American business people sign millions in deals with island nation

By TRACEY EATON / The Dallas Morning News

HAVANA – Even as Washington steps up the pressure on Fidel Castro's government, hundreds of American business people swept into Havana on Wednesday to sign tens of millions of dollars in trade deals with Cuba.

The Bush administration has taken a hard line on Cuba, seeking to cut off the flow of cash to the island nation, strangle the economy and force Mr. Castro from power. U.S. officials say that is one way to bring about a rapid, peaceful transition to democracy in Cuba.

But farmers, rice growers, shipping company executives and others from Texas, Florida, Alabama and other states say forget about Cold War politics and let's make a deal.

"More than 50,000 Americans were killed in Vietnam. But we do business with Vietnam. We do business with Red China. Why not do business with Cuba?" said Terry Coleman, a Democrat and speaker of Georgia's House of Representatives.

"Cuba should be one of our closest allies and trading partners in the hemisphere," said Mr. Coleman, who joined the Americans promoting trade with Havana.

The United States slapped a brutal economic embargo on Cuba in the early 1960s, but in 1991 began allowing American companies to sell food and agricultural products to the socialist nation.

Since then, American companies have sold $733 million in products to the country, according to the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council in New York. Cuban officials on Wednesday said the figure was even higher – an estimated $894 million now, and expected to surpass $1 billion by year's end.

Exact numbers aside, one thing's certain: Trade continues between the hemispheric neighbors even as relations sink.

In the latest diplomatic stink, Cuba demanded that U.S. officials take down Christmas lights in front of their office, known as the U.S. Interests Section. The reason: The display includes a huge No. 75, a tribute to 75 dissidents, journalists, librarians and pro-democracy activists jailed and sentenced to harsh prison terms in spring 2003. More than a dozen have since been released for medical reasons.

James Cason, chief of the U.S. mission, said Cuban officials told him to get rid of the lights or they'd retaliate – just how he's not sure.

His response: Stick it in your Christmas hat. The lights are staying up.

The No. 75 symbol is "a reminder of those arrested for thinking and speaking independently," Mr. Cason told reporters. "The Castro regime is now threatening this diplomatic mission with retaliation. Our position is that all our decorations are up through Christmas."

As for U.S. trade with Cuba, Mr. Cason said in an interview that he believes the Cuban government has been making "politically motivated purchases" to try to build support for a lifting of the longtime trade embargo. But he doesn't believe the tactic will work because, as he sees it, the socialist economy is failing and running on fumes.

Americans in Havana this week said they just want to make some money.

"We are Americans in Cuba, and we are working under U.S. laws. We are helping to put American-produced food on the table in Cuba. It doesn't matter what the politicians say," said John Parke Wright IV, a cattle rancher from Florida.

Trying to prevent Cubans from buying the food they need is a "criminal act," he said. "It's not right to try to starve an island."