[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 28, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1978]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           LISTEN TO THE MIAMI HERALD ON AGRICULTURE SPENDING

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                        HON. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 28, 1999

  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call to your attention 
the following insightful editorial, which recently appeared in the 
Miami Herald. I believe they make an excellent case as to why financed 
sales to the Cuban dictatorship would not benefit the Cuban people.

       Food Sales to Cuba Will Benefit Only the Repressive Regime

       The idea of allowing U.S. firms freely to sell food and 
     medicine to Cuba seems unassailable from afar, a humanitarian 
     gesture toward deprived people, as well as good business for 
     American farmers.
       But that's a huckster's pitch being promulgated by U.S. 
     business interests that either misunderstand the way Cuba's 
     politically regimented economy works, or that are trying to 
     break the U.S. trade embargo. Congress shouldn't fall for the 
     pitch to legalize unrestricted food and medicine sales to 
     Cuba.
       This isn't about humanitarianism: Selling supplies to the 
     totalitarian regime responsible for so much human misery in 
     no way ensures that any benefits would trickle down to the 
     people of Cuba. This is about money--including money for the 
     regime's repressive machinery.
       In Washington this week, the U.S. farm lobby is bringing to 
     a climax its orchestrated campaign against trade sanctions in 
     general and to open Cuba to grain sales specifically. 
     Dreaming about yearly sales that they think could reach $2 
     billion within five years, farm groups appear eager to extend 
     plenty of credits and take Cuban sugar or rum in barter. 
     Listen to David Frey, the Kansas Wheat Commission 
     administrator: ``With Cuba's stressed economic situation, we 
     are talking about a long-term deal before they are paying 
     cash for a lot of wheat. There will be a time when they will 
     be able . . . to pay cash.''
       Mr. Frey and his allies are deluding themselves if they 
     believe that selling wheat to a government with no hard 
     currency and a history of stiffing business partners is going 
     to save America's farmers. Equally deluded are those well 
     meaning people who think that selling such materials will 
     alleviate the suffering of the average Cuban.
       Remember that this is the regime that ruined Cuban 
     agriculture and other industry in the first place. While 
     Cuba's fertile soil and waters no longer produce enough to 
     feed its ration-card weary people, the regime serves lobster 
     to tourists. While Cuban children can't get asthma medication 
     on any given night, foreigners paying for surgery get first-
     world medicines.
       Measures to allow licensed sales of food and medicine were 
     attached to an agriculture appropriations bill by the Senate 
     last month. U.S. Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-
     Lehtinen, both from Miami, helped kill the deal by attaching 
     a provision that would make such sales contingent on Cuba 
     having free elections.
       That should end it. Better access to food and medicine 
     isn't going to solve Cuba's biggest problem. Ridding itself 
     of an odious state will.

     

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