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CNN Live Sunday

First U.S. Sale of Food to Cuba Since 1963 Takes Place

Aired December 16, 2001 - 18:46   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Some are calling it a turning point in U.S.-Cuba relations. Two U.S. freighters arrived in the port of Havana Sunday carrying commercial food items. In this shipment, chicken and corn, the first commercial food items shipped to the Communist nation since President Kennedy ordered an embargo of Cuba in 1963.

CNN Havana bureau chief Lucia Newman has the report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Remember the Maine? Not since the sinking of that U.S. Navy warship has the presence of an American vessel in Havana Harbor made such an impression. Despite its name, The Express, it's taken nearly 40 years for an American ship to bring in American food to Cuba. In this case, 500 tons of frozen chicken legs.

At the other side of the port, another ship was bringing in 24,000 metric tons of American corn from nine Midwestern states. All this, part of an unprecedented $30 million food purchase by Cuba's Communist government.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's our hope that these initial shipments and sales to Cuba will serve the purpose of proving the point that it's a logical thing for Cuba and the United States to trade with one another.

NEWMAN: Logical maybe, but difficult to nearly impossible at the moment, because of the U.S. economic embargo against Cuba, which goes back almost to the beginning of the Castro regime.

PEDRO ALVAREZ, PRESIDENT, ALIMPORT CUBA (through translator): American companies are being blocked by their own laws, which don't allow them to participate in the Cuban market, purchases around $950 million worth of food.

NEWMAN: Although the sale of food and medicine is allowed by Washington, direct U.S. financing is forbidden. Havana, in turn, has vowed to not buy even a grain of American rice under those conditions.

Then, after by being hit by a devastating hurricane last month, Cuba said it would buy American food in cash as a one-time deal. (on camera): Havana's change of heart aims to whet the appetite of American farmers and exporters. They've long been pushing Washington for an opening of the Cuban market. And after this, will presumedly push even harder.

Lucia Newman, CNN, Havana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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