Farmers and entrepreneurs bet on huge profits in new era of U.S. and Cuban relations.
| Autor | Vazquez, Daniel |
The new era of relations between the US and Cuba, formally announced in December (NotiCen, Jan. 29, 2015), has already produced results for the island, which has received entrepreneurs, representatives from cooperatives, and politicians, many of whom envisage multimillion-dollar sales of agricultural products to a country that has depended on food imports since it was a rich sugar colony.
In just three months, the rhetoric has changed dramatically when referring to the island that was seen as a military threat, an ally of US enemies, and a guerrilla organizer in Latin America. Public opinion and US politicians now view the Caribbean enclave as a potential customer with billions of dollars to spend on equipment, supplies, and food. Economic pragmatism and ideas for potential projects seem to be proceeding at a much faster rate than the bilateral diplomatic talks.
The same logic seems to be in play when entrepreneurs, farmers, and even President Barack Obama state that previous US policies failed in their objective of isolating the island from Latin America and the world and that Raul and Fidel Castro are still in power in the communist nation. Therefore, Washington is tentatively trying to introduce other changes for the island such as easing access to information, equipment, and consumption.
Foodstuffs, in particular, are key to business prospects between the two countries. Cuba imports 80% of its food. Eating properly is a real challenge for the local population; even citizens who have access to convertible currency can barely manage to buy products in the state-run markets because of the excessive prices. Chicken and pork cost three times more than in the US, and the average Cuban's monthly salary is US$20.
The Cuban opposition reacted with dismay to the obvious commercial thinking that brings the US to the island. The opposition has asserted that human rights and political freedoms are not to be bypassed in Washington's talks with Havana. Meanwhile, the embattled island population seems to dream more about the coming flood of tourists and American apples, as if they have placed their faith in the dollar and in future consumption.
Eating on a sugar island and good beaches
On the island that was first described as a natural paradise during the Spanish conquest five centuries ago, agriculture must confront problems caused by monoculture. Sugarcane, more profitable than other harvests, displaced other crops and made the island dependent on...
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