U.S. says no to 2 nd food show in Cuba

*free and democratic*??? The Bushies playing politics with US business interests in order to pacify the anti-Cuba fanatics who stole the 2000 election for them.

<clips>

The U.S. State and Treasury departments turned down a request by 10 U.S. senators, including Arkansas’ Blanche Lincoln, to hold a second U.S. food exhibition in Cuba because of the nation’s "recent repressive actions."

The senators, including Lincoln, D-Ark., sent the departments a letter in July requesting a reversal of a June 2 decision that denied a license to hold a second round of food and healthcare exhibits in Cuba next year.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control cited Cuba’s April imprisonment of government opponents and journalists and the executions of three men who had hijacked a passenger ferry in trying to flee the island.

U.S. companies have a different perspective on how to help Cuba’s 11 million people. The island, just 90 miles off the coast of Florida, has moved up into the top 10 export markets for chicken, according to the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council.

A widely successful food and agribusiness exhibit in Cuba in September 2002 resulted in an extra $92 million in sales for U.S. businesses, including Arkansas rice and poultry companies, according to the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council.

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/story_Business.php?storyid=43414

happy to ignore the bipartisan majority and support the extremist right wing minority instead. That's the democratic way apparently.

I guess Arnold is sexier. :shrug:

especially considering the slew of articles today about Cuba in preparation for the Summit tomorrow.

Looks like DUhers are going to swallow Bush's propaganda hook, line and sinker no questions asked despite the bipartisan majority that's a hair away from lifting the travel ban and hence the embargo.

DUhers have no one to blame but themselves if Americans remain travel banned and self-embargoed and the laughing stock of the planet for many more years to come at this rate.

and they tried to interfere with him from the very beginning, even stooping as low as to suggest he was going to Cuba (along with a retinue of Minnesota farmers, agricultural businessmen, etc.) to pursue "sexual adventurism."

This happened before the crackdown on U.S.-paid "dissidents" in Cuba happened, after Cuban agents within their ranks disclosed they had been receiving BIG CHUNCKS OF CHANGE from the U.S.

Pure right-wing power playing. More balanced people would never dream of getting this shabby and stupid.

the last few lines of this article concerning President Lula da Silva were interesting:

(snip) More than fours decades of U.S. economic sanctions against Cuba have no sign of abating as long as Castro remains in power, but Brazil considers the island an important trade partner no matter what the United States says.

That kind of brashness has surely staggered some investors' confidence in Brazil and could prove devastating in the long run. Lula, however, appears to be waging that a strong front on Brazil's part can stand up to U.S. strong-arming.

"Whoever wagers against Brazil is going to lose," said Lula Thursday -- bold talk when confronting a United States seemingly intent on ratifying its version of free trade, among other priorities, like keeping Cuba as economically isolated as possible.

Whether or not Lula walks the walk of his bold talk remains to be seen. (snip/...)

http://investor.stockpoint.com/newsstory.asp?Mode=ecuador&Story=20030926/269w3469.xml