Vol. 12, No. 5 May 2004 www.cubanews.com In the News Tensions rise in Miami and Havana as Senseless census? panel issues Cuba recommendations Experts wonder why results of 2002 cen- BY ANA RADELAT I restricting the amount of baggage travelers can take to Cuba, so that Havana can’t make sus are being kept secret .............Page 3 he Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba sent its long-awaited recommenda- money from fees charged for extra weight tions to President Bush on May 3, but beyond the current 40-pound limit. Religion briefs T I eliminating a provision that now allows U.S. details of the plan are shrouded in secrecy. Churches feel threatened by new sects; travelers to bring back from Cuba up to $100 Four out of the five chapters in the 500-page worth of goods, including rum and cigars. Holocaust memorial unveiled ......Page 5 report deal with proposals from an alphabet I boosting U.S. funds for programs designed soup of federal agencies on how they could help to strengthen civil society in Cuba. Bearish in Berlin a post-Castro Cuba. The fifth chapter focuses on The idea of turning off the flow of dollars to what amounts to “regime change” — specific Diplomat says German companies aren’t Castro appeals to older, largely Republican ways on hastening Fidel Castro’s downfall. Cuban-Americans who came to Florida in the rushing to invest in Cuba .............Page 6 Bush is expected to announce his support for early 1960s, but not to more recent arrivals who some of those recommendations on May 20, still have strong family ties to the island. Newsmakers Cuban Independence Day. According to the A recent poll by Florida International Univer- Miami Herald, the possibilities include: sity found that 53.6% of exile households regu- Ricardo Alarcón, chief of Cuba’s National I slashing the $1,200 a year that Cuban-Ame- larly send money to their families in Cuba, and Assembly, discusses U.S. politics, dissent ricans can now legally send to relatives in Cuba. that the average household sends $387 per year. and life after Fidel ..........................Page 8 I limiting visits by Cuban-Americans to their Interestingly, the poll showed that while only spouses, parents, children or siblings. At pres- 31% of exile households who came to Florida ent, visits to more distant relatives are allowed. before 1965 send money to the island, the figure Flower power I cutting by half the $164 a day that U.S. visi- jumps to 75% for those who arrived after 1985. Tropiflora S.A. hopes to revive flower ex- tors can legally spend in Cuba. See Panel, page 2 ports after years of decline .........Page 10 New mill in town Alimport conference generates $106m Mexican-financed mills to boost quality of in new contracts for U.S. food exporters Cuban flour, pasta ........................Page 11 BY LARRY LUXNER chased from the United States in cash since late Business briefs ome 405 representatives of U.S. food com- 2001, when those sales became legal. “U.S. suppliers, whether branded companies Venezuela’s PDVSA may buy Cienfuegos panies, farm cooperatives, state agriculture S commissions and non-profit groups or commodity companies, all appreciate the oil refinery; tourism up 13% .......Page 12 jammed Havana’s Palacio de Convenciones last Cuban market and the potential it represents,” month for four days of negotiations that result- said Thomas Rahn, commercial director at Air-cargo pioneer ed in $106 million worth of contracts. Cargill Americas, during an impromptu inter- view in Havana. “All the business that has hap- IBC Airways enjoys monopoly on Miami- The event was largely a public-relations show organized by Alimport, Cuba’s state-run food pened in Cuba has been very straightforward, Havana cargo route .....................Page 14 purchasing agency. The 173 companies attend- transparent and well-executed. Cuba has per- ing the conference ranged from a tiny Vermont formed as a first-class trading partner.” Bring it on, baby outfit hawking maple syrup to Archer Daniels According to Rahn, Alimport awarded Cargill a $13 million contract for 40,000 tons of corn, Long-stigmatized Cuban rockeros finally Midland (ADM), a $20 billion conglomerate based in Decatur, Ill. 25,000 tons of wheat, 10,000 tons of flour and get their day in the sun ...............Page 15 Many of the contracts had already been ap- 5,000 tons of phosphates. To date, Cargill has proved beforehand, with five large commodity sold Alimport over 500,000 tons of commodities. CubaNews (ISSN 1073-7715) is published monthly companies walking away with 80% of the sales. “I think all U.S. companies would like to see by Luxner News Inc. © 2004. All rights reserved. In fact, ADM and Minneapolis-based Cargill trade normalized,” he told CubaNews. “The day Subscriptions: $429/year. For subscription or edito- have each sold Alimport over $200 million that happens, we’ll be able to have direct finan- rial inquiries, call toll-free (800) 365-1997, send a fax worth of commodities, together accounting for cial relationships, which we’re not allowed to to (301) 365-1829 or e-mail us at [email protected]. over half the food Alimport claims to have pur- See Alimport, page 4 2 CubaNews ❖ May 2004 “A lot of this is not humanitarian aid,” Pérez These newcomers include Rep. Lincoln Panel — FROM PAGE 1 charged. “It is used for frivolous things like Díaz-Balart (R-FL), Alberto Hernández and “If that’s one of the things that they’re con- parties and prostitutes.” Zuñiga, and millionaires such as banker Car- sidering, the Cuban-American community is Adds the CLC’s executive director, Luís los Saladrigas, entrepreneur Leopoldo Fer- gong to be sorely disappointed,” warned Joe Zuñíga: “The right course of action is to push nández and Ford dealer Gus Machado. All of García, executive director of the 20,000-mem- for a showdown and get the Cuban population them are designing their own transition plans, ber Cuban American National Foundation. to put pressure on their own government. Up would-be cabinets and emergency measures. “Politically, this is extremely dangerous,” until now, we have been solving Castro’s prob- But perceptions, goals and action plans Hispanic pollster Sergio Bendixen told the St. lems by sending money and traveling to the don’t seem to be grounded in reality. Predic- Petersburg Times. “If [Cuban-Americans] not island. If this continues, we’ll have 10, 15 or 20 tions on Castro’s downfall have been flooding allowed to take care of their loved ones, the more years of the same regime.” South Florida’s airwaves for decades, yet his political price would be very high.” “final hour” appears to be nowhere in sight. Adds Philip Peters, vice-president of the CANF OFFERS SUGGESTIONS At the same time, the Bush administration Washington-based Lexington Institute: “It Bush appointed the Free Cuba Commis- knows that opening up another another “hot would have a terrible humanitarian impact in sion last October to examine ways to “hasten front” in Cuba would be extremely costly and Cuba, and it would send a signal that the the arrival of a peaceful transition” in Cuba. offer very few benefits in return. administration wants to make life difficult for The panel is chaired by Secretary of State Even so, Bush desperately needs strong Cubans in the hope that it would bring about Colin Powell and includes Secretary of Home- backing from that important segment of the political change in Cuba.” land Security Tom Ridge, National Security Cuban-American community that votes, and Castro himself referred to the panel and its Adviser Condoleezza Rice among others. not just from its wealthy elite. So his team will recommendations in his traditional May Day While all the panel’s members are govern- have to exploit some low-profile moves that speech at Havana’s Plaza de la Revolución, de- ment officials, exile groups were allowed to would allow him and his die-hard followers to claring that his enemies in Washington are submit some suggestions. say they are doing their part to oust Castro. “once again making themselves hoarse, shou- García said the CANF made four specific These include revising the “wet foot-dry ting threats of upcoming measures to affect suggestions. One is to allow “massive U.S. foot” policy regarding Cuban immigrants; cut- our economy and destabilize our country.” assistance” to civil society in Cuba, including ting charter flights to Cuba; enforcing Ninoska Pérez Castellón, a spokeswoman small businesses. García blamed the U.S. gov- Chapters III and IV of Helms-Burton (though for the Cuban Liberty Council, told the Times ernment for spending most of its Cuba transi- that would spark additional clashes with the that Castro and his cronies personally benefit tion money on USAID grants for South Flor- EU), and finding ways to reduce the flow of from the remittances, which are believed to ida exile groups, instead of sending dollars European and Canadian tourism to Cuba. total $600 million to $800 million a year. directly to dissidents and others in Cuba. García also suggests shutting down Radio KERRY GETS UNSOLICITED ADVICE and TV Martí — the U.S. government broad- Meanwhile, observers wonder if the pre- How they voted in Geneva casts to Cuba that are jammed by Castro — if sumptive Democratic nominee, Sen. John Here’s a look at how the 53-member UN Washington won’t spend the money on tech- Kerry of Massachusetts, will be able to turn Human Rights Commission voted Apr. 15 on nology to get the broadcast signals through. the frustration of Miami’s Cuban exile com- a resolution introduced by Honduras con- “Why are we pushing this ridiculous fanta- munity to his advantage.