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July 21, 2002.
North Dakota governor heading to Cuba on trade trip
Sun Jul 21, 8:11 Pm Et. By Anita Snow, Associated Press
Writer.
HAVANA - American Gov. John Hoeven of North Dakota travels to Cuba on an
agricultural trade mission on Monday as deliveries of U.S. food sales to the
communist island become routine and farm representatives push Congress to make
it easier to sell their products to the Caribbean nation.
Hoeven was scheduled to arrive in Havana on Monday afternoon with
representatives of the North Dakota Farm Bureau and other agricultural groups.
The trip runs through Thursday afternoon.
"Agriculture is a cornerstone of our economy, and potential exports to
Cuba exceed dlrs 37 million a year." Hoeven said earlier this month. "It
is vital that we pursue all legitimate efforts to build bridges between North
Dakota farmers and world markets everywhere to build our long-term prosperity."
The North Dakota governor is the latest high-profile American to visit the
island.
Former U.S. presidential candidate Ralph Nader came in early July and spoke
out against the American embargo on the communist island. Former American
President Jimmy Carter also called for an end to the US. travel and trade
prohibitions when he visited in May, while urging for an opening in Cuba's
controlled socialist system.
Hoeven is the second sitting American governor to visit Cuba in the four
decades since the United States imposed trade sanctions against the
communist-run island. Illinois Gov. George Ryan visited Cuba on similar trade
missions in 1999 and earlier this year; Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura has said he
hopes to visit by year's end.
The North Dakota governor's visit comes as deliveries of American food on
the island become routine.
With the U.S. government's blessing of Hoeven's trip, it "has now
recognied governors are the chief marketing officers of their respective states
for commerce-focused visits to the Republic of Cuba," said U.S.-Cuba trade
specialist John Kavulich.
In an exception to sanctions prohibiting most trade with Cuba, the U.S.
Congress two years ago approved direct commercial sales of food to the Caribbean
country.
Since the first sales in December, Cuba has bought, contracted or confirmed
its intention to buy about 650,000 metric tons (715,000 short tons) of U.S.
agricultural products worth about dlrs 106 million, according to the U.S. Cuba
Trade and Economic Council that Kavulich heads. Food delivered thus far includes
apples, onions, corn, rice, wheat, soy, poultry, vegetable oil, eggs and pork
lard.
U.S. lawmakers from farm states are pushing to end a ban on American
financing of the sales in an effort to make it easier to sell to Cuba. But U.S.
President George W. Bush says he'll veto any more efforts to ease existing
sanctions until Cuba undertakes economic and political reform.
U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat, pushed for the law allowing
sales and argued against the financing restrictions.
Even with cash-only sales, Kavulich has projected that Cuba will buy more
than dlrs 165 million of American food by year's end and more than dlrs 270
million by the end of 2003.
North Dakota companies exported 2,000 metric tons (2,200 short tons) of
dried green peas worth more than half a million dollars to Cuba in June —
the first direct food shipment from the state to the island since U.S. President
John F. Kennedy imposed the trade embargo.
North Dakota led the United States in dried bean production last year and
was second only to Kansas in wheat.
While in Cuba, the delegation expects to meet with Pedro Alvarez, president
of Alimport, the state food import company; visit government and cooperative
farms; and tour a wheat mill and pasta plant.
North Dakota farmers say they'll return to Cuba for the U.S. Food &
Agribusiness Exhibition in Havana Sept. 26-30. They plan to bring live bison to
the exhibition, with hopes of landing a contract to sell fresh bison meat.
Baseball and Cuba's Revolution
Sat Jul 20, 1:20 Pm Et. By Hal Bock, AP Sports Writer.
Pepper Martin was a fun-loving baseball throwback, perpetrator of countless
practical jokes, the engine of the St. Louis Cardinals' Gashouse Gang, a
gregarious, life-of-the-party sort of guy.
Maybe that's why Fidel Castro liked him so much.
After Martin's major league career was over, he was still around the game,
managing and coaching, telling tales about the old Cardinals in the late '50s
when Castro was in the mountains of Cuba, organizing a revolution.
The two converged in the summer of 1959 — Martin managing the
International League Miami Marlins against the Havana Sugar Kings, Castro
arranging for the hasty exit of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista.
Jim Archer, one of Martin's pitchers and later a major leaguer with the
Kansas City Athletics, remembers Castro's arrival in Havana and how thousands of
people would materialize out of nowhere to listen to him.
One night, he remembers Castro doing the listening.
"My roommate was Leo Burke," Archer said. "We were staying in
the Havana Hilton and he woke me up. He said, 'You've got to come downstairs.
You've got to see this.'
"I told him, 'She'd better be pretty, because I'm trying to sleep.'"
Downstairs in the hotel dining room, there was Martin holding court, telling
stories about the Gashouse Gang, talking baseball with Castro.
"Pepper could talk," Archer said. "We sat there talking for
two hours. If Castro didn't have other business, they might still be talking."
This was not a serene time in Cuba. In one raucous game, Rochester Red Wings
coach Frank Verdi and shortstop Leo Cardenas were grazed by random gunshots,
causing players and umpires to beat a hasty retreat to the clubhouse and
bringing a Sugar Kings homestand to an abrupt end.
Another time, Archer was running in the outfield with the other Miami
pitchers when he heard an ominous "pop, pop, pop."
"I asked somebody what that was and he said Batista's men were still in
the city," Archer said. "I made a right turn and said, 'I'm not
running anymore today.'"
Despite the upheaval of the Cuban revolution, Castro and his men found time
for baseball. Once, when the Marlins were in Havana, the team posed for photos
with members of Castro's force. The Cubans came equipped with their rifles,
leaving Archer and his teammates looking a bit dubious about the whole
situation.
Through it all, Martin and Castro became buddies. The Cuban leader would
spend hours after games huddling with his American friend in Havana restaurants,
just talking baseball.
And when Pepper talked, people listened.
"Pepper was like a father to everyone," Archer said. "His
meetings were a riot. I looked forward to them."
Archer remembered free spirit pitcher Mickey McDermott being summoned into
the manager's office for a little heart-to-heart talk. "When he came back,
he had tears in his eyes," Archer said. "Pepper made him cry."
Martin had that ability. Sometimes the tears came from laughter.
Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis admired Martin's record 12 hits in the
1931 World Series. In a rare burst of enthusiasm, the commissioner exclaimed, "Young
man, I'd like to change places with you right now."
Pepper, a keen student of baseball salaries, quipped, "Well, Judge,
$75,000 against $7,500 — I'll swap you."
After his playing days were over, Martin meandered through baseball,
managing and coaching all over the map. He had a checkered record in that role
and sometimes the losing got the best of him.
One time, he got himself suspended for grabbing an umpire by the throat to
emphasize his disagreement with a call. Summoned by the league president, Martin
was asked what he was thinking.
"I was thinking," he said matter-of-factly, "that I'd choke
him to death."
That episode cost him a fine, as well.
Martin, who died in 1965, played 13 seasons for the Cardinals and had a
career batting average of .298. He is among 200 candidates who made the first
cut in the new Hall of Fame system of voting for old-timers' candidates. As many
as 25 could be elected next January.
Castro doesn't get a ballot. If he did, it's a cinch he'd vote for his pal,
Pepper.
U.S. beats Thailand, China tops Cuba in women's volleyball Grand Prix
AP. Sat Jul 20,10:08 AM ET
NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand - Titleholder United States overcame a
surprisingly tough Thailand team Saturday in preliminaries of the World Grand
Prix women's volleyball tournament.
The hosts, who are making their debut in the monthlong competition, went
down in a hard-fought, four-setter, 25-17 17-25 25-21 25-20.
With a considerable height advantage, the American women spiked
spectacularly and took the first set 25-17.
The Thais regained their composure to win the second set with the same
margin of 25-17, thanks to powerful attacks by Patcharee Saengmuang and Anna
Paichinda.
The contest accelerated in the third and fourth sets with the lead changing
hands several times, but the Americans steadied their nerves to win both.
Earlier, China, which crushed Cuba in straight sets in the last week's first
preliminaries, repeated the feat over the reigning world and three-times Olympic
champions, taking a confidence-boosting 30-28 25-23 25-16 victory.
China produced offensive combinations from Yang Hao and Zhang Jing to snare
the first-set thriller 30-28. Cuba came within a whisker of winning the second
set when Ruiz Luaces Yumilka executed several powerful spikes which went
unreturned. However, the Chinese put their act together to win the closely
contested set 25-23.
China continued its aggressive streak in the third set.
"I'm not happy with my team's form in the first set and I had to
replace several players. However, I was quite confident of victory over the
Cubans. Against Thailand tomorrow, I hope my girls will have no problem beating
them," Chinese head coach Chen Zhonghe said after the match.
Cuba next takes on the United States, with the hosts going up against Asia's
powerhouse China on the final day of the second preliminaries in Thailand
Sunday.
Cuba, China, the USA and Thailand are competing in Pool D. The teams meet
again for the third preliminaries July 26-28 in Macao and Mial Li, Taiwan.
Eight teams — China, Brazil, Japan, Russia, Cuba, the United States,
Germany and Thailand — are competing in three round-robin preliminaries of
the 10th World Grand Prix.
The grand finals will take place Aug. 1-4 in Hong Kong among the top three
teams after the completion of the three preliminaries plus hosts China competing
in a single round-robin format.
The winner of the finals gets dlrs 200,000 cash award.
Mexico, Cuba Start Migrant Talks
Sat Jul 20, 1:00 AM ET
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexican officials said they have begun talks with Cuba on
returning people who try to flee the communist island without passports.
Several Cuban citizens have arrived in Mexico aboard rafts or boats in
recent months, raising concern that more migrants might risk their lives to
reach Mexico as earlier waves of migrants risked theirs to reach the United
States.
A similar problem led to 1994-1995 agreements under which U.S. officials
return most Cubans recovered at sea to Cuba and Cuban officials promise not to
take reprisals against returnees.
Cuba complains that American officials undercut that agreement by refusing
to return most Cubans who actually reach U.S. soil.
"The use of sea routes in inadequate craft is a risk that could become
fatal, so the authorities of the two countries will try to avoid it with
firmness and a spirit of collaboration," Mexico's Interior Department said
in a news release Friday.
The Interior Department, which is responsible for internal security and
issuance of visas, gave no details about where the talks were being held or
which officials were participating.
President Mugabe ends Cuba visit saying he won't meet with white farmers
in Zimbabwe
Fri Jul 19, 8:46 PM ET
HAVANA - President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe wrapped up his visit to Cuba on
Friday saying he won't meet with white farmers who have had lands seized in his
country's plan to redistribute property to landless blacks.
"The white farmers have channels" they can use without sitting
down with their nation's president, Mugabe told a news conference. They can
continue their talks about land redistribution with the nation's vice president,
he said.
"They are not satisfied with that level of authority," said
Mugabe. "They think that by virtue of their being British and white they
are more divine than anyone else." But the white farmers "are not
super human beings," he added.
Zimbabwe's government has targeted about 95 percent of farms owned by the
country's white minority for seizure, saying it wants to redistribute them among
landless blacks. The often violent program of seizures has been condemned by
Western governments and has contributed to widespread food shortages.
Mugabe has been increasingly the subject of international criticism and
sanctions after his disputed re-election in March. As his popularity has waned,
he has imposed curbs on journalists and opposition parties, and many critics
have been attacked or threatened with prosecution.
Mugabe, 78, has ruled Zimbabwe since it gained independence from Britain in
1980.
After March elections that independent observers said were riddled with
irregularities, the 15-nation European Union imposed an embargo against Mugabe's
government. The United States also has leveled sanctions.
At Friday's news conference here, Mugabe insisted the elections were free
and clean and saw no need to have his nation's courts validate the results.
"These days, I don't know if Mr. (George W.) Bush won the elections at
all," said Mugabe. "Who voted for him? Only the Supreme Court. In my
case it was our voters."
During Mugabe's four-day stay here, Cuban authorities agreed to continue
providing medical personnel to Zimbabwe and to eventually provide the African
country with any AIDS treatments successfully developed in Cuba in ongoing
research. | 
