Turned-away supplies were for U.S. diplomats
By Christopher Calnan. Times-Union staff writer.
Jacksonville.com. Thursday, May 3,
2001
A document released by the U.S. Customs Service yesterday confirmed reports
that a Jacksonville-based ship turned away from the port of Havana nearly two
weeks ago carried supplies for U.S. diplomats.
Release of the ship's manifest came just two days after U.S. State
Department officials said the department had household items for U.S. diplomats
working in Cuba aboard the ship called the Orso. The manifest lists four 20-foot
shipping containers with household effects, office supplies and three vehicles.
Orso, which is owned by an Antigua company but leased by Crowley Liner
Services, left Jacksonville for Cuba April 19; it was turned away on April 21.
The shipment was supposed to be the first major delivery of cargo to Cuba since
an embargo was instituted nearly 40 years ago.
Details about the cargo and its origin have been kept secret for weeks, and
Customs released the manifest only after news organizations filed requests under
the Freedom of Information Act.
The Cuba cargo contained 63 items bound for the U.S. Interest Section in the
Swiss Embassy in Havana.
Crowley spokesman Mark Miller said the company never claimed the shipment
contained humanitarian goods. That was a description that came from people
speculating about the cargo, he said.
Previous to 1996, U.S. government agencies were allowed to ship diplomatic
cargo directly from the United States. But then Cuba prohibited that, and the
U.S. government has since shipped through third countries, including Costa Rica
and Panama, according to the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council Inc.
And the United States has never allowed the Cubans to ship goods directly to
their diplomats in the United States, council president John Kavulich said.
A U.S. State Department official said earlier this week the department
thought it would be quicker and cheaper to send the cargo directly. But it's
unclear why the department thought Cuba would allow the shipment now when it has
been prohibited from doing so for five years.
State Department officials couldn't be reached for comment.
Miller said he didn't know whether the company was aware of Cuba's policy
regarding U.S. diplomatic cargo before the attempted shipment.
Cuban officials notified a Mexico-based Crowley executive the night before
the company planned to dock in Havana that the ship wasn't authorized to arrive
at the port, Kavulich said.
Cuba's actions had at least three possible explanations, he said. The Cuban
government didn't want to allow the diplomatic cargo because the United States
doesn't reciprocate; media attention at the port was at a high level; or
officials didn't want to reinforce the impression that the commercial
relationship between the two countries was changing.
In February, Crowley became the first shipping line to get a license from
the Treasury Department to send humanitarian donations, commercial food and
medical supplies to Cuba that are allowed under the Trade Sanctions Reform and
Export Enhancement Act approved by Congress last year.
Miller said although many potential shippers have contacted Crowley about
future business, no shipments are currently scheduled for Cuba.
Crowley, which is a subsidiary of Oakland, Calif.-based Crowley Maritime
Corp., operates two marine terminals in Jacksonville. | 