 billion. 1967. Eight days later, Starwood filed the first Commission at 600 E St. NW, #6002, Wash- In 1964, ten years after the FCSC’s estab- claim under this new program. ington, DC 20579, Tel: (202) 616-6975. Fax: lishment, Congress amended the Foreign According to a press release issued by the (202) 616-6993. URL: www.usdoj.gov/fcsc/. ❑ September 2005 ❖ CubaNews 3 INFRASTRUCTURE Dennis worsens Cuba’s already critical housing shortage BY DOMINGO AMUCHASTEGUI housing is in mediocre or poor shape. Popula- Viviendas Campesinas, urbanization of slums tion growth, tropical weather and poor main- ne thing all Cubans agree on, regard- and shantytowns, microbrigadas, extremely less of their political views, is that the tenance contribute to the crisis. cheap rent, the granting of property free of Oisland’s perennial housing crisis is The average cost of building a house in costs, the Cayo Hueso project and others. becoming a nightmare. Cuba is $8,000, with rehabilitation of an exist- Although such projects provided signifi- Official figures following the onslaught of ing home costing about $1,000. Nevertheless, cant temporary relief, they were short-lived. Hurricane Dennis in early July are stagger- it said the average number of people per At the same time, Cuba’s urban population ing. More than 120,000 houses were severely home has dropped from 4.64 in 1959 to 3.16 rose from 38.3% in 1959 to 43.8% in 1970. By damaged, including 15,000 homes that were today, and that over 75% of current housing — 2001, fully 75% of all Cubans lived in cities. totally destroyed, plus another 49,000 either primarily rural — has been built since 1959. In and around Havana, scores of shanty- roofless or close to collapsing. towns and slums sprung up between 1965 and There are entire municipalities where 90% 1997. Two-thirds of these slums are concen- or more of the houses were totally wiped out, trated in five of Havana’s 15 municipalities: such as Cabo Cruz, Niquero and Pilón (in Habana Vieja, Centro Habana, San Miguel del

Granma province); in many towns throughout PRENSA LATINA Padrón, Arroyo Naranjo and 10 de Octubre. the central provinces of Cienfuegos and San- Government efforts in the course of past 15 cti Spíritus, as many as half of all homes have years — as reported in a joint study in 2004 by been destroyed. Cuban architect Mario Coyula and Harvard On Sep. 1, the Castro government an- researcher Jill Hamberg — showed a relative nounced plans to build 150,000 more living improvement in housing conditions. units before the end of 2006, and repair anoth- In 1990, according to the study, 50% of er 300,000 homes, in hopes of easing the Cuba’s houses were in good condition, with island’s severe housing shortage. Cienfuegos house torn apart by Hurricane Dennis. the remainder in fair or poor condition. By “A housing deficit does exist,” Vice Presi- 2001, some 64% of houses were considered in dent Carlos Lage conceded in a report to For the Cuban people, this current housing crisis is nothing new. It has been dragging on good condition, 20% fair and 16% in poor con- Cuba’s National Assembly. dition. This meant that 60,000 houses needed Lage, who also serves as secretary to the for decades, due to neglect by government council of ministers, said the government policies. Many houses, tenements and slums to be replaced in addition to a population of subsidizes about 87% of all new housing costs. in cities are 80 or 100 years old. Houses in 88,000 people who were living in what is At the same time, many Cubans live in their rural and coastal areas are still made out of described as transitional shelters, out of an own homes, which are often aging structures wood, and wood is often is harder to get — by officially registered total of 586,768 houses. owned by their families before the 1959 revo- legal or illegal means — than bricks. This led the UN agency ECLAC to state in lution. As a result, most people here pay noth- Just a few weeks before Dennis hit, it was 1997 that Cuba’s “qualitative housing deficit is ing or very little for housing. disclosed at a government meeting in Pinar lower” than in other Latin America and The new houses to be built this and next del Río that as of mid-2005, only 69% of the Caribbean countries, but this is no comfort at year will be assigned by government first to houses destroyed or severely damaged by all for a nation that at the end of the 1990s low-income families and those with “a revolu- hurricanes between 2000 and 2004 had been needed at least 650,000 new dwellings. tionary attitude,” Lage said. rebuilt or repaired. That means that 30,646 Even Fidel Castro, as early as 1971, was According to a recent report by Cuba’s families are still waiting for a state-sponsored forced to admit that the housing crisis was the National Housing Institute, the country has a solution to their housing needs. most urgent problem facing the revolution. deficit of about 500,000 homes, but only True, at different stages the Cuban govern- But acknowledging this hard fact of life 15,352 new homes were built last year. ment undertook significant efforts to deal isn’t enough. The succession of powerful hur- According to the report, 43% of Cuban with early housing shortages — projects like ricanes striking Cuba since 2000 — now exac- erbated by Dennis — have turned the hous- ing crisis into a monumental, urgent problem. Calif. cities to raise money for Santiago de Cuba There’s another angle to the housing crisis and the devastating consequences of Dennis: our California municipalities are rais- administration’s blockade, Cuba is strapped the total loss of furniture and home appli- ing money to help their “sister city” of for material to make much-needed repairs. ances. This includes beds, mattresses, sofas, F Santiago de Cuba rebuild from the Cuba currently has “extensive friendly re- dressers, TV sets, radios, electric fans and recent devastation of Hurricane Dennis. lations” with over 800 cities around the other items that will be difficult for many The cities of Berkeley, Richmond, Santa world. About half of these are formal sister- poorer Cuban families to replace. Cruz and Oakland are asking their members city relationships, according to Julio Espi- In the hurricane’s wake, it’ll be much hard- to “participate in this effort by scheduling a nosa, general coordinator of the National er for Castro to keep his many televised prom- social hour or dinner at your church and we Assembly’s Foreign Relations Commission. ises regarding housing. Dennis also raises will cook and speak about our relationship There are now 20 sister-city agreements the question of whether the state will promote with the municipality of Santiago de Cuba. with U.S. cities — the oldest having been alternative solutions such as self-construction “We are searching for various locations to formed in 1993 between Havana and Mobile, on a family or cooperative basis, banking Ala. — and another 30 on the way. host these events so we can raise money to credits and other measures that involve some But Espinosa says “the process is hindered send aid to areas that were devastated dur- level of decentralization. ing the worst hurricane in 200 years.” by the hostile U.S. government policy forbid- Organizer Tina Flores says the event “em- ding U.S. citizens from traveling to Cuba.” What is fairly certain up to now is that Cas- bodies the spirit of our humanitarian nature Details: Tina Flores, Sister City Hurricane tro remains absolutely reluctant to any such to reach down within our souls and help Support Committee, PO Box 10782, Oakland, solutions. But there is no better teacher than where we are able. Because of the current CA 94610-0782. Tel: (510) 832-2372. reality, and Cuba’s housing situation right now could not be worse. ❑ 4 CubaNews ❖ September 2005 POLITICS López dismissed from key position in Fidel’s inner circle BY DOMINGO AMUCHASTEGUI of Castro, his protector and benefactor. The presence of any member of the Grupo he sudden and harsh removal of Wil- The Grupo de Apoyo dates back to 1963, de Apoyo visiting any ministry or state corpo- fredo López Rodríguez — which took when Castro — in one of his many informal ration raises concerns and its very command- T place in May but was only made public and frequent visits to the University of Hav- ing; everyone knows that Fidel is behind in late August — captured the attention of ana — began to “recruit” talented students in them. The latter will constantly use them for every news correspondent in Havana. the field of economics. double-checking and supervising reports and As was the case last year of Marcos Portal, These scouting trips were aimed at organiz- figures coming from all government sources, who was fired as minister of basic industries ing equipos especiales (special teams) that including the state security apparatus. and was a member of the Council of State, the would directly work with Castro, under the It is also crucial to understand how impor- Castro government gave no specific reasons offices of the late Celia Sánchez, Fidel’s clos- tant this particular institution is to Cuba’s for the dismissal of López as chief of El Grupo est assistant from the Sierra Maestra days. power structure. de Apoyo y Coordinación del Comandante en The students would be the eyes and ears of From within the Grupo de Apoyo, numer- Jefe, or support and coordination group of the Castro, supervising the entire Cuban econo- ous cadres are trained in close contact with commander-in-chief. my, investigating wrongdoing and conducting Fidel and are eventually promoted to key po- Secondly, no replacement for López has independent studies and field research, both sitions in the PCC and the regime. Marcos been announced, despite the enormous im- in Cuba and abroad. Portal, Wilfredo López Rodríguez, Yadira Gar- portance of this particular position. In time, these “special teams” were institu- cía, Carlos Lage and Felipe Pérez Roque are López, also a minister without portfolio and tionalized, becoming an important component among the most best-known examples of this. a member of the Central Committee since within the Council of State, and a highly appre- The Grupo de Apoyo is probably the clos- 1991, was appointed as chief of the Grupo de ciated tool in Cuba’s power structure. est thing there is to Castro’s inner circle. But at the same time, the fall of Portal and López Apoyo in early 1995 to replace José A. “Pepín” DON’T UNDERESTIMATE GRUPO DE APOYO Naranjo, a man who was extremely close to reinforces the message that nobody is Fidel Castro since the guerrilla days and died From time to time, scores of the most tal- untouchable or indispensable. prematurely. ented university graduates have been recruit- This raises the question of who will replace López had been among a select group of ed. Rigorous screening and clearance from López. So far, there are no hints or official talented graduate students and experienced the Cuban Communist Party and state securi- announcements, but one name seems to be at cadres of the Union of Communist Youth ty is part of the selection process. the top of the list: Carlos Valenciaga, Fidel’s (UJC in Spanish) who were called to serve as Reports from these modern missi dominici personal aide. members of the Grupo de Apoyo in the mid- may very well substantiate key decisions by Valenciaga, whom Fidel affectionately calls 1970s. Because he was perceived as extreme- Fidel on investments, foreign trade, biotech- Carlitos, is a history graduate in his early 30s ly efficient and dedicated, his nomination in nology and other areas; reports from the Gru- with strong political credentials. Supporters 1995 was no surprise. po de Apoyo may decide the fate of cabinet say the loyal, hard-working Valenciaga was al- Yet the circumstances surrounding his members, even taking precedence over mat- ready in control of the Grupo de Apoyo — removal indicate that he had lost the support ters of state protocol and Fidel’s pet projects. even as López was losing his political clout. ❑ Cuban exiles form CDPAC to lobby against lifting embargo BY LARRY LUXNER donated the maximum $5,000 a year allowed ing on here?’ There was a huge vacuum in he Cuba Democracy Public Advocacy by law to the PAC, including Alvah Chapman, congressional advocacy by the community, Corp., a Section 501 (c)(4) nonprofit former chairman and CEO of Knight-Ridder aside from the Cuban-American members of T organization, says it’ll lobby Congress Inc., parent company of the Miami Herald; Congress who were fighting an uphill battle.” as hard as it can to make sure the U.S. embar- Jorge Cutillas, CEO of Bacardi Ltd., and well- Claver-Carone added that “many members of Congress think the strategy is just about go against Cuba remains in place. known South Florida car dealer Gus Machado. CDPAC was technically formed in 2000. At business. Cuba is an export market that wants Mauricio J. Claver-Carone, a Florida-born the time, it was called Cuba Libertad, and its to buy from us. That’s very seductive for a lot lawyer who grew up in Madrid, is executive first executive director was Otto Reich. He of members, especially those who don’t know director of the Washington-based entity. He’s was succeeded by Lino Piedra, and by mid- much about Cuba. also one of eight executive committee mem- 2002, the group was largely inactive. “Frankly, they think it’s just like any other bers of the U.S.-Cuba Democracy Political “Historically, we always hear about the polit- country. So we created personal relationships, Action Committee, an unrelated organization ical activity of the Cuban-American communi- helping them to get to know the communitiy that raises money to support candidates who ty, and think back to the days of Jorge Más and about what’s going on in Cuba. I think are tough on Fidel Castro. Canosa. But after his death, that tapered off. they’re becoming more and more educated in Claver-Carone says that PAC has raised The community really took a back seat with that regard.” around $750,000 from some 2,000 contribu- regard to Congress,” he told CubaNews. On Sep. 4, CDPAC hosted a luncheon at the tors since its establishment in August 2003; it “President Bush has remained a good friend Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Fla., to honor has given $400,000 of that total to various of the community, but after 1996 with Helms- Roger Noriega, who recently announced his political campaigns. Burton, U.S. sanctions against Cuba were cod- resignation as assistant secretary of state for According to SourceWatch, a project of the ified into law,” he said. “We left an open field Western Hemisphere affairs. Among those in Center for Media & Democracy, 61% of the for those in favor of eliminating the sanctions attendance were Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Sen. PAC’s money went to Republican candidates, to maneuver in Congress.” Mel Martínez (R-FL) and Caleb McCarry, the and 39% to Democrats. Among GOP recipi- But then, things started changing. Bush administration’s newly appointed “Cuba ents of the PAC’s funds were Florida’s “The Cuban-American community began to transition coordinator.” Katherine Harris, Georgia’s Phil Gingrey and wake up. They saw the trend in Congress, in Details: Mauricio Claver-Carone, CDPAC, Pennsylvania’s Don Sherwood. which year after year the votes to ease sanc- 2020 Pennsylvania Ave. #927, Washington, DC No less than 53 prominent individuals have tions kept growing, and said ‘Hey, what’s go- 20006. E-mail: [email protected]. ❑ September 2005 ❖ CubaNews 5 POLITICAL BRIEFS BUSH PICKS EXILE FOR TOP JOB AT IMMIGRATION In their own words … President Bush has nominated Cuban exile Emilio T. González to be director of the Bureau “If you have a flood in your home and a neighbor you don’t like offers you a of Citizenship and Immigration Services, a $1.8 pump, you don’t turn him down and let your house continue being flooded.” billion federal agency with 15,000 employees that — Rep. José Serrano (D-NY), criticizing the State Department’s rejection of Cuba’s was once part of the old INS. offer to send 1,500 doctors to Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. González, 48, is a retired Army colonel who is currently senior managing director of global and “When it comes to Cuba, we have one message for Fidel Castro: He needs government affairs at the Miami-based law firm to offer the people of Cuba their freedom.” Tew Cárdenas. He’s also served in the past as — White House spokesman Scott McClellan, responding to a reporter’s question director for Western Hemisphere affairs at the on whether President Bush would consider accepting Castro’s offer of assistance. National Security Council. “It is not surprising that the president chose “This conference was founded in 1990, when it seemed Cuba was about to Col. González to fill this important post, because undergo dramatic change. Fifteen years later, everybody is still discussing the not only does Emilio have a long and distin- same issues, and the Cuban government has kept the economy afloat.” guished record of government service, but also — Dan Erikson, a Cuba expert with Inter-American Dialogue, speaking Aug. 6 at an impressive breadth of knowledge on many the 15th Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy conference in Miami. issues,” said Jorge Más Santos, chairman of the Cuban American National Foundation. “His own experience as a young refugee from Cuba who “I went from being the anointed one to the disappointed one.” came to realize the American dream makes him — John Kavulich, former president of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, extremely sensitive and aware of those individu- telling the Miami Herald in a Sep. 9 interview how he became disillusioned als he will be serving.” with the prospect of improving business relations between the two countries. If confirmed by the Senate, González will be the latest in a growing number of prominent “Ambassador Roa uses disrespectful and sometimes offensive language Cuban-Americans in government. Others include never before employed in public by a Cuban ambassador to the Holy See.” Sen. Mel Martínez (R-FL) and Mauricio J. Tamar- — Cardinal Jaime Ortega, leader of Cuba’s Catholic Church, in a Sep. 7 statement go, chairman of the U.S. Justice Department’s rejecting as “truly outrageous” and “insulting” a charge by Havana’s envoy to the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission. Vatican, Raúl Roa, that Cuban bishops serve the interests of the United States.

ICCAS TO LAUNCH CUBAN AFFAIRS JOURNAL “The Cuban government’s accusation that the United States is responsible The University of Miami’s Institute for Cuban for the apparent deaths at sea of 31 persons is a cynical attempt to deflect and Cuban-American Studies will soon begin blame from itself. Those who died did so fleeing Cuba’s political repression publishing Cuban Affairs, a quarterly, peer- and government-inflicted impoverishment.” reviewed electronic journal.Annual subscriptions — Aug. 26 “official note” from the U.S. Interests Section in Havana. will cost $25 for individuals, $95 for institutions. ICCAS says the online magazine, to debut in “Unity and integration in the political, economic and social spheres as well January 2006, will be “an informative, challeng- as the energy sector are the only path to salvation for our peoples.” ing, and relevant journal publishing articles deal- — Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, in an Aug. 21 speech to graduates of ing with original research on Cuban politics, in- ELAM, a Cuban medical university that caters to Latin American students. ternational affairs, economics, sociology, culture, U.S.-Cuba relations and Cuban-American issues.” Details: ICCAS, University of Miami, Casa “It’s not an easy job. It will be a big mess. You can make a lesser mess or a Bacardi, 1531 Brescia Ave., Coral Gables, FL bigger mess.” 33124. URL: www.cubanaffairsjournal.org. — Egor Gaydar, former prime minister who was instrumental in reforming the Russian government under Boris Yeltsin. Gaydar discussed Cuba’s post-Castro CUBA, PANAMA KISS AND MAKE UP — FINALLY future at last month’s ASCE gathering of Cuba economic experts in Miami. Cuba and Panama resumed diplomatic ties “We had hoped that when the pope visited Cuba, he would have the same one year after they were severed by Cuba, due effect that he had in Poland, but of course the church does not have the same to the pardon granted by then-President Mireya role in Cuba, and the pope was Polish and not Cuban.” Moscoso to Luís Posada Carriles, who is want- — Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, telling Poland’s TVN24 how dis- ed on terrorism charges. appointed she was that the late Pope John Paul II’s 1998 visit to Cuba did not The document re-establishing ties was signed usher in a Solidarity-style revolution against the Castro regime. Aug. 19 in the presence of three presidents: Cuba’s Fidel Castro, Panama’s Martín Torrijos and Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez. It “expresses the “This arbitrary situation, which is extremely painful for them and their fami- conviction of Cuba and Panama to fight terror- lies, cannot be allowed to continue. Nothing justifies their incarceration.” ism in all forms, in strict compliance with inter- — Letter to the U.S. government and signed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Noam national law.” Chomsky, Rigoberto Menchu and other intellectuals, calling for the release of the Cuba’s Prensa Latina says resumption of dip- so-called “Cuban Five” spies jailed in U.S. federal prisons since June 2001. lomatic relations “closes a painful and traumatic episode for both countries” following the “scan- “Part of my family was responsible for a lot of suffering in Cuba. But nobody dalous and unconstitutional pardon” granted by has the right to offend Fidel’s family. Insult Fidel. There’s plenty to say.” Moscoso to Posada and his three accomplices. — Juanita Castro, Fidel Castro’s sister, after winning a libel suit against his Resumption of ties could also boost bilateral illegitimate daughter, Alina Fernández Revuelta. Juanita sued her niece trade. In 1999, Panama exported $2.8 million in in 1998 over her book describing Fidel’s father as a murderous thief. goods to Cuba, while imports barely reached $385,000, according to Panamanian sources. 6 CubaNews ❖ September 2005 corn sold to Alimport by ADM, a $20 billion tainer ship at the Napoleon Avenue Container Katrina — FROM PAGE 1 food conglomerate based in Decatur, Ill. Terminal the following day. seriously compromised their ability to supply Since then, Louisiana port facilities have “The response from our customers has Cuba with commodities that Alimport has shipped 56% of all U.S. food exports to Cuba, been overwhelming,” said LaGrange, who ac- already contracted for. says the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic companied Blanco to Cuba. “It is great to see Indeed, firms large and small have had to Council. Other key players in the Cuba trade ships and barges coming back to our termi- scramble for alternative shipping arrange- are the Mississippi ports of Gulfport and Pas- nals and our valued customers coming for- ments in order to fulfill their obligations. cagoula, along with Mobile, Ala. ward to help energize port activities.” Meanwhile, Crowley Liner Sevices, which Back in March, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen LaGrange added that “many repairs will be handles the majority of U.S. food shipments Blanco made history when she became the needed to bring the Port of New Orleans back bound for Cuba, has been working around the first Southern governor to not only travel to to full capacity,” noting that cargo containers clock to meet customer demands to find alter- Cuba since the 1959 revolution but also meet remain tossed around the huge facility. native ports of exit. Fidel Castro (CubaNews, May 2005, page 8). How exactly Katrina will affect U.S. food shipments to Cuba remains to be seen. In an e-mail to U.S. food exporters, Alim- port CEO Pedro Alvarez offered con- dolences to Katrina victims and claimed that since late 2001, his agency has con- tracted $1.38 billion and made “timely cash payments” of $1.32 billion to U.S. food exporters. “In the execution and operation of Gov. Kathleen Blanco these transactions, Alimport has consis- tently signaled Cuba’s readiness to normalize trade and travel relations with the U.S. in an atmosphere of peace, friendship and mutual respect,” Alvarez wrote. “Opportunities to deal are readily available in all authorized “We’ve suspended all shipping operations The three-day trip sparked outrage among food and agricultural products as per U.S. reg- from Gulfport. Shipments are going through Cuban exiles, though it also generated com- ulations, but if a company manages to obtain Port Everglades, Fla.,” said company spokes- mitments by Alimport to buy everything from a license for a product outside this list, we man Mark Miller. “The number of sailings paddy rice to whey powder to utility poles. stand ready to talk about it and negotiate.” will remain the same.” “Our most important accomplishment was EXPORTERS DON’T SEEM TOO CONCERNED Jay Brickman, Crowley’s vice-president for to sign agreements for the sale of $15 million Cuban operations, said that until day-to-day in Louisiana farm and fiber products to the As usual, veteran Cuba-watcher John Kavu- operations can be resumed at Gulfport and Cuban government,” Blanco told CubaNews lich disputes Alimport’s numbers. Quoting New Orleans, the Texas ports of Houston and during a May 10 interview in Baton Rouge. U.S. Commerce Department figures, he says Corpus Christi are being used as backups for “We don’t have too many pharmaceutical that in the first seven months of 2005, Cuba Cuba cargo. products, although we are a shipping port, purchased $210.8 million in U.S. food commo- Brickman said that some food exporting and a great deal of what’s being shipped to dities, bringing the cumulative total to $1.002 firms which he declined to identify have Cuba leaves from the port of New Orleans.” billion, not $1.38 billion. already suffered hurricane losses. Kavulich said he’s concerned that Alimport “When you just look at the poultry indus- ALIMPORT OFFERS CONDOLENCES, SUPPORT might refuse to pay higher shipping prices try, there may be sourcing problems, not only resulting from Katrina’s devastation. These days, Cuba is the last thing on “When you look at what they’re buying, it’s from cargo lost due to the disaster, but also in Blanco’s mind as she struggles through the replenishing lost goods,” he said. commodities, and commodities can easily be worst natural disaster in Louisiana history. shifted,” he told CubaNews. “Let’s say the Cu- However, Gulfport officials say Crowley is At least 800 people have died, hundreds of aiming to resume regularly scheduled liner bans import their frozen chicken from Gulf- thousands are homeless and the Bayou port and Pascagoula [Mississippi], and corn operations there by Sep. 30, and that “road in- State’s economy — already in trouble before frastructure is up and truck access through and soybeans from Louisiana. They may say Katrina — is now in crisis. to exporters, ‘we contracted for these trans- east, west and central entrances to the facilitiy In the post-Katrina chaos, neither Louisi- is clear for all traffic.” portation points. They’re now unavailable. ana’s secretary of economic development, “Instead of corn coming from Louisiana, NEW ORLEANS: HISTORIC TRADING PARTNER Michael Olivier, nor Felipe Martínez, the de- it’ll now have to come from Texas. That means partment’s point man for Cuba, could be higher transportation costs, and they may not In addition to inflicting massive destruction reached for comment. on the Louisiana economy, Katrina has also want to pay the difference.” Nor could officials the two Louisiana com- By far, the largest supplier of commodities temporarily halted the state’s fledgling trade panies — AnPro Trading and Louisiana Rice relationship with Cuba. to Cuba is ADM, accounting for roughly $250 Mill — which have already signed contracts million in cumulative U.S. food sales to Cuba. Until the 1959 revolution, New Orleans — with Alimport worth a combined $3 million. located only 582 miles from Havana — was In second place is Minneapolis-based Car- But Gary LaGrange, president and CEO of gill, which has sold Alimport around $120 mil- the chief port of departure for U.S. exports the Port of New Orleans, said the port has re- bound for Cuba. In December 2001, the first lion worth of commodities since late 2001. sumed commercial cargo operations by han- Thomas Rahn, regional director for Cargill TSRA-approved food shipment to Cuba left dling a steel shipment at its Louisiana Avenue from the Port of New Orleans; it consisted of Complex on Sep. 12 and the Lykes Flyer con- See Katrina, page 7 September 2005 ❖ CubaNews 7 US-CUBA RELATIONS U.S. snubs Cuba’s offer to aid Hurricane Katrina victims BY LARRY LUXNER “If we need doctors, and Cuba offers them atrists, cardiologists, pediatricians, surgeons, he White House has gently rebuffed and they provide good service, of course we epidemiologists and gastroenterologists. Fidel Castro’s offer to send 1,586 doc- should accept them,” Martínez told reporters. Besides the political issues, there appear to T tors and 36 tons of relief supplies to “And we’re grateful for that offer.” be some very practical considerations in Gulf states devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Indeed, Kirby Jones, president of the U.S.- assessing Castro’s proposal. For one thing, Cuba Trade Association, said there’s some A State Department official who asked not the White House doesn’t know how many of hope in the post-Katrina diplomatic exchange. these physicians would opt to stay on U.S. soil to be named told CubaNews that “in principle, “Back in 2001 after Hurricane Michelle, the all offers of foreign assistance will be accept- once the emergency is over. U.S. offered humanitarian aid to Cuba. The Secondly, the U.S. government might be ed. Our disaster management experts will Cubans said ‘thank you very much’ and that assess them in light of our possible needs and concerned that at least some of the doctors started the food sales,” he told us. Castro wants to send would also be spies. current U.S. law. “Now we have Cuba offering help, and the “However, Cuba may have a more pressing As Jones pointed out, it was Hurricane U.S. response is very polite. I think both the Michelle that first triggered a change in U.S. need of assisting its own people who were de- 2001 offer by the United States and the 2005 vastated by Hurricane Dennis a few weeks offer by Cuba were meant in equally good policy. The 2000 Trade Sanctions Reform and ago, and we do not want to diminish the aid faith. It does show that the two governments Export Enhancement Act (TSRA) allowed flowing to those Cubans who are in need.” can talk to each other politely, without calling American companies to sell food to Cuba for The carefully crafted rejection of Castro’s each other names.” the first time in 40 years. offer — couched in the polite language of dip- After vowing not to buy a single grain of lomacy — surprises no one in Washington. SKEPTICS QUESTION CASTRO’S SINCERITY rice from the United States, Castro changed After all, few observers really expected the The Cuban leader initially proposed flying his mind and has since purchased $1 billion Bush administration, embarrassed over the 1,100 doctors and 26 tons of emergency sup- worth of U.S. commodities under TSRA — slow federal response to Katrina, to accept plies to Houston, but upped the offer after benefitting U.S. business in the process. help from Fidel Castro of all people. reports began emerging of the widespread The White House response to Hurricane What is surprising is that the only Cuban- devastation suffered by hurricane victims in Dennis in July was noticeably less generous. American in the Senate, Mel Martínez (R-FL), Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The State Department announced it would has publicly suggested that accepting Cas- The Cuban team was to have included spe- send Cuba $50,000 in humanitarian aid — an tro’s offer might not be such a bad idea. cialists in general medicine as well as psychi- offer Castro quickly rejected. ❑

fallen over 50% in 2005 because of the strin- Business for Nebraska Katrina — FROM PAGE 6 gent export restrictions imposed by the U.S. Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman visited Americas in Miami, said his company exports government,” said the federation’s chairman, Cuba in August, securing a commitment corn, soybeans, soybean oil, soybean meal Lee Adams, during a recent visit to Havana. from Alimport to buy $17 million worth of and grains to Alimport, along with hard red A recently enacted policy by the Treasury farm products from his Midwestern state. winter wheat out of Houston and feed phos- Department requires Cuba to pay for ship- The governor’s 10-company delegation phates out of Tampa. ments in full before goods leave U.S. ports. will sell Cuba 5,000 tons of Nebraska dry “Most of Cargill’s bulk food exports to Alimport’s Alvarez said such measures beans; up to 100,000 tons of corn, wheat Cuba are out of New Orleans and Houston,” “have shown that the U.S. markets are totally and soy, and 100 to 200 dairy cows. Rahn told CubaNews. “Fortunately, we did not insecure about our country,” and that Cuba “This has been a proud day for Nebras- have any boats bound for Cuba when the hur- would be willing to buy more rice from the kan farmers, who have gained access to a ricane hit. We do have several shipments U.S. and less from traditional suppliers such new and interesting market,” the governor scheduled from the Port of New Orleans as Vietnam if those restrictions didn’t exist. said upon signing the agreement at through the rest of 2005, and we feel confi- But Kavulich isn’t buying that argument. Havana’s Hotel Nacional. dent that New Orleans will be up and running “The primary reason that U.S. exports to Not everyone was thrilled with Heine- well in time to execute all our commitments Cubas have decreased by 25% this year com- man’s trip, however. without delay.” pared to 2004 is that the Cuban government is Upon his departure, three Florida law- The No. 3 supplier of U.S. food commodi- attempting to put pressure on U.S. exporters makers — Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, ties to Cuba is FCStone, an Iowa-based coop- and members of Congress to seek changes in Lincoln Díaz-Balart and Mario Díaz-Balart erative that over the last four years has sold U.S. law,” he said. “Other reasons are the — lashed out at the Democratic governor. Alimport 500,000 metric tons of corn, wheat largess of Venezuela and China, and the “Your decision to travel to totalitarian and soybeans valued at around $83 million. resurgence of Cuba’s politically driven trade Cuba demonstrates a profound insensitivi- Chris Aberle, director of sales at FCStone, agreements with Brazil and Argentina.” ty toward the suffering of the Cuban peo- said his company is utilizing its relatively un- Katrina has highlighted one major flaw in ple,” they declared in a written statement. damaged port facilities in Mobile, Ala., and Washington’s designation of the Southeast as “It is hard for us to believe you would doesn’t expect serious delays or problems in the chief ports of exit for authorized food have supported business deals by meeting its commitments to Alimport. shipments to Cuba: the fact that all these Nebraska-based companies with Hitler’s FOOD EXPORTS TO CUBA ALREADY IN TROUBLE ports are vulnerable to hurricanes. regime, and yet you have decided to lead a Even though operations are being re-rout- trade delegation to forge a relationship The chaos wrought by Katrina comes as ed to various Florida ports, the 2005 hurri- with a corrupt and oppressive tyrant.” U.S. sales to Cuba were already down sharply. cane season still has another two months to But Heineman wasn’t deterred, telling According to the USA Rice Federation, rice go, leading some to wonder what would hap- reporters he “deeply regrets the attempt- producers have exported only 90,000 metric pen if — in the near future — another super- ed political polarization of a trip that is nar- tons of U.S. rice to Cuba so far this year, com- storm cripples Florida ports as well. ❑ rowly focused on agricultural trade.” pared with 172,000 tons in 2004. “Unfortunately, our trade with Cuba has Larry Luxner contributed to this story. 8 CubaNews ❖ September 2005 TELECOMMUNICATIONS Etecsa boosts teledensity with ‘fixed wireless’ technology BY OUR HAVANA CORRESPONDENT 897,122 digital lines, of which 35% replaced gy provided by Swedish telecom giant Erics- ellphones, once a rarity in telephone- old analog lines and 65% were new lines. At son, though CubaNews cannot confirm this. starved Cuba, are becoming more and present, 553,809 lines — about 69.8% of the In December 2002, we reported that Brazil’s Cmore commonplace as the country em- total — are found in private homes. Banco Nacional de Desarrollo Económico y barks on the biggest wireless expansion ever. Digital lines now account for 85.6% of the Social had authorized a $60 million loan to From only a few hundred as recently as five total, while there are still 130,977 analog lines Cuba. The bank’s export chief, Renato Sucu- years ago, Cuba now has 73,000 wireless sub- working in 242 of Cuba’s 473 local networks. pira, said the funds would enable Cubacel to scribers. Demand is growing so rapidly that This means that half of those networks still buy radio base stations and other equipment authorities recently have had to add two dig- use outdated technology, and that the instal- from Ericsson’s Brazilian subsidiary. its to all mobile numbers just to keep pace. The boom arrived with prepaid cards, wich Cuba’s New Area Codes can be bought by locals and foreigners for the equivalent of $10 and up. Camagüey ...... 32

José Antonio Fernández, president of state Ciego de Avila ...... 33 LARRY LUXNER telecom monopoly Etecsa, said the wireless Cienfuegos ...... 43 expansion began as part of recovery meas- Ciudad de La Habana ...... 7 ures after last year’s devastating hurricanes. Granma ...... 23 In a report to the National Assembly, he said Etecsa’s strategy was to install wireless Guantánamo ...... 21 phones in selected places where phone lines Holguín ...... 24 had been blown down by the storms. Isla de la Juventud ...... 61 Fernández said Etecsa is also working to La Habana ...... 47 boost the number of pay phones from the cur- Las Tunas ...... 31 rent 31,186, which represents 3.9% of all avail- Matanzas ...... 45 able lines. Pinar del Río ...... 82 Etecsa, formed by the merger of 15 state Sancti Spíritus ...... 41 telecom enterprises, is a 50-50 venture be- tween the Cuban government and Italy’s Stet. Santiago de Cuba ...... 22 It is also the parent companies of Cuba’s two Villa Clara ...... 42 Etecsa workers repair a phone cable in downtown Sancti Spíritus. main wireless operators, Cubacel and C-Com. Both are now subsidiaries of Etecsa’s Mobile lation of 100% digital switches will take time, The 73,000 cellular lines now in service are Phone Business Unit. particularly in rural areas. paid for in hard currency, and are operated by Up until four years ago, said Fernández, Although teledensity has increased from Cubacel (using the U.S. standard) and C-Com Etecsa’s No. 1 target was stopping the deteri- less than 2% in 1994 to 7.7% today, it’s still (which uses GSM). oration and technical obsolescence of the tele- unacceptable by international standards, said International roaming is the cash cow of com industry by installing new equipment, Fernández, admitting that in some municipios wireless telephony in Cuba, accounting for digitizing phone switches and developing net- only 1% of households have phone service. about 40% of total income of the two mobile work infrastructure throughout the island. Hence the most recent expansion of fixed companies, both subsidiaries of Etecsa. wireless phones, or regular phones connect- More recently, he said, Etecsa’s focus has Yet it remains to be seen whether a plan to been to install new phone lines, mostly in res- ed to mobile networks, which allow expansion install 40,000 wireless lines with rates in Cu- idential areas. The introduction of wireless of service at a lower cost to rural communi- phones is aimed at boosting telephone densi- ties not connected to the national grid. These ban pesos will actually materialize. Under that ty — especially in hard-to-reach areas of Cuba utilize radio base stations using the GSM plan, priority would be given to rural commu- — without having to invest in new land lines. standard common throughout Europe. nities and people with “social responsibilities” Since 1995, he said, Etecsa has installed It is believed that Etecsa is using technolo- such as doctors and other public servants. ❑ OPEC issues $10 million credit for expansion of Havana electricity network he OPEC Fund for International Development has given Cuba tector cables and modernization of underground networks in Hav- a $10 million credit to modernize Havana’s decrepit power grid. ana’s historic district. Meters, power lines and other equipment con- T The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries says the necting the distribution network to 435,000 households, as well as key credit’s aim is “to improve the quality and efficiency of service deliv- industrial and commercial premises, will be completely upgraded. ery, with a view to boosting Cuba’s socio-economic development.” Public safety will be enhanced by installing new street lights and The accord was signed Sep. 9 in Vienna by top OPEC official Jamal repairing existing ones, while another component will entail training Nasser Lootah and by Marta Lomas, Cuba’s minister of foreign invest- the staff of Empresa Electrica Ciudad de la Habana, Havana’s largest ment and economic cooperation. provincial electricity provider. OPEC has approved two previous loans for Cuba, one for water sup- “The project will lead to improved living standards for some 1.5 mil- ply, the other for agriculture. In addition, the cartel extended an emer- lion people,” says an OPEC press release. “In addition, the newly re- gency grant to Cuba in 2001 to help victims of Hurricane Michelle, habilitated network will encourage the development of tourism-relat- while another grant funded renovation of historic buildings in Havana. ed businesses, a major source of income for the country.” Under this latest project, Havana’s 110 kV high-voltage transmis- As of the end of July 2005, the OPEC Fund has made 788 loans val- sion system and medium- and low-voltage distribution network will be ued at $4.7 billion to 119 countries, according to the press release. fully rehabilitated through the repair and construction of substations Details: OPEC Fund for International Development, PO Box 995, A- and power lines. Other works include the installation of lightning pro- 1011, Vienna, Austria. Fax: +43 1 513-9238. E-mail: [email protected]. September 2005 ❖ CubaNews 9 AGRIBUSINESS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CUBAN-AMERICANS HAVE RIGHTS TOO Cuba still world’s No. 1 cigar exporter In the June 2005 issue of CubaNews, Vicki he thought the idea of growing cigar-grade Huddleston [former chief of the U.S. Interests uba has maintained its leadership of the Section in Havana] is quoted as saying: “...But world market for premium cigars, with tobacco in France was crazy. After three years, he now says: “You can you can’t give Cuban-Americans a veto on C sustained annual sales of 100 million these things. That’s why you have an execu- units last year. make cigars in France which are every bit as good as those made in Cuba — it’s good soil, tive branch that should be making policy. We Oscar Basulto is president of the state-run shouldn’t be allowing them or any other company Tabacuba, as well as the Cuban- very well adapted.” Labourdette decided to set up the project nationality to control our foreign policy.” Span-ish joint venture known as Habanos In just a few sentences, Ms. Huddleston S.A., which markets all of Cuba’s cigar brands near the village of Navarrenx, where 65% of French tobacco is grown, because of the affirms that Cuban-Americans make, control to more than 100 countries. and have veto powers over U.S. foreign policy. Established in July 2000 as a unit of the region’s climate and geology. Romelio planted two hectares of a variety of tobacco chosen Surely, I didn’t know Cuban-American was a Ministry of Agriculture, Tabacuba oversees nationality. As data shows, over half of all the sector’s entire activities from cultivation after consultation with French experts. Cuban-Americans are U.S. citizens born in the and processing to industrial production and The big leaves are picked one-by-one as United States or of Cuban parentage. That sales. The group comprises 45 subsidiaries, they mature, air-dried, then fermented in a namely 16 farms, eight agro-industrial plants, controlled environment — a process that being the case, one could ask Ms. Huddleston 10 cigar factories, four cigarette manufactur- combines Cuban flair with technology. if she meant American citizens either born ers and seven sales and service entities. Labourdette acknowledges that the “real” here or in Cuba should be deprived of their Basulto told the weekly Opciones newspa- puros come only from Cuba, where the differ- constitutional right to influence U.S. policy. per that last year, Cuba accounted for 26.8% of ent types of tobacco providing the filler (the And, should that apply only to Cuban- world production of black tobacco. Some inside), the binder (encasing the filler) and Americans, or does she favor banning all U.S. 200,000 Cubans earn a livelihood thanks to the wrapper (the leaf on the outside) must all citizens from making or influencing U.S. for- the tobacco trade and related industries. be grown on the same farm. eign policy toward countries they or their Yet aficionados of Cuban cigars will soon be Although this isn’t the only French cigar ancestors came from? If so, how far back able to buy puros made from tobacco grown venture, Labourdette says he’s drawn his in- would she recommend we go? and rolled in the south of France, according spiration from Cuba, and is proposing cigars If not, does Ms. Huddleston believe it is to Agence-France Press. That’s good news for with a taste and aroma specific to the farm. only Cuban-Americans who should lose this patriotic Americans who enjoy a good stogie The first batch goes to market in November. right and not other lobbying groups who influ- but don’t want to circumvent the U.S. trade His nine French cigar-rollers — in Cuba ence U.S. policy toward countries in Europe, embargo against Cuba, imposed in 1962. they’re known as torcedoras — are becoming Africa, and the Middle East? “When I saw Frenchmen were producing professionals now, talking lovingly about “the As an American and a former Foreign Ser- caviar, a lightbulb went on upstairs — if they silkiness and elasticity” of the binders, and vice officer, Ms. Huddleston has every right can do that, I can do cigars,” said Noel La- the different heights on the tobacco plant at to defend her points of view and to share her bourdette, one of the project’s investors. which the filler and binder leaves are picked. personal experiences with the public. But In 2002, reports AFP, Labourdette and his Labourdette’s goal: to produce 200,000 ci- Cuban-Americans who are U.S. citizens have colleagues recruited Romelio, a Cuban tobac- gars a year in a country of 60 million that con- every right to express their views also. co supervisor, who confesses that at the start sumes close to 13 million cigars annually. ❑ — Guarione M. Díaz, President & CEO Cuban American National Council, Miami Cancún to host first U.S.-Cuba Energy Summit ‘END THE EMBARGO’ COFFEE MISSES THE MARK I read your altruistic statements regarding The embargo may prevent U.S. energy Cuban oil and gas ventures. the Cuban embargo and saw with amusement gians from doing business with Cuba, but it Expected to attend are officials of Cuba- your crass attempts to capitalize with pictures can’t stop Texas oilmen from meeting their Petróleo, Union Electrica and the ministries of Fidel and Che Guevara on your coffee Cuban counterparts in a third country. of basic industries and foreign trade. packages (CubaNews, October 2002, page 11). Hence the upcoming U.S.-Cuba Energy The summit agenda will include presenta- I suppose that it may be chic to sit down and Summit, scheduled for Dec. 1-3 at the tions and Q&A sessions with all the Cuban savor a rich cup of coffee and intellectualize Westin Resort & Spa in Cancún, Mexico. specialists; each company will have a private the drinking of your coffee while enjoying the The event is being organized by Kirby one-on-one meeting arranged with Cuban freedom afforded by this country to do so. Jones, founder of Alamar Associates, which counterparts; experts will discuss the cur- If you really desire to call attention to the has organized five previous Cuba-specific rent laws and prospects for change, and pre- evil and wrongdoing of the Cuban embargo, I business summits in Cancún. sentations will be made by companies invite you to place in your package pictures of “With Spain, China, Canada, Norway and already doing business in Cuba. Cubans lined up in stores in Cuba, waiting to India exploring in Cuban waters less than In addition to the Port of Corpus Christi, receive their meager ration of coffee, or per- 100 miles from our shores in the Gulf, it is summit co-sponsors include the Port of haps a picture of foreigners drinking coffee in time for U.S. firms to understand what is go- Corpus Christi (Tex.) Caterpillar, Valero a plush restaurant in Havana while Cuban citi- ing on and what the future business poten- Energy Corp., the National Foreign Trade zens look through the windows, not being tial might be,” he said in a press release. Council, the Louisiana Department of able to enjoy the same privileges. Jones is also president of the Washington- Economic Development and the Lafayette Now, if in your views I miss the point com- based U.S.-Cuba Trade Association, which Economic Development Authority. pletely, I invite you to imagine yourself living has between 50 and 55 members. Details: Kirby Jones, Alamar Associates, in Cuba and try to develop the company that He said the upcoming event “represents 2300 M St. NW, Suite #800, Washington, DC you have so hard work for during the last 30 the first time in over 40 years that represen- 20037. Tel: (202) 530-5234. Fax: (202) years from Cuban soil. tatives of the U.S. energy sector will meet 530-5235. E-mail: [email protected]. URL: Then and only then, I will recognize your personally with their Cuban counterparts” www.uscubasummit.org. sincerity with respect to the Cuban embargo. to discuss the potential for business in – LARRY LUXNER — Conrado Domínguez SB Architects, San Francisco 10 CubaNews ❖ September 2005 Andrew Marsland and Robert Dery — as well into their criteria,” said the executive, who Canada — FROM PAGE 6 as the presidents of Canada’s biggest wheat, asked that neither he nor his company be that political reforms aren’t moving ahead, grains, dairy, poultry and food marketing identified. “They have a list of what’s impor- and there is concern about human rights.” associations. tant to them. If your activity doesn’t fall into Yet businessmen interviewed by CubaNews According to a communiqué issued by that list, it won’t work out.” during a visit last month to Toronto and Otta- Havana, “the will to increase trade relations He added: “People have risked their capital wa aren’t complaining too loudly — at least between Cuba and Canada on the basis of the assets to make investments and have put not on the record. quality and competitiveness of the products to blood, sweat and tears into making something “From my limited experience, relations are be exchanged has been ratified in a climate of viable. Then they get booted out. I presume at progressing very well,” said Keith Condon, friendship and mutual interest.” least some of these investments came from president of Tri-Star Industries Ltd., which Nice words, but that doesn’t mean the Can- Canada.” has shipped 100 emergency vehicles to Cuba adians sometimes don’t get frustrated with To ease the way for Canadian companies to since 1996. “From where I sit, I’ve seen noth- the Cuban way of doing business. enter the Cuban market and remain competi- ing but cooperation and understanding.” “It’s no news to anyone that Cuba is a socia- tive there, in 1990 the Canadian Commercial list, communist country and therefore has a Corp. (CCC) began exploring the possibility CUBA, CANADA AGREE TO DEVELOP AG TRADE Overall, Canadian-Cuban trade came to $600 million last year, and some half a million Canadian tourists are expected to vacation on

Cuban beaches this year — arriving on direct LARRY LUXNER flights from Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and half a dozen other Canadian cities. Canada is also a major supplier of food to Cuba, and for years has benefitted from the embargo, which kept U.S. competitors at bay in this market of 11.2 million people. And now that American food conglomer- ates can export to Cuba under TSRA, Canada is fighting harder than ever to hold onto its declining share of the market. On Sep. 14, the Cuban and Canadian minis- ters of agriculture signed an agreement to Canadian companies have won contracts in Cuba’s energy and agribusiness sectors, among other things. “develop actions of mutual cooperation,” fol- lowing a three-day visit to Ottawa by a Cuban centrally planned economy,” said one Toronto of helping facilitate trade deals on behalf of trade delegation headed by Pedro Alvarez, business executive who follows Cuba. small to medium-sized exporters. CEO of food purchasing agency Alimport. “Therefore, when it comes to foreign invest- Renato Tavares is director of infrastructure The agreement was signed by Cuba’s en- ment, it’s all government-controlled, so if you and special projects at the Ottawa-based CCC, voy in Ottawa, Ernesto Sentí, and by Canada’s were to go to the Ministry of Foreign Invest- an arm of the Canadian government. top diplomat in Havana, Alexandra Bugailiskis. ment, any proposal you made to them — “We have a clear mandate, which is to assist Alvarez also met with the deputy ministers whether you’re an importer, exporter, manu- in the development of trade between Canada of agriculture and international trade — facturer or even a bank — would have to fit and other nations,” Tavares told CubaNews. “We help Canadian companies win con- tracts overseas by acting as an international Ontario’s MEMO ships hospital equipment to Cuba prime contractor. That means any deal that any foreign government buys through CCC nonprofit Christian group in Thunder been a successful donation project. automatically receives a 100% guarantee of Bay, Ont., is shipping 300 used com- In early August, 33 medical defibrillators contract completion backed by the Canadian A puters to Cuba in an effort to support from Superior North Emergency Medical government.” two hospitals in Cuba’s Villa Clara province. Services and Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue He added: “The Cubans are more attuned MEMO, which stands for Medical Equip- Service were flown by MEMO to the island, to buying a product through another govern- ment Modernization Opportunity, says the courtesy of Cubana de Aviación. ment. That simplifies the procurement pro- PCs were donated by Thunder Bay Regional As the exclusive agent for TBRHSC to get cess. It just leverages Canadian exporters to Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC), St. rid of older medical equipment, MEMO last sell those goods without much competition. Joseph’s Care Group and other sources. year received enough reusable medical sup- Very few governments have the means of “The equipment they’re using dates back plies to fill 11 ocean freight containers that doing what CCC does, [because] we get pref- to the 1950s and ‘60s,” MEMO spokesman were ultimately destined for Villa Clara. erential access.” Gary Cooper told the local Chronicle-Journal. “The Cubans are extremely intelligent CCC HAS HANDLED OVER $300 MILLION IN DEALS MEMO has donated millions of dollars people,” said Cooper, adding that he’s seen worth of medical supplies from closed city first-hand how they can successfully hook The CCC says its approach is to support hospitals to Cuba within the past year. up an X-ray machine, for example, without Canadian exports by providing contract-spe- At the former McKellar Hospital site in the use of a manual. cific payment terms for qualified deals, and Thunder Bay, MEMO keeps enough sup- MEMO hopes to have the Cuban ambas- financial support where no one else will. plies for 3-5 oceangoing containers, includ- sador in Ottawa visit Thunder Bay for a As prime contractor, the CCC sells its ing more than 100 manually operated hospi- fundraiser in October. receivables to a Canadian bank to obtain fund- tal beds, operating room tables, and freezers Details: Dr. Jerome Harvey, Chief Execu- ing to pay the exporter. These transactions and refrigerators donated by the public. tive, MEMO, 391 N. Court St., Thunder Bay, are secured by Cuban hard-currency export It will all be shipped to Cuba in one big Ontario P7A 4X2. Tel: (807) 345-6455. Fax: receivables, offshore accounts or guarantees. (807) 343-4240. E-mail: infomemo@tbay- “We went into Cuba the same way we do in batch later this year or next year, Cooper any other market, because it was a centrally says, helping to continue what has already tel.net. URL: www.gracememo.com. See Canada, page 11 September 2005 ❖ CubaNews 11 The CCC says 80-90% of the contracts it be confused with Volkswagen.” Canada — FROM PAGE 10 facilitates are with entities such as the Min- In addition, Tri-Str has sold medical equip- planned economy, and we thought it would be istry of Sugar (Minaz) or the Ministry of ment and provided paramedic training to the better to do government-to-government busi- Basic Industry (Minbas). The exports them- Cubans, all of which comes to millions of dol- ness,” said Luc Allary, a CCC account execu- selves consist of railway equipment, food, lars over the past decde. tive who deals with the Cubans on a day-to- machinery, parts, hotel supplies and the like. Condon says not much has changed in day basis. “This type of contracting appeals “We prefer to let the Cubans decide what Cuba since he started doing business there. more to the public-sector markets.” they want to buy from whom, rather than im- “It’s a very complicated system, and not a Since 1991, the CCC has facilitated over pose specific suppliers on them,” said Allary. place for a novice with no experience in ex- $300 million in Canadian exports to Cuba. “We tend to sell goods that are critical to gen- porting. A lot of people tend to hide behind “Most of the companies dealing in Cuba are erating hard currency in Cuba. Most of the governments when they go in.” resellers,” said Allary. “We generally estimate there are 200 to 300 Canadian companies ben- efitting from our programs in Cuba.” Yet Cuba — which represents maybe a $200 million-a-year market for Canadian exporters — is just a drop in the bucket for “It’s a very complicated system, and not a place the CCC, a $1.5 billion corporation. “Cuba is maybe $10-20 million a year, prob- for a novice with no experience in exporting.” ably only 3% of our total business — KEITH CONDON, PRESIDENT OF CANADA’S TRI-STAR INDUSTRIES INC. volume,”said Allary, noting that by compari- son, one contract alone in the Dominican Republic may be worth $150 million. “But it attracts a lot of attention because payment mechanisms are so difficult and there are all companies we transact with were doing busi- The CCC’s Allary agrees. sorts of constraints on trade with Cuba. ness in Cuba before we went there. We tend “These people are proud, and extremely Companies go there, they see a lot of oppor- to prefer those types of companies.” educated. Everybody you talk to is either a tunity, then they wonder how they’ll get paid.” One such entity is Tri-Star Industries, lawyer or a doctor. You cannot come down He explained that “the vast majority of based in the Nova Scotia port of Yarmouth. there and direct negotiations,” he says. Canadian companies transacting in Cuba are “In 1996, we signed a $2 million contract taking a large portion of the credit risks on with the Ministry of Health for a fleet of new “You have to get a feel for it. Cuba is very their own books. The support mechanisms ambulances,” said the company’s CEO, Keith complex and difficult, but if you have the are very limited. There are maybe two banks Condon. These are Advanced Life Support, right tools and are selling to the right people, providing LC coverage in Cuba.” critical-care Ford ambulances, he says, “not to it could be an interesting market.” ❑ Dennis by the numbers: a snapshot of local destruction BY DOMINGO AMUCHASTEGUI all battered by strong winds and 800 mm of (Jaruco, Santa Cruz, Nueva Paz, and Güines), ere’s a look at the damage caused by rain in less than 18 hours. In Varadero, only with considerable floods and relatively strong Hurricane Dennis, which caused an es- four out of 47 hotels were damaged, and those winds, although not as bad as last year’s timated $1.4 billion in losses: only slightly. Hurricane Charley, when 46,000 houses were H ■ seriously damaged by 200-km/hour winds. ■ Santiago de Cuba: The famous national La Habana province was mostly affected in its eastern half, mainly four municipalities ■ The city of Havana didn’t suffer as badly park and tourist resort Baconao is seriously as Cienfuegos or Granma, except for strong damaged and the municipalities of Guamá winds and heavy rains that seriously damaged and Il Frente suffered considerable damages WHERE TO SEND ASSISTANCE: 3,700 houses. Of those, 30 were totally des- and were completely isolated for days. troyed and 800 are close to collapsing. ■ Granma suffered greatly. Niquero lost Readers who’d like to help Cuban victims in the aftermath of Hurricane Dennis may Islandwide, structural damages were re- 83% of its houses, Pilón lost 94% and Cabo ported to 15,000 official buildings like hospi- Cruz was left 90% roofless. contact any of the following groups: ■ tals, community clinics, schools, cultural faci- ■ Sancti Spiritus reported 17,700 houses Catholic Relief Services, 209 W. Fayette ilities, stores and warehouses. In addition, 21 seriously affected, including 1,749 completely St., Baltimore, MD 21201. Tel: (410) 625- hotels were seriously damaged, including destroyed. In Trinidad, a UNESCO World 2220 x7497. URL: www.catholicrelief.org. important tourist resorts like Baconao, Marea Heritage Site, 6,400 houses and monuments ■ Jo McIntyre, St. Augustine-Baracoa del Portillo, Trinidad, Ancón, and Cienfuegos. were severely damaged, including several Friendship Association, PO Box 861086, St. Also destroyed by Dennis were 36 trans- churches. Many small towns were almost Augustine, FL 32086. Tel: (904) 461-3175 mission towers, 1,025 electric utility poles, wiped out, like El Oro, where only four of 88 or (904) 806-1400. E-mail: [email protected]. five TV towers, five radio towers and one houses were left standing. URL: www.staugustine-baracoa.org. radar station, in Pilón, Granma province. ■ Cienfuegos was hard-hit, with more than ■ Rick Schwag, Caribbean Medical Trans- In addition, the storm resulted in the loss of 6,000 houses completely destroyed and port, 1393 Cold Hill Road, Lyndonville, VT 11,500 hectares of bananas, 247,000 tons of 24,000 damaged. Roughly 45% of all the hous- 05851. URL: www.cubacaribe.com. grapefruit, 171,000 tons of oranges, 7,000 tons es in the Circuito Sur (Rancho Luna-Trinidad) ■ Disarm Education Fund, 113 Univer- of mango, 15,000 tons of manioc, 11,000 tons was destroyed. As of yet, there are no specif- sity Place, New York, NY 10003. Tel: (212) of maize, more than 1,000 tons of vegetables ic reports on damages on the many industrial 353-9800. Fax: (212) 353-9676. E-mail: and over 100 hectares of organic produce. installations in this province. [email protected]. URL: www.disarm.org. Finally, Dennis resulted in 16 fatalities: 13 ■ Matanzas suffered less, with damages ■ in Granma province, two in Santiago de Cuba, Stanley Falkenstein, Jewish Cuba Con- and one in Sancti Spíritus. This is the highest concentrated mostly in the municipalities of nection, 4 Lighthouse St., Marina del Rey, CA Jagüey Grande (center of Cuba’s citrus indus- figure since 1963, when Hurricane Flora left 90292. E-mail: [email protected]. try), Máximo Gómez and Pedro Betancourt, 1,300 dead throughout eastern Cuba. ❑ 12 CubaNews ❖ September 2005 reported Aug. 22 that BIV will grant two loans supplier of large diesel engines for ship BUSINESS BRIEFS worth a combined 2.1 billion bolívares propulsion systems, stationary power supply (around $980,000) to Venezuelan clothing and rail traction. The group is also one of the MOSCOW TO RESTRUCTURE CUBAN DEBT manufacturers. The loans will finance the sale leading suppliers of diesel power plants and Russia has decided to restructure Cuba’s of uniforms to the Cuban government. turbochargers. Turnover in 2004 amounted to $161.1 million debt, a move Cuba’s ambassa- This type of venture is made possible thanks over 1.4 billion euro. dor in Moscow, Jorge Martí, says “shows will- to a “Special Type A license” issued by the MAN B&W Diesel is a unit of Germany’s ingness by both countries to take steps aimed Central Bank of Cuba several weeks ago for MAN AG, based in Munich. at the development” of bilateral relations. the Industrial Bank of Venezuela-Cuba S.A. Details: MAN B&W Diesel A/S, Teglholms- Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin (BIVC), which became effective Apr. 28, 2005. gade 41, DK-2450 Copenhagen, Denmark. Tel: said that the Cuban debt to be rescheduled This license allows the bank to receive and +45 3385-1100. Fax: +45 3385-1030. E-mail: was contracted after 1990, though few details grant loans or other forms of credits and [email protected]. of the agreement were made public. financing to Venezuelan companies. Kudrin said Cuba’s debt to the former In addition to Havana, BIV also has overseas VENEZUELA UNVEILS PETROCARIBE SCHEME Soviet Union was $25 billion, but that Cuba offices in Miami, New York and Curaçao. Caribbean countries that have joined Vene- insisted Russia’s debt to it was even larger. Details: Gerardo Reyes, Gerente Ejecutivo, zuela’s PetroCaribe energy cooperation initia- Kudrin said Cuba had not come up with docu- BIV-Cuba S.A., Centro de Negocios Miramar, tive could save up to $6 per barrel — translat- mentation supporting the claim. Edif. Jerusalem, Ofic. #201, La Habana. Tel: ing into $50 million a year — and see their for- By settling Havana’s debt to Russia, he said, +53 7 206-9650. URL: www.biv.com.ve. eign trade grow, according to official esti- the two countries would be able to continue mates cited Sep. 8 by Radio Havana Cuba. their cooperation. He said Cuba’s Soviet-peri- The accord was signed in Montego Bay, od debt could be discussed later. CUBA BUYS GENERATORS FROM DANISH FIRM Jamaica, by Venezuela and a dozen Caribbean “We have never done anything like that with Cuba has bought 21 generators worth $26.7 countries including Cuba. respect to any other country,” said Kudrin. million from Denmark’s MAN B&W Diesel. PetroCaribe goes beyond the objectives of CUBANA BUYS ILYUSHIN AIRCRAFT The unusually large order represents more the 1980 San José Agreement, under which than 20% of one year’s production of motors at Venezuela and Mexico provide 160,000 barrels Russia’s Ilyushin Finance Co. and state- the factory, according to the Danish regional per day of crude oil, gas and refined products owned Cubana de Aviación have signed two newspaper Nordjyske Stiftstidende. to the region with preferential payment condi- agreements under which Ilyushin will supply The 21 generators, which will be utilized in tions, and the Caracas Energy Accord (2000), IL-96-300s and TU-204 planes to Cuba. six new power plants in Cuba, will be deliv- under which Venezuela provides a further The Interfax news agency reported Aug. 18 ered next year, the first of them in January. 80,000 barrels per day to the islands. that the first accord provides for delivering The order was negotiated over a six-month In terms of energy security, Venezuela com- two TU-204s and one TU-204C (a cargo modi- period and finally confirmed on Aug. 29. mits to supply some 185,700 barrels a day to fication) to Cuba. The second deal envisions The MAN B&W Diesel Group is a leading the region. In order to do so, Venezuela will providing two IL-96-300s. A final contract is to be signed before year’s end, with deliveries beginning in summer 2006. No dollar value for the deal was reported. Cuba plans further downsizing of sugar industry failed to halt the industry’s decline and IACC FORESEES 100 AIRLINES FLYING TO CUBA uba plans to shut down more sugar mills and replace them with food pro- improve efficiency (see CubaNews, July Cuban authorities intend to increase to 100 C cessing facilities, the Sugar Ministry 2002, page 1). the number of international airlines that fly to said in early September, in the first official “The reasons the country’s leaders decid- the island, reports local media. confirmation many mills would be idled ed to transform the sugar industry are Rogelio Acevedo, retired general and presi- after 71 were closed in 2002. more relevant than ever,” Granma said, dent of the Institute of Civil Aeronautics “This period, through 2007, includes the referring to the high cost of fuel and other (IACC), told Cuban radio stations as of closing for the next harvest of another inputs and low prices. “In recent years our December 2004, Cuba was receiving flights group of mills that will be temporarily pre- commander-in-chief has reiterated that from 92 foreign air companies. served,” the Communist Party daily sugar production was no longer of econom- British Virgin Atlantic started flying regular- Granma said Sep. 7, reporting on a meeting ic benefit to the country.” ly on Jun. 27 (see CubaNews, July 2005, page between ministry officials and workers. Some 200,000 workers have been laid off 9) with a twice-weekly schedule, due to the According to Granma, warehouses and in recent years, with the government pay- increasing amount of British travelers choos- workshops will be put to other uses and ing their salaries while they are retrained ing Cuba as a destination. “more than 100 factories that produce pas- According to the Ministry of Tourism, more mainly for agriculture-related jobs on lands tas, chocolate, candy, process soy beans that were dedicated to sugarcane. than 161,000 British citizens visited Cuba, out and corn will replace mills.” According to the Cuban Ministry of of a total of just over 2 million tourists. This Reuters, quoting the newspaper, said the year, some 2.3 million tourists are expected to downsizing comes in the wake of this year’s Sugar (Minaz), over 300,000 hectares of vacation in Cuba.. estimated 1.3 million-ton crop of raw sugar, sugar cane will be replaced with other the lowest since 1908, and the prospect that crops during the second stage of the VENEZUELAN BANK TO FUND CONSTRUCTION next year’s will be more or less the same. restructuring process. BIV-Cuba S.A., the newly created unit of Cuba is importing sugar from Colombia These lands will be planted with food state-owned Banco Industrial Venezuela (BIV) to meet contracts and cover its 700,000-ton crops like vegetables, spices, fruits and tim- will allocate $87 million to buy construction domestic consumption. Industry sources ber-yielding trees to increase lumber pro- materials and petrochemicals from Venezuela. said at least 40 of 85 existing mills would duction for the domestic market. Gerardo Reyes, the bank’s general manager, not operate next year as output would be no Luís Manuel Avila, first vice-minister of said that $10 million will be spent on construc- more than 1.5 million tons of raw sugar. the sugar industry, informed workers in the tion materials for Cubans affected by Cuba had already shut down 71 of 156 municipality of Melena del Sur in La Hurricane Dennis. BIV also plans to invest state-run mills and relegated 60% of 2 mil- Habana province that more than 2,500 $10 million in the short term to support the lion hectares of sugarcane plantations to social projects will be built in areas where development of Cuba’s tourism industry. other uses in a 2002 restructuring that sugar refineries have been closed down. In related news, Venezuela’s El Nacional September 2005 ❖ CubaNews 13 put in place a regional supply, refining, trans- progress in this sphere.” medical authorities and United Nations port and storage network. Earlier, The Telegraph of New Delhi had re- agency UNIDO. Meanwhile, a number of Radio Havana Cuba says “the agreement ported that OVL was eyeing two Cuban oil- research-based Western drugmakers have could also represent an incentive to foster fields and a 30% share in exploration blocks complained that Cuban “generic” medicines regional trade: the payment of oil with goods where Spain’s Repsol-YPF is now prospecting. are increasingly finding their way to new mar- and services could support local economies OVL also seeks opportunities in Venezuela. kets such as Venezuela. and bolster sales to Venezuela, a food “However, both those countries are opposed In a related development, the Cuban and importer, as well as increasing exports of to the United States,” warns the paper, “and Ukrainian governments have signed a biotech Venezuelan manufactured capital and con- India will have to tread carefully in view of its joint venture to produce vaccines against sumer goods and services to the Caribbean.” growing relations with the Bush government.” meningitis and other diseases in the Ukraine, Yet in a rare hint of criticism of Venezuela says the country’s chargé d’affaires in by official Cuban media, RHC said that “at the IRAN SELLS CUBA ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT Havana, Viktor Kharaminsky. same time, the agreement appears to be an Iran will export $5 million worth of electri- attempt by PDVSA [Petróleos de Venezuela cal equipment to Cuba, reports the Iranian HAVANA CLUB SELLING STRONG ON ISLAND S.A.] to dominate the Caribbean oil market, to state news agency IRNA. The agreement is in Some 265,000 cases of Havana Club rum the exclusion of international oil companies.” its final stages, and upon conclusion the ex- were sold in Cuba during the first five months ports will begin soon. The Export Develop- of 2005, a 25% jump over the year-ago period. GBH PUTS RENAULT VEHICLES ON LOCAL MARKET ment Bank of Iran is to finance the contract. That makes it likely the company will meet its French trading company GBH has begun Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister, Kamal 2005 domestic target of 540,000 cases. selling Renault cars to Cuban state agency Kharrazi, said Iran and Cuba have obtained Since 1993, Havana Club International S.A. Cimex, specifically the Clio and SM-3 models. favorable achievements in agriculture and — a 50-50 venture between state-owned Cuba The 2005 Clio is assembled in Brazil and en- biotechnology, and expressed hope that “fur- Ron and French drinks conglomerate Pernod ters the Cuban market duty-free. The vehicle ther steps would be taken to materialize the Ricard — has introduced Cuba’s most popular appears attractive for car-rental agencies since ideals of the two nations, with respect to the rum brand throughout Europe. Its successful the initial investment is recovered quickly. resolve of Iran’s new government.” promotions have led to an average 17% annual Both models are sold with a 12-month, growth in sales between 1994 and 2003. 40,000-km guarantee. The SM-3 is manufac- VENEZUELAN URGES CHÁVEZ TO SCRAP POLICY The company sales strong domestic sales tured in South Korea. Lawmaker Andrés Velásquez, vice-president are the result of increased demand for its Last year, the car rental agency Havanautos of the Venezuelan National Assembly’s For- aged silver dry rum, which was launched in tested the two Renault models and issued a eign Policy Commission, says the Chávez Cuba two years ago, in addition to the intro- positive report, according to official sources. government’s practice of sending all basic in- duction of Havana Loco in December 2003. dustry scrap to Cuba is hurting local industry. Details: Regla Jiménez, Directora de la Com- WATER RESERVOIRS NEARLY BACK TO NORMAL “Cuba has no smelters. Therefore scrap is unicación, Havana Club S.A., Calle A, #309 The National Hydraulic Resource Institute not a priority for them. Venezuela requires e/13 y 15, Vedado, La Habana. Tel: +53 5 885- (INRH) of Cuba said domestic water storage the material, and given our production it is a 1749. E-mail: [email protected]. capacity has improved by 60.3%. strategic material for our furnaces,” Velás- Prensa Latina, quoting INRH sources, says quez told BNamericas news service Aug. 18. HERZFELD CUBA FUND BENEFITS FROM KATRINA current volume exceeds 5.2 million cubic Venezuela’s heavy industry holding compa- At the end of fiscal 2005 (completed on Jun. meters, 339.5 million higher than the figures ny CVG signed an agreement with Cuba 30), the Herzfeld Caribbean Basin Fund’s net released up to Jul. 31. The number also whereby it exclusively delivers scrap metal assets were $12,291,956, or $7.33 per share, reflects a 1.7 million-cubic-meter improvement from Venezuela’s basic industries. “This func- up 35% from the $9,109,162, or $5.43 per share compared to the same period last year. tions as a monopoly and violates the national reported at the beginning of the period. Pinar del Río and Cienfuegos are in the best constitution,” Velásquez said. Meanwhile, the fund’s share price rose situation with 85% of storage capacity filled. Velásquez said he doesn’t know what Cuba 29.4%, from $4.87 per share to $6.30, over the Most of the 235 dams in use during July and uses the scrap for, but suggested “it could be same 12-month period. August have improved although several some kind of economic opportunity to Cuba “In the month since the end of our fiscal provinces are still hurting from the shortage. to resell the scrap metal abroad.” year, the fund’s net asset value has climbed to The provinces in the worst situation are $7.83 per share, a record high, and our net Camagüey, Las Tunas and Holguín, despite CUBA TESTS NEW CANCER DRUG assets have moved above $13 million for the the rainfall reported in August. In these areas, The Cuban government is testing a new first time,” says its founder, Thomas Herzfeld. 81 dams report volumes of less than 25% of biotech drug that is reportedly effective in “When we created the fund, we believed their capacity, including 21 below a usable vol- slowing cancer cell replication, reports the then — and are even more convinced now, ume, which renders them useless. Daily International Pharma Alert, quoting that the most compelling investment opportu- unnamed government sources. nities will be in Cuba,” he explained. INDIA’S OVL, NORSK HYDRO TO EXPLORE IN CUBA The injectable product is reported to have “Since the U.S. embargo with that country Indian oil exploration major ONGC-Videsh shown good results in a trial of about 500 suf- is still in place, however, we have not changed Ltd. (OVL) has signed a memo of understand- ferers of cancers including acute pediatric our initial indirect investment strategy. That is ing with Norway’s Norsk Hydro to jointly lymphoblastic leukemia. Cuban researchers first, to identify companies which will benefit scout for opportunities in Cuba, reports the also claim that the drug — known as from a resumption of trade with Cuba, and Chinese news agency Xinhua. LeukoCIM — improves resistance to bacterial second, to concentrate on companies which “In collaboration with the Norwegian com- infections following chemotherapy. we believe have good prospects even if there pany, OVL will be making bids for exploration LeukoCIM is being used as a substitute for is no U.S. policy change with Cuba. blocks and other opportunities in West Asia Amgen’s Neupogen, which was previously Interestingly, “many of these same compa- and Cuba, and possibly in Iran,” said Indian obtained from outside the country. It isn’t nies seem to be positioned to benefit from the Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar in a clear whether the Cuban drug is related, disaster in the Gulf,” said Herzfeld, referring Sep. 2 announcement from Oslo. although government officials claim that to Hurricane Katrina. These include Florida “It is my hope that they will think of making LeukoCIM has been registered in eight East Coast Industries, Florida Rock Indus- India a destination for collaboration in hydro- Caribbean and Latin American countries. tries, Watsco, Seaboard Marine and Mastec. carbons,” Aiyar said. “Hydrogen fuel is anoth- Earlier this year, says Pharma Alert, a Details: Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors Inc., er area where I see potential for collaboration British company was reported as a participant PO Box 161465, Miami, FL 33116. Tel: (305) as the Norwegians have made considerable in a technology-sharing initiative with Cuban 271-1900. E-mail: [email protected]. 14 CubaNews ❖ September 2005 TOURISM Cuba cancels cruise-ship contract with Italy’s Silares S.A. BY LARRY LUXNER with 14 cruise-ship lines from France, Great Virginia-based Lexington Institute, agrees. ost Caribbean islands will bend over Britain and Germany — will no longer admin- “The cancellation of this contract is just one backwards to get cruise ships to call ister docking operations, and ownership of all more action the Cubans are taking to elimi- Mon their islands. equipment and infrastructure will revert back nate some of the smaller joint ventures,” he Not so Cuba. Last month, the Castro gov- to the Cuban government. told CubaNews. “I don’t think it makes eco- ernment said it was cancelling a contract with The cancellation of the Silares contract is a nomic sense. Cuban tourism officials have al- the company that since October 1998 had turnaround from Castro’s earlier policy of ways been proud of the fact that they’re administered its cruise-ship terminals. promoting cruise ships as part of a growing attracting cruise ships. For Cuba or any On Aug. 2, the Council of State issued a res- tourism industy that generated $2 billion in Caribbean island, it’s not just the revenue but olution ending the relationship between state- hard currency for Cuba last year. the promotional value, because you hope run Cubanco S.A. and Italy’s Silares Termi- cruise-ship passengers will come back and nales del Caribe. That followed remarks by spend some time on the island.” Fidel Castro that cruise ships were no longer CUBA NO IMMEDIATE THREAT TO RIVALS welcome in Cuba because their passengers

“leave their trash for a few miserable cents.” LARRY LUXNER Yet even if Cuba had reached its target of Ideology aside, cruise-ship passengers gen- 100,000 cruise-ship passengers this year, it erate more than a few miserable cents. still pales in comparison to Nassau, Grand According to Cuba’s own Tourism Ministry, Cayman, St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Cozu- the average cruise passenger spends $158 a mel — each of which receives two million or day while in Cuba, 60% of it on land. The aver- more passengers annually. age crew member spends $72 per day (see Havana would easily attract that number or CubaNews, January 2004, page 15). That’s a more, simply because it’s so close to Florida. significant amount of money for a country Studies show that if Washington lifts its travel which is perenially short of cash. ban against Cuba, the island would receive In 2003, Cuba received 60,000 cruise-ship one million tourists and $500 million in rev- visitors, up from 45,000 the year before. enues during the first year alone. Gianluca Suprani, managing director of British cruise ship Sundream docks in Old Havana. “On the other hand, they have no infra- Silares, had predicted in early 2004 that Cuba structure for anything,” said the executive. would get 94,000 cruise passengers last year Neither Suprani nor any other officials of “Cruise ships are getting bigger, but their har- on 123 ship visits, with vessels calling on the Silares could be reached for comment, bors are not. All three have huge logistical ports of Havana, Santiago de Cuba and Playa though a top U.S. cruise industry executive problems that would require massive techni- Punta Francés (Isle of Youth). In 2005, some told CubaNews he’s not surprised. cal work in order to accommodate current 100,000 cruise passengers were expected. “It’s unfortunate for those guys at Silares, ships. There’s a lot to be done, starting with To cope with the expected increased and sort of a strange policy for a government the U.S. allowing us to travel there.”So many demand, Silares embarked on a project to to take,” said the executive, who asked us not pieces on the board have to move in order for expand Havana’s Sierra Maestra cruise-ship to identify him or his company because of the all this to happen.” terminal to allow up to six ships to berth there sensitivity of the Cuba issue. “To me, it ap- But nobody in the industry seriously ex- simultaneously. In fact, the city’s master plan pears that it’s just another example of Fidel pects the travel ban to be lifted — at least as had called for all cargo ships to be diverted Castro doing exactly the opposite of what one long as George W. Bush is in the White House from Havana to the port of Mariel, so that only would think he should do. He’s saying, ‘let’s and Fidel Castro remains in power. cruise ships would sail into Old Havana. prevent people from coming in and spending “Cuba has been on the back burner for so But those plans are all up in the air now. money in our country.’” long,” he said. “Anybody who’s been holding As a result, Silares — which had worked Phil Peters, a Cuba policy expert with the his breath has died a long time ago.” ❑

Tour operator offers luxury travel packages for fans of Ernest Hemingway hicago-based travel specialist Mila Tours has launched Ernest For instance, if Mila Tours is bringing a group of U.S. doctors to the Hemingway Travel Destinations — a series of excursions to island for an authorized medical conference, it will also arrange for Cthose places that inspired Hemingway's award-winning novels. the doctors to visit El Floridita Bar in Old Havana, one of Heming- The company says its tours will involve much more than museum way’s favorite hangouts, as well as the writer’s home, La Finca Vigia, stops and landmark visits. As with Hemingway’s own travels, these in the provnce of La Habana. tours emphasize culture, education and unique experiences. “Ernest Hemingway traveled the world under many guises — “Travelers will truly have the sense that they are following in the tourist, fisherman, war correspondent, hunter, and even as a honey- writer’s footsteps as they make the pilgrimage through Ernest Hem- mooner. Until now, people could experience those journeys only ingway’s world,” said Luís Vásquez, president of Mila Tours. “We are through his words,” said David Stickles, brand manager for the recreating the world as Ernest Hemingway experienced it.” Ernest Hemingway Collection. “We’re pleased to be able to offer Mila Tours says it’s the only company licensed by the Hemingway today’s travelers the opportunity for a more personal exploration of family and his literary agency to offer tourism packages exploring the those places that inspired Ernest Hemingway.” novelist’s world travels. In addition to places linked with Hemingway's MILA Tours, founded in 1981 by Vásquez, offers deluxe, cultural exploits such as Pamplona, Spain; the streets of Paris and other desti- travel programs for individuals and groups, with an emphasis on Latin natons in Africa, Peru and China, Mila also offers trips to Cuba. America. It is also strongly opposed to the U.S. ban on travel to Cuba. But these Cuba jaunts will only be made available to those people Details: Scott Schwar, VP/Marketing, Mila Tours, Oak Park, IL. Tel: already licensed by the U.S. Treasury Department to travel to Cuba. (800) 367-7378. E-mail: [email protected]. URL: www.milatours.com. September 2005 ❖ CubaNews 15 CARIBBEAN AFFAIRS CARIBBEAN BRIEFS UN: CUBA A MODEL FOR STORM-PRONE NATIONS Haiti maintains ‘correct’ ties with Cuba Cuba is a model in hurricane risk manage- BY LARRY LUXNER leave it like that. The interim government ment for developing nations, says the UN’s In- does not want to come in and disrupt any- ternational Secretariat for Disaster Reduction. hen it comes to Haitian-Cuban rela- “The Cuban way could easily be applied to tions, Raymond Joseph has to watch thing. They’re not the warmest of relations, but they’re correct.” other countries with similar economic condi- Wwhat he says. tions, and even in countries with greater Even so, Joseph hints that he doesn’t sup- As Haiti’s new ambassador to the United resources that do not manage to protect their States, Joseph walks a tight line between port the U.S. embargo against Cuba — which is a poor country but not as poor as Haiti, population as well as Cuba does,” said ISDR offending Fidel Castro, who has sent over 700 Director Salvano Briceno in a press release. where per-capita income is only around $250 doctors to his country, and offending the U.S. He said the figures speak for themselves: a year, about the same as Bangladesh. government, Haiti’s most important source of only four people were killed when Hurricane “As the second independent country in the international aid. Georges hit Cuba in 1998, by far less than the Western Hemisphere after the United States, “That’s how we feel,” approximately 600 killed in other countries in we know the problems of an embargo,” he Joseph told CubaNews the region, with similar or better economic earlier this month. “We said. “For the first 60 years of our independ- conditions. More recently, hurricane Charley cannot afford to anger ence, an embargo was imposed against us [by killed four people in Cuba and 30 people in our big neighbor and France]. So we feel Cuba’s pain.” Florida, while Dennis killed 16 Cubans despite benefactor who helps He says Washington should change its eco- causing an estimated $1.4 billion in damages. us quite a bit, but at the nomic policy toward both Caribbean nations. Many reasons explain Cuba’s low hurricane same time, we wonder “Allow the Cuban economy to flourish, so fatality rate, starting with education, he said. whether the Cuban peo- that the Cubans can stay home, and allow Disaster preparedness, prevention and re- ple should still be suf- Haiti to be on par with countries like the sponse are part of the general education cur- fering for the sins of Dominican Republic,” he told CubaNews. riculum, said Briceno. Raymond Joseph Mr. Castro.” “The Dominican Republic will get advan- From their early age, all Cubans are taught Joseph, 74, is Haiti’s tages through the CAFTA [Central American how to behave as hurricanes approach the first ambassador in Washington since 1998, Free Trade Agreement], but Haiti is left out. If island. They also have, every year, a two-day when the post was abandoned by the former nothing is done to keep Haitian workers in training session in risk reduction for hurri- government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. He Haiti, they will keep crossing the border to canes, complete with simulation exercises and represents the interim prime minister, Gerard the D.R. It’s an explosive situation — just as concrete preparation actions, Briceno added. Latortue, who took over following Aristide’s explosive as in the 1930s, when [dictator Rafa- chaotic ouster on Feb. 29, 2004. el] Trujillo massacred about 30,000 Haitians.” National elections to replace the transition- Joseph added that he’s also not happy with al government in Port-au-Prince will be held U.S. immigration policy, particularly the 1966 Dec. 11, with a runoff set for Jan. 3, 2006. Cuban Adjustment Act that automatically lets Despite the violence and political chaos that Cuban refugees who make it to U.S. shores continues to this day, Cuba’s doctors have stay and eventually apply for citizenship. remained in Haiti, performing a valuable serv- “The wet-foot, dry-foot policy is a relic of ice in this nation of 8.5 million, the poorest the Cold War,” he complained. “It means that country in the Western Hemisphere (see all Cubans who left are running away from a CubaNews, December 2003, page 14). communist dictatorship, so they’re welcome “Our relationship [with Cuba] has re- as soon as they set foot in America. mained the same as it was when Aristide left,” “But the Haitians were running away from said Joseph. “The Cuban doctors in Haiti have dictators who were friendly to the U.S., so been very helpful. When some of our people, they’re not accepted as refugees. I believe it’s especially police officers, have health prob- unfair. Also, the Haitians are considered black, lems, they’re flown to Cuban hospitals. So we so we feel there’s a little racism here.” ❑ Antigua welcomes Cuban eye doctors uban ophthalmologists are literally “a further surgery in Cuba if necessary, all at no sight for sore eyes” in Antigua & Barbuda, cost to the patient. So far, 1,500 Antigua citi- Csays the Caribbean nation’s leading news- zens have been examined by Cuban doctors, paper, the Antigua Sun. with 121 people already traveling to Cuba to “Even though adequate eye-care facilities undergo further medical attention. exist in Antigua, many people cannot afford to In related news, a contingent of Cuban pay for the necessary treatment. This is where teachers has arrived in the Caribbean island the Cuban government and its medical spe- of Grenada under a bilateral education agree- cialists fill the breach,” the Sun said Aug. 20. ment, and will be based at the island’s T.A. The program also shows that the Caribbean Marryshow Community College. can rely on itself for medical assistance with- “The memorandum of understanding with out having to turn to First World countries. the Cuban government involves an education- Besides testing elderly Antiguans for glau- al exchange program which will afford both coma, which if not treated can lead to blind- Grenadian and Cuban teachers the opportuni- ness, Cuban ophthalmologists are also screen- ty to acquire new skills and experience each ing for cataracts, eyelid droop, astigmatism, other’s culture,” says a statement carried Sep. myopia and corenal leucoma, and providing 7 by Caribbean Media Corp. 16 CubaNews ❖ September 2005 CALENDAR OF EVENTS CARIBBEAN UPDATE If your organization is sponsoring an upcoming event, please let our readers know! You already know what’s going in Cuba, Fax details to CubaNews at (301) 365-1829 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. thanks to CubaNews. Now find out what’s happening in the rest of this diverse and Sep. 15-25: Havana Theatre Festival. Conceived in 1980, the festival is “a unique oppor- fast-growing region. tunity for spectators to enjoy theater in halls, parks, squares and museums of the city.” Subscribe to Caribbean UPDATE, a monthly newsletter founded in 1985. Cor- Details: Consejo Nacional de las Artes Escénicas, Havana. URL: www.cubaescena.cult.cu. porate and government executives, as well as scholars and journalists, depend on this Sep. 19-24: 23rd International Blue Marlin Fishing Tournament, Marina Hemingway, publication for its insightful, timely cover- Havana. Cost: $350 per team. Details: José Miguel Díaz Escrich, Hemingway International age of the 30-plus nations and territories of Yacht Club of Cuba, Havana. Tel/Fax: +53 7 204-6653. E-mail: [email protected]. the Caribbean and Central America. When you receive your first issue, you Sep. 25: “Relations Between Cuba, Israel and the Jewish Community” Spanish lecture have two options: (a) pay the accompany- by Hebrew University professor Margalit Bejarano. Co-sponsored by Israeli Consulate, ing invoice and your subscription will be Florida-Israel Cultural Institute and Cuban Hebrew Congregation. Details: Gabriel Bare- processed; (b) if you’re not satisfied, just write “cancel” on the invoice and return it. des, Temple Beth Shmuel, 1701 Lenox Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139. Tel: (305) 925-9415. There is no further obligation on your part. The cost of a subscription to Caribbean Oct. 1-2: Vermont Conference on Humanitarian Aid to Cuba, Champlain College, Bur- UPDATE is $267 per year. A special rate of lington, Vt. Sessions on developing and sharing sources of supplies; shipping and distri- $134 is available to academics, non-profit bution; working with OFAC travel licenses. Bob Guild of Marazul Tours to speak. Cost: organizations and additional subscriptions $25-100). Details: Marisha Kazeniac, Institute for Cuban and Caribbean Studies, 16 Lud- mailed to the same address. To order, contact Caribbean UPDATE at wig Ct., Burlington, VT 05401. Tel: (802) 864-4334. E-mail: [email protected]. 116 Myrtle Ave., Millburn, NJ 07041, call us at (973) 376-2314, visit our new website at Oct. 4: “Making Money in America” Speech by banker Carlos Saladrigas is the second www.caribbeanupdate.org or send an of four lectures highlighting the successes of Cuban-American entrepreneurs in South e-mail to [email protected]. We accept Florida. Cost: $15. Details: Institute of Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, 1531 Brescia Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Ave., Miami, FL 33124. Tel: (305) 284-2822. URL: http://casabacardi.iccas.miami.edu.

Oct. 31-Nov. 5: 23th Annual Havana International Fair (FIHAV). Major trade show which last year resulted in $247 million in deals. Details: Pabexpo, Ave. 17 e/174 y 184, Siboney, La Habana. Tel: +53 7 271-6614. Fax: +53 7 271-9065. URL: www.cpalco.com.

Dec. 1-3: U.S.-Cuba Energy Summit, Westin Resort & Spa, Cancún, Mexico. Officials of CubaPetróleo, various Cuban government ministries to attend. Co-sponsors: Caterpillar, Editor & Publisher Port of Corpus Christi, Valero Energy, Louisiana Department of Economic Development. ■ LARRY LUXNER ■ Cost: $1,900. Details: Kirby Jones, Alamar Associates, 2300 M St. NW, #800, Washington, Washington correspondent DC 20037. Tel: (202) 530-5234. Fax: (202) 530-5235. URL: www.uscubasummit.org. ■ ANA RADELAT ■ Dec. 5-7: 29th Miami Conference on the Caribbean Basin, Inter-Continental Hotel. In- Political analyst ■ ■ vited speakers include OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza, Florida Gov. Jeb DOMINGO AMUCHASTEGUI Bush, World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz and various Caribbean heads of state. Cost: Feature writers ■ VITO ECHEVARRÍA Details: Caribbean/Central American Action, 1818 N Street NW, Suite #500, $600. ■ HELEN J. SIMON ■ Washington, DC 20036. Tel: (202) 466-7464. Fax: (202) 822-0075. URL: www.c-caa.org. Cartographer ■ ARMANDO H. PORTELA ■

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