|
Comment on this article |
Email this Article
|
|
News :: Miscellaneous |
|
1st US Shipment of Food to Cuba in 40 Years A Sign of Hope for Better Relations |
Current rating: 0 |
by Interview by Between the Lines' Denise Manzar
Email: betweenthelines (nospam) snet.net (unverified!)
Address: ©2001 Between the Lines C/O WPKN Radio, Bridgeport, Connecticut USA. |
21 Dec 2001
|
|
Lucius Walker is with the Inter-religious Foundation for Community Organization, or IFCO and is the founder of Pastors for Peace. He spoke with Denise Manzari about this first food shipment and its implications for the future. |
1st U.S. Shipment of Food to Cuba in 40 Years A Sign of Hope for Better Relations
Interview by Between the Lines' Denise Manzari.
While much of America is focused on the U.S. war against terrorism in Aghanistan and the capture of Osama bin Laden, history was made on Dec. 16 when an American ship pulled into Havana harbor. The vessel was carrying almost 60 million pounds of corn and medicine, purchased by the Cuban government to replenish supplies destroyed by Hurricane Michelle.
The purchase was made possible last year when Congress passed legislation which would exempt food and medicine from the trade embargo, which made it impossible for Cuba to purchase American goods for the past 40 years.
When the U.S. stipulated that all purchases by Cuba would be on a cash-only basis, Cuban President Fidel Castro responded by saying his country would not buy one grain of rice under those conditions, but stated that the recent purchases were made due to a state of emergency.
For years, many U.S. farmers and big agribusinesses have lobbied to end or ease the economic embargo. They consider this first transaction a victory, despite the hard line of the Bush administration against Cuba and the continued lobbying against any future warming of relations between the U.S. and Cuba by right-wing anti-Castro groups in New Jersey and Miami.
Lucius Walker is with the Inter-religious Foundation for Community Organization, or IFCO and is the founder of Pastors for Peace. He spoke with Denise Manzari about this first food shipment and its implications for the future.
Contact IFCO by calling (212) 926-5757 at www.ifconews.org
To receive Between The Lines Weekly Summary and/or Q&A, email btlsummary-subscribe (at) topica.com and/or btlqa-subscribe (at) topica.com |
See also:
http://www.wpkn.org/wpkn/news/btl122801.html
|
