Cuba omitted in plan to ease US food, medicine bans
11:48 p.m. Sep 21, 1999 Eastern
By Charles Abbott

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Cuba, the target of a four-decade-old U.S. embargo, was omitted from a proposal by congressional Republicans on Tuesday to exempt food and medicine exports from unilateral embargoes.

The language was offered as a compromise that would speedily resolve disagreements over a major change in U.S. policy on trade sanctions. Senators voted 70-28 last month for a blanket exemption for food and medicine sales to all nations while refusing to allow U.S. export credits to nations suspected of supporting terrorism and requiring annual licenses for those sales.

Under pressure from House Republican leaders, who oppose any change in the Cuba embargo, the proposal was rewritten for the start of House-Senate negotiations on farm aid.

``The House insisted on some conditions,'' said Senator Thad Cochran, Mississippi Republican in charge of the negotiations. The revisions were a disappointment to farm groups, who believe Cuba could quickly become a lucrative, nearby market for U.S. ag exports. They have focused on Cuba following recent Clinton administration decisions to ease restrictions on trade with North Korea, Iran, Libya and Sudan.

At least two senators were expected to try to return to the original language on Cuba. A farm lobbyist said there might also be an attempt to remove the restrictions on sales to authoritarian nations if no change was allowed on Cuba. ``I feel very strongly we need to retain the Senate position,'' said North Dakota Democrat Byron Dorgan, who contended the U.S. embargo hurt U.S. farmers but had not dislodged Fidel Castro as Cuba's leader. ``When you do that for 40 years, that's like aiming at your foot (with a gun) and gloating you hit it,'' Dorgan said. Missouri Republican Jo Ann Emerson, one of the House negotiators, said she supported an easing of sanctions on Cuba. ``You can't have Freedom to Farm and sanctions simultaneously,'' said Emerson, referring to the 1996 law that encouraged U.S. farmers to pursue profits in the marketplace.

Commentary by Paul Davidson This unsurprising result is nevertheless appalling in that the crudest values are expressed by both sides in Congress and we are not one step forwards. Only humanity can win this battle ...and humanity begins when the appeal comes from the heart, not from the stomach. It is the dignity of the Texas or Mississippi rice farmer that should be expressed through their demands to end the food (export) embargo, not their economic endeavour "to pursue profits in the marketplace." It is the moral argument that can rouse the nation, not the sectoral demand of a 'farm' sector (ie. corporate agro-business). And witness how the contras themselves cynically use the 'moral' argument and chastise corporate greed and 'capitalism' for wishing to make a quick buck at the expense of Cuban 'human rights.'

Today the African-American Mississippi rice farmer is being forced off the land by a conspiracy of agro-business, racism and institutional discrimination that originates at the centres of power. For him/her, Cuba is a brother/sister nation which calls out as a friend in need, a brother in arms and a dignifier of human labour. I copy below an article written last year based on an experience in the 8th US-Cuba Friendshipment caravan.

The legislation, if passed, would aid Cuba economically. It will come up again and the alliances will be broader. We also need to inject what human dignity we can into this 'reform' campaign. Also to understand fully that the humanisation' of the blockade (projected if the legislation eventually passes)would be a propaganda weapon for the other side to be used against us. Whilst supporting and building the legislative initiatives, our heart and soul should be in the life-long fight for dignity, sovereignty and humanity which the Cuban process exemplifies and which alone can guarantee progress.

Forging Links on the Mississippi Delta:

By Paul Davidson, July 1998

Situated on the Mississippi Delta 40 miles north of Yazoo City, Belzoni is a small town where the police patrol car followed caravanistas around step for step. "They're just trying to protect us," said Doris, the hotel proprietor where we stayed, "We're not used to too many strangers around here."

Our contact was Rev. Ronald Myers Sr. M.D., a Baptist minister, medical doctor, jazz musician and labour organiser who had been recently involved in a struggle of local catfish workers with their employer, Delta Pride.

The counties surrounding Yazoo are some of the poorest in the US and also have the highest proportion of Black farmers. A major crop is rice for which Cuba was the main market. Now that food exports to Cuba are prohibited, Myers told us, competition for markets is fierce. Black farmers are struggling to hold onto their land. A powerful combination of government agencies and private banks is forcing many into foreclosure. Currently around 400 Black farmers are suing the US Dept. of Agriculture for $2 bn. in damages for years of discrimination.

We met Rev. Myers after he had recently returned from the inaugral meeting of the National African-American Farmers Coalition. Myers told us, "Black Mississippi Delta farmers want to sell food to Cuba. They would be glad to grow as much food as Cuba can buy."

Rev. Myers works closely with Lloyd Moore, executive-director of the Mississippi Delta Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association. In a May 16th article in the Yazoo Herald Lloyd stated, "As a representative of thousands of Mississippi Delta farmers I make an appeal based on good Christian principles and good common sense. Let's stop wasting everyone's time adding more bureaucratic layers to an already faltering system. Let's sell Cubans the food and medicines they need for their own good, and for our own." Lloyd Moore is also working hard to get HR1951 (the bill that exempts food and medicine from the blockade) through Congress.

The following day, a group of Black rice farmers presented caravanistas with two symbolic bags of Mississippi Delta rice to be delivered to Cuba as an act of friendship and unity.


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