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September 223, 2002
Hurricane Isidore churns toward Yucatan Peninsula after causing heavy
flooding in western Cuba
Sun Sep 22, 6:50 Am Et. By Jose Luis Magana, Associated
Press Writer
CANCUN, Mexico - Hurricane Isidore swirled off Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on
Sunday, dumping heavy rain on the sparsely populated coast and gaining strength
and ferocity.
Already a powerful category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of near 125 mph
(205 kph), Isidore threatened to strengthen as it moved toward the warm waters
of the Yucatan.
If it attains winds of 131 mph (210 kph), Isidore would become a dangerous
category 4 storm with Mexico, Louisiana and Texas most likely to feel the brunt,
forecasters said.
At 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT), the storm was centered about 55 miles (88.5
kilometers) northwest of Cabo Catoche on Yucatan's northeastern tip. It was
slowly drifting west at 8 mph (12.9 kph).
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami predicted Isidore would turn
slightly to the south, with the core coming very close to Yucatan's north coast
and possibly ashore.
Authorities canceled school for nearly half a million children Monday,
scrapped dozens of flights at Cancun's international airport and set up more
than 2,000 emergency shelters to house families affected by extensive flooding
the storm was expected to bring to coastal areas.
Police and soldiers evacuated more than 20,000 people from fishing
communities near the peninsula's northeastern tip, busing them to cities further
inland.
Authorities also ordered hundreds of people off Isla Mujeres, an island near
Cancun that is popular with scuba divers. When 600 residents refused to leave
their homes, the navy used small boats to cruise from village to village and
enforce the mandatory evacuations.
Emergency crews said they were ready to evacuate 50,000 more people in seven
cities and towns elsewhere along the coast. Expecting flash-flood waters,
officials declared a state of emergency in 12 cities and towns in Yucatan state
and in one city in the neighboring state of Quintana Roo, where Cancun is
located.
"This could be the biggest evacuation of people for a hurricane in the
history of the state," said Yucatan Gov. Patricio Patron.
Mexico declared a hurricane warning from the Mayan ruins at Tulum to the
city of Progresso, an area including the island of Cozumel.
By early Sunday in Cancun, the wind was howling and trees were swaying
violently under a steady rain. But there had been no evacuations there, and no
rushes on grocery stores. The airport remained open.
Isidore hit western Cuba on Friday with 100 mph (161 kph) winds and
torrential rains, which continued into Saturday. The amount of damage was
unclear, but a tour of the affected region found heavy flooding across the
western part of the island.
Forecasters said the tail of the storm could bring another 10 inches (25.4
centimeters) of rain to Cuba.
Some communities in the extreme west were reachable only by helicopter, the
Communist Youth newspaper Juventud Rebelde reported. Local reservoirs were
filled to overflowing.
Authorities were analyzing the damage done to citrus crops on the small Isle
of Youth, south of Cuba's main island, which was battered by the storm's high
winds and heavy rains on Friday.
"The hurricane was a strong blow, but manageable," President Fidel
Castro said Friday.
When it reached Cuba, Isidore was far weaker than Hurricane Michelle, a
category 4 storm that battered the central part of the island last November,
causing an estimated dlrs 1.8 billion dollars in damage.
Isidore is the second Atlantic hurricane of the 2002 season. Gustav, which
dwindled out in the north Atlantic earlier this month, was the first hurricane
of the season, which began June 1 and ends Nov. 30.
On the Net:
National Hurricane Center,
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
Baby buffalo and other livestock arrive in Cuba for U.S. agribusiness
expo
Sat Sep 21, 2:13 Pm Et . By Anita Snow, Associated Press
Writer
HAVANA - Sniffing and snorting inside their wooden crates, baby buffalo,
pigs, sheep and cows arrived Saturday in Cuba, where they will be a main
attraction at a major U.S. agribusiness expo.
"We hope to do a lot of business with the Cuban people as time goes on,"
said Ralph Kaehler of Kaehler's Homedale Farms in St. Charles, Minnesota. His
family firm will be showing the livestock at the five-day show being held in
Havana beginning on Thursday.
"For us, it's a real privilege to be involved in this. When we move
into a new market, it's real exciting," he said.
The U.S. Food and Agribusiness Exhibition is the first trade show of its
kind to be held here since U.S. trade sanctions were imposed on the
communist-run island four decades ago.
As of early September, 234 American companies, organizations and state
offices from 32 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico had confirmed
they would participate in the event, according to the U.S.-Cuba Trade and
Economic Council of New York.
The council, which tracks the Cuban economy, said in its most recent report
that participating exhibitors collectively market more than 3,000 products.
Participants hope their products will whet Cuban officials' appetites for
more American food and agricultural products, prompting Havana to keep
purchasing their goods under a relatively new U.S. law.
The 2000 law allows direct commercial sales of U.S. food and agricultural
products to Cuba in an exception to the long-standing trade sanctions. Sales
must be in cash.
At first, Cuban officials refused to buy "a single grain of rice"
under the law because it barred American financing for the transactions.
But Fidel Castro's government began taking advantage of the law in November
after Hurricane Michelle devastated central Cuba and it was forced to dip into
its food reserves to feed storm victims.
Since then, Cuba has purchased more than 120 million dollars of American
food under the law, including beans, peas, rice, wheat, chicken parts —
even apples.
Castro said Friday he planned to stop by the trade fair. "We are happy
they are coming," the president told reporters after presiding over a
gathering of regional economists.
As for buying more food from U.S. producers, "for a time it will be
beneficial to do it," Castro said.
The exhibition comes amid increasing pressure by American opponents of the
trade sanctions — including many Republican lawmakers. Many U.S. food and
agricultural firms want the chance to sell their products in Cuba.
U.S. President George W. Bush and many Cuban exile leaders in Florida insist
that the sanctions should not be eased until Castro's socialist government
embraces democratic and free-market reforms.
INS Settles Anti-Cuba Bias Lawsuit
Sat Sep 21, 8:17 Am Et . By Catherine Wilson, Associated
Press Writer.
MIAMI (AP) - The Immigration and Naturalization Service settled a lawsuit
alleging its Miami offices fostered anti-Cuban and anti-Hispanic sentiments and
retaliated against an agent who aired bias accusations after the armed raid to
seize Elian Gonzalez.
Friday's settlement came just days before the federal whistle-blower
lawsuit, brought by INS agent Ricardo Ramirez, had been scheduled to go to
trial. Most terms of the settlement are secret, but the court will monitor its
enforcement.
Ramirez, a 17-year veteran of the agency, claimed he has been the target of
about 20 internal complaints since he spoke out after the armed federal raid to
seize Elian from the home of his Miami relatives in April 2000.
Ramirez claimed a picture of Elian bearing the words "Kick me" was
taped to a box, encouraging passers-by to vent their frustration with the
slow-moving tug of war between the boy's Miami relatives and his father in Cuba.
Elian was eventually returned to his father's custody.
INS agents also testified they saw cup holders bearing a crossed-out image
of a Cuban flag, "banana republic" banners and swastikas on display at
the Miami office.
In a hearing in May, a federal judge said he was troubled by "persuasive
evidence" of anti-Cuban sentiment at the agency's local office. But the
judge dismissed the discrimination complaint, saying he didn't have
jurisdiction.
Several agents who testified at an administrative hearing in April differed
on whether the sentiments were widespread, encouraged from supervisors or simply
tolerated.
Ramirez said Friday that he was pleased with the settlement. He had asked
for a transfer to Texas and the removal of items from his personnel file that
involved his accusations.
Neither he nor his attorney would say whether he would transfer or receive a
financial settlement. The agreement does call for a file purge.
The lawsuit was filed on Ramirez' behalf by Judicial Watch, a conservative
Washington-based group that pursues alleged government corruption and abuse. The
group has sued for information about Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task
force and repeatedly sued the Clinton White House.
In March, a federal judge dismissed a separate lawsuit in which Ramirez
claimed he was harassed for reporting alleged anti-Cuban bias in the agency
after the Elian case.
On the Net:
Judicial Watch:
http://www.judicialwatch.org
Cuba to Hold Agricultural Trade Fair
Fri Sep 20, 5:11 PM ET
HAVANA (AP) - President Fidel Castro said he is looking forward to next
week's trade fair of American food products in Cuba, adding that his nation
plans to keep buying agricultural products from U.S. firms.
Presiding over the close of a Western Hemisphere economists' gathering,
Castro told reporters early Friday he would attend the four-day fair beginning
Sept. 26.
"We are happy they are coming," Castro said of the more than 200
American agricultural firms and organizations scheduled to participate.
As for making more direct purchases of food from U.S. producers, "for a
time it will be beneficial to do it," Castro said.
A U.S. law passed in 2000 created an exception to the four-decade American
trade embargo against Cuba, allowing American firms to directly sell food and
agricultural products to the Caribbean nation.
At first, Castro's government refused to buy "a single grain of rice"
under the law because it barred American financing for the sales, making them
more difficult.
But the government began taking advantage of the law in November after
Hurricane Michelle devastated central Cuba and it was forced to dip into its
food reserves to feed storm victims.
Since then, Cuba has purchased more than $120 million of American food under
the law, including beans, peas, rice, wheat, chicken and apples.
Castro insisted that Cuba and the United States would both benefit from
improved relations. "Today, no country is self-sufficient; all countries
need the collaboration of others," he said.
The 76-year-old leader, now in his 43rd year in power, joked about how he
would feel if Washington lifted restrictions that make it virtually impossible
for American tourists to visit Cuba.
"I have sometimes said in jest that when it happens, we are going to
have to find a new place to move to," Castro said. "Can you imagine a
million Americans, traveling all over the republic?" | 
