Havana
Cuba agreed to buy $66 million worth of soybeans, corn, rice, and Splash tropical drinks from U.S. companies this week after the largest American trade show since Fidel Castro took power was held in Havana. U.S. firms that have lobbied for open trade with the Caribbean nation hawked everything from California wines to soy milk to M&M’s. The U.S. has squeezed the communist island with trade sanctions for 40 years, but a law passed two years ago permits direct sales of food and farm products, provided Cuba pays in cash. The Bush administration and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush had said the expo would buttress a repressive regime, and they urged Americans not to go. Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura said the U.S. was “not a dictatorship” and went to drum up business for his state.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
‘The worry is far from fanciful’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
How are Americans bracing for the end of SNAP?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Millions depend on supplemental federal food funds that are set to expire this month, as the government shutdown begins to be acutely felt
-
Book review: ‘Joyride: A Memoir’Feature A journalist’s story of how she chased and accomplished her dreams
