Why Is Cuba Deputy Foreign Minister Lying, Misleading, And Misstating Commercial Relationship With U.S.? Isn’t He Supposed To Encourage, Nurture, And Support It?

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Why Is Cuba Deputy Foreign Minister Lying, Misleading, And Misstating Commercial Relationship With United States?

Isn’t He Supposed To Encourage, Nurture, And Support It?

The Militant
New York, New York
2 December 2024

Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Says, ‘End US embargo!’
By Lea Sherman 

NEWARK, N.J. — Carlos Fernández de Cossío, Cuba’s deputy minister of foreign affairs, spoke to a meeting of 35 at Rutgers Law School here Nov. 14.  Law professor Charles Auffant, who has organized trips to study Cuba’s legal system for the past 20 years, chaired the meeting. He announced these trips will now be open to undergraduate students.  Fernández de Cossío focused on the devastating impact of Washington’s 64-year economic war against the Cuban people and their socialist revolution. 

“The U.S. prohibits any imports to Cuba with only a few exceptions, and it prohibits imports to Cuba from any country, regardless of the product, if it has 10% or more U.S. product in it. What products in the world does that not include?” he said. Examples he gave included getting parts for dialysis machines or parts to repair Cuba’s aging electrical grid. 

“This is multiplied more and more, repeated in every area,” he said. “No import of metal, no cars, candy bars and much more. And Cuba cannot use U.S. dollars in its trade with international partners.” 

He [de Cossio] pointed out that under both Presidents Donald Trump and Joseph Biden, the U.S. has unjustly put Cuba on its list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.  The embargo has caused severe problems with basic services like electricity and health care. “Many in Cuba are looking to move,” said Fernández de Cossío.  At the same time, all of Washington’s attempts to isolate Cuba — the 1961 invasion at the Bay of Pigs, CIA schemes to assassinate Fidel Castro — have failed to undo the revolution.  “Cuba has a respectful and cooperative relationship with the majority of countries of the world,” he said. “We have a firm determination for Cuba to be free of foreign interference, but we are willing to have constructive, civilized relations with the U.S.” 

Coffee from the Republic of Cuba is available throughout the United States through an agreement signed in 2016 between New York, New York-based Nespresso USA Inc., a subsidiary of Lausanne, Switzerland-based Nestle Nespresso S.A. (2023 revenue approximately US$111 billion); Arlington, Virginia-based TechnoServe; and Republic of Cuba government-operated Cubaexport, under the auspice of the Ministry of Foreign Trade of the Republic of Cuba. 

From Nespresso: “The green coffee sourced for Cafecito de Cuba is 100% pure Arabica, grown by smallholder farmers in the provinces of Granma and Santiago de Cuba in the eastern part of Cuba.  Nespresso coffee experts in Switzerland then used a split roasting technique to enhance the potential of the beans and highlight their authenticity. One part of the beans was roasted for a shorter time to a lighter colour to bring out the coffee’s unique flavours and aromas. The second part was roasted longer to a much darker colour to create a strong body with a dense, velvety texture and intense rich flavours.”  LINK: https://nestle-nespresso.com/news/Nespresso-brings-Cuban-coffee-back-to-US 

United States-based companies have approached Cubaexport to seek authorization to import coffee directly from the Republic of Cuba to the United States.  Those entreaties were rejected. 

Charcoal from the Republic of Cuba has been imported directly to the United States.  The first company, Hialeah, Florida-based Fogo Premium Lump Charcoal purchased four (4) 20ft containers with the first delivered in January 2017 and the second in July 2018.  The second company Foley, Alabama-based GulfWise Commerce LLC, affiliated with Foley, Alabama-based Woerner Companies reported delivery in May 2019 to Port Everglades, Florida, of two (2) forty-foot containers.  Neither company reported transactional issues with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the United States Department of Commerce, or Office of Legal Adviser (OLA) at the United States Department of State. 

LINK TO COMPLETE ANALYSIS IN PDF FORMAT

Links To Related Analyses 

Cuba: Acknowledging Impact Was Not Necessarily A Shrewd Political Statement. For Biden Administration, If It's Working, Why Change It? For Plaintiffs, Libertad Act Doing What It Was Designed To Do.  October 03, 2023 

Misunderstanding? Cuba Government: Cuban-Americans' PYME Financing, Yes.  PYME Investment, Yes.  PYME Ownership, No.  PMYE Need For Direct Banking With United States, Not Necessary. September 29, 2023 

Cuba Minister Of Foreign Affairs Said That Only U.S. Vessels Are Permitted For U.S. Exports To Cuba. That Was Inaccurate. August 23, 2023 

Mr. de Cossio At MINREX In Cuba Not Quite Accurate With His Comments About Biden-Harris Administration Efforts With MSMEs And Remittances December 20, 2022 

Coffee & Charcoal Have Been Imported From Cuba; U.S. Companies Want More. Agricultural Commodities/Food Products/Healthcare Products Have Been Exported To Cuba; U.S. Companies Want More. October 02, 2021