Sunday 07 September 2008
By Reuters
Cuba on Saturday rejected a U.S. offer to send victims of Hurricane Gustav $100,000 in aid through relief organizations and said Washington instead should sell it relief supplies and allow food sales on credit.
The Foreign Ministry said Washington should "allow the sale to Cuba of those materials considered indispensable and suspend the restrictions that prevent U.S. companies from offering private commercial credits to our country for the purchase of food in the United States."
The Bush administration permitted the sale of food to Cuba for cash after Hurricane Michelle lashed the communist-run island nation in 2001.
The sales, allowed under an amendment to the decades-old U.S. trade embargo, have continued since then. But proposals in Congress to permit banks and companies to supply credit for the goods are opposed by the White House.
Cuba indicated it was not opposed to calls by some Democrats, including presidential candidate Barack Obama and some Cuban-American organizations, to suspend for 90 days U.S. curbs on visits, remittances and gifts to people in Cuba.
"The travel and remittance restrictions on Cuban residents in the United States should never have been applied. It is not Cuba, but the United States that restricts their rights," the ministry said.
The Bush administration rejected the idea earlier this week.
Gustav slammed into western Cuba with winds of 150 mph (240 kph) on Aug. 30, damaging or destroying 100,000 houses and dealing a blow to agriculture.
Hurrican Ike is now charging toward Cuba. It was expected to arrive late on Sunday, presenting a severe threat to sugar cane fields, the tourist hotels of Varadero and the crumbling colonial buildings of Havana.
Pour aller plus loin
Pour aller plus loin
15/09/2008 18:26:21 Alert a moderator
every thing come worse and worse
By abu ezoom - uae
If just america agree to sign in enviromental agreement we will be just fine , most of these come from america bcuz they refuse not to use farreoons and another things
http://howarabsthink.blogspot.com/
15/09/2008 18:25:59 Alert a moderator
every thing come worse and worse
By abu ezoom - uae
If just america agree to sign in enviromental agreement we will be just fine , most of these come from america bcuz they refuse not to use farreoons and another things
13/09/2008 15:31:00 Alert a moderator
HELPING CUBA
By Rob and Heather -
We would like to go to Cuba this fall and winter to volunteer to help the Cubans, we love these people, we have spent many holidays in this beautiful country, and feel it is our duty to help them
My husband is a senior construction project manager specializing in development of housing, hotels, and highrise buildings.
13/09/2008 02:04:32 Alert a moderator
the weather turned ugly
By abdel - houston/tx
enough guys with haiti and cuba. now let's focus on h-town. over 4 million inhabitants, we have a lot of homelesses and the houses down here are built, most of'em, out of wood. so if this hurricane is a cat 3 or 4, then my friends we are screwed. so screwed.
and just so you know, i'll blame Bush for that
10/09/2008 18:26:04 Alert a moderator
IKE HITS CUBA
By Ernesto Gonzalez - USA, FL.
SO SAD TO SEE THIS HAPPEN BUT WITH FUTURE HOPES THAT THE COUNTRY WILL OPEN UP ITS DOORS TO THE WORLD. IT WOULD BE A DREAM TO BE ABLE TO HELP THIS COUNTRY IN PERSON OR IN MY LIFETIME. I HAVE NO EXPERIENCE TO WHAT THIS COUNTRYY IS OTHER THAN THE MEMORIES OF MY FATHER.
10/09/2008 01:20:59 Alert a moderator
HURRICANES VS POLITICS
By DANIEL MARTIN - USA/FLORIDA/HOLLYWOOD
How shocking to see Nature destroy theinvencibity aureola of the Castro brothers
Are they going to blame the hurricanes on CIA and Yankee imperialism as usual OR is my people going to wake up and realize they were born free to accept help in time of need from whoever that brings it?
Hope this hurricanes finish the yoke of the Castor brothers on the Cuban people! We can not continue suffering eternally ! PARDIEZ!
07/09/2008 10:41:24 Alert a moderator
re cuba
By Anonyme joseph walker - sherborne dorset uk
Cuba,well american foriegn policy,and its blind ignorant following of the western goverments,probably when the west gets educated ,other countries may want to get democratic like the west.this is the 21st century .politics changed in other countries years ago ,but not the west its ignorance.no wonder the chinese influence is gaining around the world.they dont dictate .
07/09/2008 09:11:17 Alert a moderator
Rejection of assistance through international NGO
By Anonyme - USA
Why does Cuba reject US offer of assistance through international agencies? I would think that they would want any help they can get. I want to see after Ike plows through.