Editorial. Published Tuesday, December 18, 2001 in
The Miami Herald
The first shipments of Cuba-bought U.S. food in 40 years arrived in Havana
on Sunday. Yet the chicken and corn don't signal the beginning of the end of the
U.S. embargo on trade with Cuba -- despite hopes to the contrary fanned by grain
merchants, anti-embargo activists and the Cuban government.
The U.S. embargo remains firmly in place, strongly supported by President
Bush. The White House notes that President Bush opposes a Senate proposal to
allow private financing of U.S. food sales to Cuba. The current ban on U.S.
financing of food and medical sales to Cuba also should remain in place. That
is, until Cuba begins a peaceful transition to a free and democratic government.
SETTING GROUND RULES
Cuba's regime, however, wants to set the ground rules for trade -- as if a
deadbeat dictatorship had any moral or economic weight to do so.
Last year, when Congress lifted restrictions on food and medical sales to
Cuba, it was Fidel Castro who took umbrage to the financing ban and vowed not to
buy "even one grain of rice'' under those terms. Then devastating Hurricane
Michelle hit Cuba last month and provided the Castro regime with a face-saving
excuse to change its tune.
First, the United States commendably offered to send humanitarian aid. That
same week, the Senate Agriculture Committee approved a measure that would allow
private U.S. financing of food exports to Cuba. The next day Cuba politely
turned down the U.S. aid but offered to buy food supplies from the United
States.
Sunday's two shipments, worth $2.5 million, are only the first deliveries in
what is estimated to be a $30 million purchase. Shipments of wheat, rice,
soybeans and lumber are expected to land in Cuba soon. Not surprisingly, the
26,400 tons of corn that arrived were sold by Illinois-based Archer Daniels
Midland, one of the world's agribusiness giants. ADM for years has cozied up to
the regime and lobbied Congress to sell to Cuba.
The payoff: a $14 million slice of the current sale, according to ADM
corporate communications senior vice president Larry Cunningham, who was on hand
to see the delivery at Havana's harbor. "This proves that it makes logical
sense for Cuba and the United States to trade,'' he said.
CUBA IS BANKRUPT
We couldn't disagree more. It proves the extent some firms will go to make a
buck, and to which Cuba's regime will resort to deny its fundamental failures.
Cuba would love to trade -- collecting in dollars while doling out pesos to
workers -- winning big on the conversion. Why in the world would we want to
finance that? Cuba is bankrupt -- morally and financially -- thanks to 42 years
of oppressive authoritarian rule. There are strong arguments for Americans to
visit the island. But the trade embargo and restrictions, dependent on U.S.
financing, should remain until Cuba moves toward democracy. Without progress on
that front, U.S. trade would merely bolster an amoral government.
Copyright 2001 Miami Herald | 
