Analysts:U.S. businesses could make billions of dollars in Cuba

[Judi Lynn]

Analysts: U.S. businesses could make billions of dollars in Cuba
By JOHN PAIN, Associated Press
June 11, 2004

CORAL GABLES — U.S. companies would have billions of dollars in economic opportunities if the American trade embargo on Cuba were lifted, but the communist nation's economy would have to be modernized before reaping those benefits, panels of experts said Thursday.

Agriculture, tourism and telecommunications would be among the areas of most opportunity, and U.S. exports to Cuba could reach about $1 billion a year if the expansive trade restrictions in place for more than four decades are removed, said speakers at a conference organized by Florida International University.
The typical Cuban eats much less meat today than during the 1980s, when the Soviet Union was the major trading partner with Cuba, said James Ross, a food and agriculture professor at the University of Florida. That scarcity leaves an opening for U.S. cattle, pork and poultry producers without an embargo, he said.
(snip)

Much of Cuba's tourism infrastructure, such as its ports and hotels, is also outdated and would have to be renovated to handle a larger influx of visitors, said Maria Dolores Espino, an associate professor at St. Thomas University.

That's also the case of Cuba's telecommunications network, which dates to before Castro's rise to power in 1959, said Eloisa Regalado, an international lawyer for AT&T Corp. Most of the cables used by the phone system are coaxial, not modern fiber optics, she said.
(snip/...)

http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/business/article/0,2071,NPDN_14901_2954251,00.html

[Judi Lynn]

1. Mexico's foreign relations secretary to travel to Cuba to help smooth over

Mexico's foreign relations secretary to travel to Cuba to help smooth over relations

TRACI CARL, Associated Press Writer
Thursday, June 10, 2004


(06-10) 11:43 PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) --

Mexico's foreign relations secretary will travel to Cuba in July, part of an ongoing effort to smooth over relations between the two nations.

Luis Ernesto Derbez said Thursday he will travel to Cuba on July 18 to meet with his counterpart, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque. The meeting is an effort to overcome differences that resulted in both countries withdrawing their respective ambassadors.
(snip)

Officials also said members of Cuba's Communist Party were holding unauthorized political meetings in Mexico, and took offense at comments by Cuban leader Fidel Castro that Mexican President Vicente Fox was a lackey of the United States.

On May 2, Mexico announced it was withdrawing its ambassador from Havana, and Cuba responded by doing the same with its ambassador in Mexico City. Historically, Mexico has been Cuba's strongest ally in the region. But relations have become strained under Fox, whose administration has criticized Cuba's human rights record.
(snip/...)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/06/10/international1151EDT6274.DTL

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It's good to see that Mexico and Cuba are getting back to the close relationship they had before _Bush was not elected.

[Mika]

2. Maintaining the myth of a backwards Cuba that needs corporate government

... so the potential for growth is enormous, she said

Ummm... wouldn't lifting the US's travel ban on American travel dramatically increase available revenues for Cuba to upgrade its infrastructure? Yes.

Where does Kerry stand on this?

He says that American tourists should NOT go to Cuba, so his admin will only allow "principled travel" to Cuba.

He {Kerry} said Friday, though, that he would lift only the ban on Cuba travel that is not ''pure tourism,''
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/8848574.htm

Kerry's stated policy on Cuba:
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/8848574.htm

Cuba will remain under US sanctions

We will still be travel banned unless our travel is deemed politically worthy by US gov jackboots


Democratic Party members, this pandering to the right wing Cuban "exile" community must come to an end.



Mr Kerry, Tear down the wall!

[David Dunham]

3. Kerry needs some Cuban votes to win FL. Gore blew it on Elian.

[struggle4progress]

4. Hey! Let's all invest in Cuba!

[Judi Lynn]

5. This could easily be the year the entire picture shifts

So much momentum has built up in the House and the Senate that it's well within the range of possibility that both Democrats and Republicans will be able to secure the long awaited veto-proof legislation they both want to block _Bush but GOOD from being able to get his way by keeping the embargo and travel ban in place, as he tries to grind Cuba down to a fine powder.

He's surely going the wrong direction here.

[struggle4progress]

6. American business has been trying to end the embargo for years

Assuming you're right, progressives should reach out to the business community on this one.