Even with Democrats Running Congress, Cuba-Related Legislation
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Vol. 15, No. 6 June 2007 www.cubanews.com In the News Even with Democrats running Congress, Cuba-related legislation goes nowhere Fidel’s back: What next? BY ANA RADELAT With Castro solidly on the mend, analysts years — also want to press their legislative pri- orities, such as energy and tax reforms. ask what will happen now .............Page 2 dvocates of easing U.S. sanctions against Cuba initially saw the Republican Party’s “We have a very full legislative agenda,” said A loss of power in Congress as an opportu- Mark Forest, press secretary to Rep. Bill Sherritt’s gamble nity — but even under Democratic leadership Delahunt, (D-MA), a leader of the House Cuba Canadian mining and oil conglomerate to there’s been no action on Capitol Hill. Working Group. Delahunt is the main sponsor of a bill that invest $1.25 billion in Cuba ..........Page 3 More than a dozen bills relating to U.S. policy toward Cuba have been introduced in the 110th would ease Cuban-American travel to the island, Congress, yet none of them have moved out of which was restricted by President Bush in 2004 Selling to Alimport committee, much less to the floor of the House in an attempt to deny the Castro government U.S. agribusiness firms win $118 million or Senate. hard currency. Since it was introduced in January, Dela- in Alimport food contracts ............Page 6 There also hasn’t been a single hearing on any of the bills. hunt’s legislation has attracted the support of 27 Several factors might explain this. One is that co-sponsors, as well as several exile leaders who Consumer trends Cuba is seen as a low priority by Democrats, had previously opposed openings to Cuba. Puerto Rican, Dominican firms team up to who have their hands full battling the White Another House bill supported by Delahunt, and sponsored by Reps. Charles Rangel (D-NY) conduct much-anticipated consumer mar- House over the war in Iraq, budget issues and the firing of U.S. attorney generals by the and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) that would lift all restric- keting surveys in Cuba .................Page 7 Justice Department. tions on travel to Cuba, has attracted 110 co- Democrats who seized control of Congress in sponsors. That works out to more than 25% of all Newsmakers last November’s elections — especially those in members of the House of Representatives. Miami radio commentator Max Lesnik is the House who’d been out of power for a dozen See Democrats, page 2 focus of daughter’s controversial new film “Man of Two Havanas” .................Page 8 OFAC goes after Cuba-bound travelers, Business briefs ITC concludes study on U.S. food exports; buyers of banned Cuban cigars online Cuba invests $180m in ports ........Page 9 BY VITO ECHEVARRÍA Moore questioned the timing of OFAC’s obody — from high-school students to investigation, since his film had just premiered Give Gitmo back affluent cigar-smokers and even promi- at the Cannes Film Festival and is scheduled for Council on Hemispheric Affairs says U.S. Nnent filmmakers — is above the law when a U.S. theatrical release on Jun. 29. “I’m the one who’s personally being investi- must return base to Cuba ...........Page 10 it comes to buying Cuban products or traveling to the forbidden island without express govern- gated and I’m the one who’s personally liable for ment permission. potential fines or jail, so I don’t take it lightly,” Provinces: Sancti Spíritus That’s the message the Bush administration Moore told reporters at the Cannes screening. Colonial charm of Trinidad not enough to wants to get out, via the new hardline regula- The director of the highly acclaimed docu- mentary “Fahrenheit 9/11” — never lacking a keep people from leaving ...........Page 12 tions now being enforced by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. flair for the dramatic — told CNN that he hid a The latest victim of OFAC’s tough new policy copy of his film in a “safe house” outside the Cashing in on santería is Michael Moore, who took a group of sick U.S. to shield it from government interference. Cuba’s Afro-Caribbean religion has huge 9/11 rescue workers to Cuba to receive medical In its RFI letter, OFAC acknowledged that it treatment earlier this year. had received an application from Moore last potential as tourist draw .............Page 15 The February 2007 trip was part of an upcom- October to visit Cuba as a journalist, but that it ing documentary Moore made on America’s still hadn’t issued a response when Moore took CubaNews (ISSN 1073-7715) is published monthly troubled health-care system entitled “SiCKO.” it upon himself to bring the 9/11 group to Cuba by Luxner News Inc. © 2007. All rights reserved. On May 2, OFAC sent Moore a “Request for without the necessary permission. Subscriptions: $429 for one year, $800 for two years. That letter is also asking for the names and For editorial inquires, please call (301) 452-1105 Further Information” (RFI) letter, asking for or send an e-mail to: [email protected]. details on his trip to check for possible viola- addresses of those who accompanied him, the tions of the travel ban. See OFAC, page 4 2 CubaNews ❖ June 2007 POLITICS Fidel’s return to spotlight begs question: what’s next? BY DOMINGO AMUCHASTEGUI tive and lasting distribution of power posi- Assembly. Both should take place under o the disappointment of scores of tions, meaning the roles of Comandante en Fidel’s emblematic chairmanship, despite the experts, some U.S. officials and opposi- Jefe, President of Council of State, President degree of fait accompli in which the changes T tion activists in Miami and Havana, of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister), may take place behind closed doors. Fidel Castro is back from the dead. and First Secretary of the Communist Party. This would be aimed at ensuring discus- Regardless of his illness, the fact remains Granted, this idea is not entirely new. sion and approval at various levels, just as that since July 31, he was — and remains — Between 1989 and 1991, just before the hold- when the Constitution was prepared, dis- very much in control over key policy deci- ing of the IV Congress of the Cuban Commu- cussed, and approved between 1975 and 1976. sions. However, unlike the past, Fidel is no nist Party, such a distribution was very much By law, such changes require amending the longer involved in the smallest details. considered and in fact gained considerable above mentioned constitution. His recovery is a fact, but the 80-year-old ground among those involved in the prepara- The position of comandante en jefe will revolutionary must still improve his physical tion of that event and among the political class remain in Fidel’s hands and won’t be abol- image so he won’t come across in public like at large. ished until after his passing. an old creep (a la Adenauer, Mao or Balaguer, At that time, different names were consid- The other positions and the key portfolios not to mention others). ered for different positions, but the resulting of Interior (MININT) and Defense (MINFAR) This is crucial to Fidel’s psychological tensions and conflicts related to local and will be in the hands of the interim team led by attributes, the profile of the Spartan hero, the international crises led — contrary to what Raúl Castro, Ricardo Alarcón, Carlos Lage, victorious guerrillero, that is, the need for a was expected by many — to a reinforcement Felipe Pérez Roque and others, followed by public, positive image and not a living corpse. of the highly centralized structure in and growing numbers of younger leaders current- Regardless of his looks, Fidel will have to around the personality of Fidel Castro. ly in their late 30s and 40s. make some sort of formal comeback, just like This proves that the notion of a distribution This may very well be the unfolding sce- he did when the July 31 announcement was of power positions followed by a greater nario over the next three to five years. made. This is not far away in the future, given process of institutional decentralization was Once Fidel is gone, one wonders how much recent media coverage. already on the minds of many key players as legitimacy and continuity will remain in the And his latest short articles and comments early as the late 1980s. hands of the leadership, especially younger — and their increased frequency — tend to Then it was an excellent idea; right now is a leaders. They’ll have to decide in what differ- confirm the proximity of such an event. must at the very top of the political agenda. ent directions the system must be reformed, After this is done — and it may take place Such an institutional rearrangement will re- change, adjusted or modified, including what in various forms — there will be relatively quire validation by a Party Congress (already deserves to be preserved from the past while short period aimed at preparing a more effec- posponed for 10 years now) and the National recreating the present and the future. Robert Muse, a Washington-based attorney Reid’s opposition. Democrats — FROM PAGE 1 who has followed Cuba legislation for years, “The committees and the leadership didn’t But a busy House agenda isn’t the only told CubaNews that a different approach — help us as much as we would have liked,” said thing stalling action on Cuba legislation. one that stressed liberalization of agricultural Geoff Thale, policy director at the Washing- While a Democratic-controlled Congress is sales and the possibility of constitutional vio- ton Office on Latin America, a group that widely considered more sympathetic to lations in travel restrictions — may have been opposes the embargo.