The message at Saturday’s travel-and-trade seminar on Cuba was clarion clear – even if a key contributor, Congressman William Delahunt, D-Mass., had to speaker-phone it in.
That message was this: The Cold War-relic relationship between the United States and Cuba is worse than stupid. It’s manifestly counterproductive geopolitically, especially in our own hemisphere, and economically, especially in our own state, region and port. It’s been inhumane in its travel restrictions on Cuban-Americans and anti-American in its travel restrictions on everyone else. Americans, ironically, can travel freely to Iran – but not Cuba.
Attendees were told that nothing less than concerted efforts — from political contributions to letters to the editor to e-mails to incumbent office holders — will do to push leaders, local to national, to do their part in helping undo a half-century of failed American policy toward Cuba. With all the attendant upside.
“Foreign policy shouldn’t be a domestic political issue,” said Florida attorney Tony Martinez, who was an advisor to New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on U.S.-Cuba relations. “The Cuban-American issue is so enmeshed in politics and money. One million dollars in political money is what’s keeping the embargo going. U.S. foreign policy shouldn’t be manipulated to serve a political agenda.”
Some 150 business and political leaders — including Tampa City Council members Tom Scott, Linda Saul-Sena and Mary Mulhern, as well as Clerk of the Circuit Court Pat Frank — heard a series of speakers address the opportunities and benefits of normalized Cuban-American relations. The gathering at Ybor City’s Italian Club was hosted by the Alliance For Responsible Cuba Policy Foundation. Rob Lorei, Managing Editor of “Florida This Week” on WEDU and co-founder of WMNF 88.5 FM, did the moderating.
Rep. Delahunt is the sponsor of the “Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act” (HR 874), which would open up travel to Cuba for all Americans. It has more than 150 Congressional signatories. Significantly none are from Florida. Nada. “It’s important for those in Florida to lead the way,” underscored — and understated — Delahunt.
Indeed, the question is begged as to what incentive the Obama Administration has to move faster on Cuba if no member of Florida’s own delegation can’t muster the political cojones to sign HR 874? Compared to America’s myriad of parlous, geopolitical challenges, Cuba is low-hanging, foreign-policy fruit.
Alliance president Al Fox was noticeably disappointed that neither U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor nor a representative from her office was in attendance. “Kathy Castor is supporting direct (charter) flights from Tampa (to Havana) but doesn’t support the law for most Americans to buy a ticket,” noted Fox. “She’s being very coy here.”
By pushing TIA as a gateway airport to Cuba, Castor is still doing more than her fellow Florida-delegation members. South Florida’s three hardliner amigos, Republican Reps. Diaz Balart, Lincoln Diaz Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, still — despite an eroding, generational base and an evolving Cuban American National Foundation — exercise inordinate leverage when it comes to preserving the status quo on Cuban-American relations. Take Florida Democratic Reps. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Kendrick Meek, to name just two.
It’s simplistic to break this issue down to partisan politics as usual, emphasized Fox. “The top of the Democratic Party and the top of the Republican Party are the same on this,” he said. “They’re both in bed with the crazies in Miami.”
Trade Impact
The economic implications, especially during a recessionary spiral, are considerable. Exports to Cuba were a token $1.3 million in 1992. After the U.S. eased restrictions on food, agriculture and certain medical supplies in 2000 (while stipulating cash on the barrelhead), the numbers ratcheted up. They were $718 million in 2008. Experts at the University of Florida have estimated that Cuba’s agricultural trade could be worth more than $1.7 billion. With its population of 11 million, Cuba is the largest sovereign market in the Caribbean.
And obviously Florida – and the Port of Tampa – stand to benefit more than most. The most modest estimates for Florida are well into nine figures. Currently Florida ports handle about 6 percent of U.S. agricultural and medical products shipped to Cuba.
Ports such as Mobile, New Orleans and even Corpus Christi effectively promote themselves by visiting Cuba regularly. Their obvious game plan: capitalize on near-term opportunities and establish relationships for the post-embargo era that beckons.
No one has ever accused Tampa of such a resourceful strategy.
Rancher John Parke Wright of Naples shared an anecdote from a Corpus Christi colleague with a vested-interest perspective on the Sunshine State and trade with Cuba. “The best thing to happen to Texas is Florida,” noted the Texan.
Tampa Port Authority member Carl Lindell, however, was on hand. Moreover, he’s scheduled to visit Cuba himself later this month along with City Council’s Mulhern. The Port of Tampa, fortuitously enough, is in the process of a major expansion of its container cargo facilities.
“We have no official (Cuban) policy at the Port, but we’re moving in that direction,” said Lindell. “I’m definitely pushing to get the embargo lifted. I will persist. The people should let the politicians know what they want. It’s been 50 years of this. Let’s make something happen. Cuba’s not a threat to us, and it would be a great gesture to all of Latin America. We have nothing to lose, but lots to gain.”
Notably, no one from either the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce or World Trade Center Tampa Bay attended.
First-Hand Experience
One man who knows the potential — and the potential pitfalls – of doing business with Cuba is Richard Walzer, the president of Ft. Lauderdale-based Splash Tropical Drinks. His juice and daiquiri concentrates have found a profitable market in the Cuban tourist industry the last seven years. His multimillion-dollar business has grown by 20 percent annually.
“You have to get to know the system,” he told attendees. “It can be a maze.” It’s critical, stressed Walzer, to “build political relationships and trust with the Cubans. It’s a step-by-step process. And tourism is where the economy is going.” He envisions, he said, a Vietnam (communist-capitalist) model.
“It will be more difficult after the transition (from the Castro brothers),” he cautioned, “for those who hadn’t established a foundation. The Cubans want to deal with individuals that they’ve been dealing with.”
Another entrepreneur who has experienced success in trading with Cuba is Mike Mauricio, owner and president of Tampa-based Florida Produce Co. “I found the Cubans very loyal,” he said. “They will treat you like family. Sometimes I bring my wife.
“I’ve never been yelled at or blamed for the embargo,” he pointed out. “Never any ‘Yankee go home.’ But I’ve been talked to badly around Tampa and Miami.”
Mauricio got off on the right foot, he explained, when he satisfactorily answered the Cubans’ question as to whether he was a Democrat or Republican. “I said ‘I’m not a Democrat or a Republican,’ he recalled. “I said, ‘I’m a capitalist.’ That broke the ice…Everything you can think of is needed in Cuba.”
Smith Weighs In
And no serious gathering on the subject of Cuban-American relations would be complete without the eminent presence of Wayne Smith. The former chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana (under both Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan) is a senior fellow and director of the Cuba Program at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for International Policy. He’s lived much of the history that haunts yet another American Administration.
“I feel like we’ve been down this road before,” intoned Smith, who acknowledged a level of disappointment with President Obama’s minimalist approach, especially his ball’s-in-Cuba’s-court response to the “everything’s on the table” talk from Raul Castro. Obama made it clear that the 47-year-old trade embargo was not negotiable until Cuba makes progress in human rights and democracy.
“That’s never going to work,” stated Smith, meaning that such a quid pro quo amounted to a slap at Cuban “sovereignty.” He also called the Supreme Court’s refusal to review the (espionage) convictions of the “Cuban Five” a “national disgrace” despite calls from Nobel Prize winners and international legal groups to do just that. Something about a fair trial in Castro-hating Miami.
“Easing restrictions on travel and remittances for Cuban-Americans and planning talks on migration are virtually the only thing the Obama Administration has done,” added Smith. “We expected more. He could lift all travel restriction with a stroke of a pen, for example. And he could take Cuba off the terrorist list, because there’s no shred of evidence that Cuba is a state sponsor of terrorism.
“We need to insist that something more be done,” urged Smith. “We understand Cuba is not a priority matter, but it could be so easily handled. Let’s hope for the future and push in that direction.”