Vol. 17, No. 2 February 2009 www.cubanews.com In the News Opposing views of ex-USINT diplomats EIU: 3.8% growth frame Obama’s policy dilemma on Cuba Cuba will see fastest 2009 GDP growth in BY LARRY LUXNER current travel restrictions. At the Jan. 23 event, he insisted that Obama should “stay the course” the Western Hemisphere .............Page 3 n Havana, both occupied the same fifth-floor office as chief of the U.S. Interests Section. when it comes to Cuba. I But in Miami, their suggestions on how the But Huddleston says that’s exactly the wrong Young soldiers Obama administration should deal with Fidel approach. Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces final- and Raúl Castro seem to have little — if any- “When I was on the plane coming down here, thing — in common. the woman sitting next to me asked why I was ly getting fresh new blood ............Page 4 On Jan. 23, retired career diplomats Vicki going to Miami,” said the former diplomat, who Huddleston and Jim Cason — speaking at a served in Havana from 1999 to 2002, a period Moscow connection seminar organized by the University of Miami’s coinciding mostly with the Clinton administra- tion. “I told her, ‘to give a speech on Cuba.’ She Russia seeks to re-establish itself in Latin Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Stu- dies (ICCAS) — offered diametrically opposing asked me to tell her in one sentence what I was America, using Cuba as base .......Page 6 views that generally reflected the policies of the going to say, so I replied, ‘change the policy.’” presidents they served. Huddleston, now a senior fellow at the Brook- Newsmakers A third diplomat, former State Department ings Institution in Washington, says the United States must understand that, for the foreseeable Cuban Liberty Council’s Ninoska Pérez official Manuel Rocha, gave an especially in- sightful presentation calling for more openness future, Raúl Castro is in charge. Castellón airs her controversial views on toward Cuba in Washington. But because of his “Everybody in this room wants to see demo- Miami’s Radio Mambí....................Page 8 current job as a consultant for McDonald’s cracy, human rights and opportunities for the Corp., Rocha’s comments were off-the-record Cuban people to have a voice in their own gov- and cannot be included in this report. ernment. We have no differences there,” she Housing shortage ICCAS Director Jaime Suchlicki, who moder- said. “The differences lie in how to get there.” Hurricanes, economic woes make vivien- ated the event, rarely makes a secret of his dis- “I think that now, President Obama has the das an urgent national priority .....Page 9 taste for ending the embargo or even relaxing See Policy, page 2 Exile bonanza U.S. financial crisis hammers Caribbean Cuban airports to reap benefis of renewed Cuban-American travel ...............Page 10 as Cuba tourism industry reaps bonanza Business briefs BY LARRY LUXNER In addition, the Russians are beginning to dis- U.S. food sales to Cuba jump 61% in 2008; n 2008, three killer hurricanes ravaged Cuba cover Cuba. Last year, the country received more than 40,000 visitors from Russia, up 39% Cuba migrates to Linux OS ........Page 12 in the space of two months. Prices for nickel, Ithe island’s top export, have fallen drastically, from 2007, according to Carlos Oscar Hernán- while the cost of food imports has skyrocketed. dez, the regime’s top tourism rep in Moscow. Eager artists And the U.S. embargo continues to squeeze “Cuba is in a very, very dire economic situa- tion right now,” said Antonio Zamora, a Miami Exhibitors from 44 nations gear up for Hav- the communist regime in Havana, which marked its 50th year in power on Jan. 1, 2009, as Presi- lawyer who visits Cuba frequently in his capaci- ana’s biennial art show ................Page 13 dent Raúl Castro warned of hard times ahead. ty as director of the U.S.-Cuba Legal Forum. But one thing Cuba doesn’t have to worry “They need some sort of boost, and tourism is Che Inc. about is tourism. Last year, revenue from tourist one place where it’s going to come from.” According to David Adams, a correspondent Global capitalists get rich off revolution- expenditures came to $2.7 billion — a 13.5% jump from the year before. A record 2.35 million for the St. Petersburg Times, “Cuba’s tourism ary icon’s famous image .............Page 14 tourists visited Cuba in 2008, up 9.3% from 2007. boom is all the more surprising given the impact One reason Cuba’s doing so well is that its of the global economic crisis on travel to other CubaNews (ISSN 1073-7715) is published monthly largest source of tourism isn’t the United States Caribbean destinations. That can be partly by Luxner News Inc. © 2009. All rights reserved. but Canada, where the financial crunch hasn’t attributed to the island’s relatively cheap, all- Subscriptions: $429 for one year, $800 for two years. had much impact yet. Last year, 800,000 Canadi- inclusive packages — as low as $550 a week, air- For editorial inquires, please call (301) 452-1105 fare included.” or send an e-mail to: [email protected]. ans visited Cuba; other big sources of tourism to Cuba are Britain, Italy, Spain and Germany. See Tourism, page 7 2 CubaNews ❖ February 2009 “The United States has very little influence tourist per 210 Cubans. Therefore, tourists Policy — FROM PAGE 1 in Cuba now. Russia’s back, China’s strong, can make no meaningful impact on Cuban unique opportunity, the authority and the and Venezuela, Brazil and Spain are all there. society even if they were permitted to.” popular support to discard a policy of regime Cuba has excellent relations around the In another accusation of questionable accu- change that hasn’t worked for half a century world. If we want to have influence in the racy, Cason alleges that “tourists by and large — and replace it with a policy of critical and future, then we need to be dealing with the stay at all-inclusive hotels. No tips are encour- constructive engagement.” Western Hemisphere, and with Cuba,” she aged or permitted. Tourists can buy very little That means the United States no longer said. “I think we have a chance now to make from average Cubans except sex.” aims to overthrow the Cuban government. this dream of a free Cuba come true.” Apparently, Cason never visited the huge “We accept the reality, that the revolution crafts and souvenir market located only a few is a fact. It can’t be unlived or changed. CASON: TOURISM WON’T HELP AVERAGE CUBANS blocks from USINT along Havana’s Malecón. Accept that and engage Cuba on issues in our Keep dreaming, says Cason. He continued: “The regime charges aver- interest. By doing that, we put the onus for The former USINT-Havana chief, who re- age Cubans the highest rack rate to stay in change on the Cuban government and take it tired from the Foreign Service after serving hotels. So foreigners will rarely encounter a away from Washington and Miami.” as U.S. envoy to Paraguay, thinks “improving regular Cuban in their hotels. If they leave Huddleston said that during the first 100 relations with Cuba should not be a goal. That their isolated enclaves at all, it’s a guided tour days of his administration, Obama could take will come about when we see that Castro has to a Potemkin village.” a number of decisions to improve bilateral decided to put Cuba on a democratic path.” Cason, who served as USINT-Havana chief ties — regardless of the 1996 Helms-Burton Act which codified the embargo. “The time-honored tradition of the presi- dent having the last say in foreign policy still exists, even with regard to Cuba. The presi- dent can design tactics, programs and activi- LARRY LUXNER ties that he feels would further the U.S. inter- est,” said Huddleston, who was famous dur- ing her stint as chief of USINT-Havana for handing out shortwave radios to average Cubans on the street. “So President Obama has the authority, whether you like it or not, to do just about anything he wants on Cuba,” she said. “He could negotiate and even give back Guantá- namo. He could change the ‘wet foot-dry foot’ policy or negotiate expropriated property claims, but we don’t expect him to do that.” Ex-diplomats Jim Cason, Vicki Huddleston and Manuel Rocha discuss Cuba policy at an ICCAS gathering. According to Huddleston, Obama would need Congressional approval to get rid of the Cason’s talk focused strictly on travel — a under the Bush administration, was intensely embargo altogether, but not to dismantle it subject he’s clearly passionate about. disliked by the Castro regime — and by more piecemeal. “Once again, we hear that more trade and than a few of his fellow foreign diplomats — “What Helms-Burton did in 1996 was codi- travel will bring greater freedom to Cubans,” for his brashness and belligerent style. fy the regulations of the embargo as they he said. “Some urge outright abandonment of He said that in the last decade, more than stood then. But it also gave executive author- what remains of the embargo, but most oppo- 15 million foreigners have visited Cuba and ity for the president to modify or change the nents focus on ending travel restrictions as the island has not opened up one bit. embargo. So the power to change the embar- the first step.” “Now that Castro has Sugar Daddy Chávez go was codified along with the regulations.” Cason said such people typically offer four supporting him, he need not liberalize.