Cuba seeks to buy US materials for Ike recovery

AP on Yahoo ^ | 9/11/08 | Anita Snow - ap

[NormsRevenge]

HAVANA – Cuba has turned down U.S. storm relief handouts, but is asking for trade restrictions to be lifted so it can buy American materials to assist in its recovery from Hurricane Ike, officials said Thursday.

"Cuba hasn't asked the United States government to give it anything," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement ...

[NormsRevenge]

South Africa Thursday said it has given its 2008 humanitarian award
to former Cuban president Fidel Castro, seen here in 2006,
for his contributions to "humankind beyond boundaries."(AFP/File/Juan Mabromata)

[NormsRevenge]

oops, caption correction bold-wise. should have been

South Africa Thursday said it has given its 2008 humanitarian award
to former Cuban president Fidel Castro, seen here in 2006,
for his contributions to "humankind beyond boundaries."
(AFP/File/Juan Mabromata)

[NormsRevenge]

View of houses damaged by Hurricane Gustav in Nueva Gerona, Cuba. Cuba's longtime leader Fidel Castro said Gustav hit his country like a nuclear blast, and estimated it would take three to four billion dollars to cope with the emergency. (AFP/Claudia Daut)

[onedoug]

Seems reasonable to me.

[aruanan]

I heard some moron commenting on a news broadcast that Cuba is struggling to cope with the storm because of the U.S. embargo against Cuba. Did this reporter know that every other country can, and does, trade with Cuba?

[zek157]

Siento mucho, pero no.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Since Cuba’s money is worthless, what would be the method of payment ?

[Lurker]

Since Cuba’s money is worthless, what would be the method of payment ?

I suggest the following:

Cuban Rum.

Cuban cigars.

That is all.

L

[stefanbatory]

Cuban Baseball Players?

Or is that illegal?

[aruanan]

Since Cuba’s money is worthless, what would be the method of payment ?

Cuba ships tobacco and rum in exchange for foreign currency. They used to ship soldiers, too. In Cuba, so I've heard, people want to get paid in foreign currency which they can use to buy stuff within their own economy.

[The Bronze Titan]

This is Castro's Cuba

BEFORE

it was hit by Hurricane Ike...

This was Cuba

BEFORE

it was hit by

HURRICANCE CASTRO

in 1959...

Courtesy of TheRealCuba.com

[Ebenezer]

ping

So this is the "worker's paradise" the independentistas want for Puerto Rico.

[Liberty Valance]

Amazing photos. Thanks for posting.

[Ebenezer]

"Cuba hasn't asked the United States government to give it anything," the Foreign Ministry said in the Communist Party newspaper Granma. "Simply that it lets us buy."

Because the houses of the government/party bosses need some repairs.

In any event, the request puts the Cuban government in somewhat of a dilemma. It has to swallow its anti-Yankee/anti-capitalist pride and acknowledge it needs the U.S. to rebuild.

[Ebenezer]

Of course there was poverty and corruption under Batista (where in Latin America do you find neither?), and yet pre-Castro Cuba was prosperous enough and enjoying favor from the U.S.

[Eagle Eye]

If the first 40 years of sanction didn’t work, why not try another 40 years?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

There's news reports that after a deal is struck with the Cubans (you can only deal with the government) suppliers must take inflated-value barter goods and be short-paid by 15 or 20 percent.