| WASHINGTON (AP) The Cuban government is looking past the
Bush administration to Congress, U.S. business and the public
in its pursuit of an end to Americas four-decade-long
embargo, Cubas top diplomat in Washington said Tuesday.
As Cubans, were optimistic, Fernando Remirez,
chief of the Cuban Interests Section, said on the 40th
anniversary of the Bay of Pigs invasion. When asked what he
expects from the Bush administration, he paused, then said:
Not much.
Our expectations are from the other sectors of the
American people ... with a growing number of institutions,
private companies who really express their interest in Cuba,
he told a Federal City Club luncheon. Theres a growing
number of Americans who are traveling down there. We think
that it is a good signal.
Cubas 11.2 million people stand ready to buy everything
they can from the United States, Remirez said. The country
would save millions of dollars if it could buy rice from U.S.
growers instead of having it shipped from Asia through the
Panama Canal.
Rep. George Nethercutt, R-Wash., sponsored legislation last
year aimed at easing the U.S. embargo by allowing the sale of
American food to Cuba for the first time in 40 years. The
legislation, altered somewhat to achieve a passable compromise
with hard-line opponents of Cuba, was approved by Congress and
signed by President Clinton.
Supporters hailed the measure as a victory for American
farmers, but Cuban authorities said they would buy no American
food under the law because its amendments bar the U.S.
government and U.S. banks from financing sales. Since Cuba
belongs to no international financial institutions, Remirez
said, All payments must be in cash, which is very
difficult.
The law also tightened restrictions on Americans travel
to Cuba.
Reps. Nethercutt, Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., and William
Delahunt, D-Mass., urged Fidel Castro last week in Cuba to
agree to a deal that would allow the sale of food. They came
away empty-handed but upbeat about the possibility that
American farmers someday will sell goods to Cuba.
Nethercutt said Tuesday that as a good Republican, he never
imagined himself touting the value of an eased embargo against
Cuba.
Ive had a change of heart since Ive spoken to our
farmers and humanitarian groups, Nethercutt said in an
interview from his home state of Washington. To have an
embargo, you have to have an enemy, but our farmers are the
losers in this process too. Thats who I care most about.
The Cuba trip also gave him a different perspective as he
met a friendly and gracious Castro who was willing to
listen to our point of view. Nethercutt said he also found
a market economy in parts of Havana and heard four dissidents
unanimously press for ending the embargo.
Remirez said the laws conditions on sales make it
almost impossible to have any. Besides the bar to financial
assistance by the U.S. government or private banks, he said,
There is a requirement of a special license for every
operation, and really its very difficult.
That requirement is crucial, Nethercutt said, because the
law also lets the government subsidize food and medicine sales
to Iran, Libya, North Korea and Sudan.
The Commerce Departments version, Nethercutt said, would
fully implement the intent of the law, which is to make it
easier to sell agricultural goods and medicines, while the
Treasury Department has drawn the line very strictly, one
license per transaction. The White House may make the final
decision.
If I want to sell peas and lentils to Cuba, and it
involves five separate sales, that license should be good for
a year, Nethercutt said. Forcing farmers to get five
individual licenses takes time and money and its a huge
impediment to completing these sales, which are going to help
our farmers. Its not going to jeopardize our national
security.
Farm groups see Cuba as a huge potential market for their
crops and livestock. Archer Daniels Midland Co., one of the
nations biggest grain processors, was host last September
to officials from the Cuban agency that handles food imports.
Cargill Inc., another major U.S. exporter, also is interested
in the Cuban market.
The government has licensed a U.S. shipper, Crowley Liner
Services of Jacksonville, Fla., to transport food and
agricultural goods to Cuba. Two U.S. companies have signed
agreements to sell agricultural products to Cuba in exchange
for sugar revenue, said the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic
Council, which did not disclose the names or products. |