From: harelb@math.cornell.edu (misc.activism.progressive co-moderator)
Subject: CUBA: TV and U.S. "Embargo" vs "Blockade"
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: misc.activism.progressive on UseNet ; ACTIV-L@UMCVMB
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 02:42:09 GMT

    Another case is that of the [Cuban] pediatric heart center, which
    has been importing equipment from a Swedish firm for years.  But
    it has just been prevented from importing a piece of equipment for
    the children's hospital because it has small filtering membrane
    patented in the United States.

...another triumph for freedom and justice for the Cuban people,
care of "Cry-Uncle" Sam.

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Topic 136       Interview with Gail Reed in Cuba        1 response 
dhellinger      media    2:08 pm  Aug 15, 1992 
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FROM: St. Louis Journalism Review
Interview with Gail Reed
Havana, June 10, 1992 
  
Gail Reed is a U.S. journalist and correspondent for the Pacifica News
Network and for Radio Havana, Cuba, an international broadcast service
[She is married to a Cuba and has lived in Cuba since 1978; see the
full interview --HB].  Her book, Island in the Storm, an account of
the October Cuban Communist Party Congress, is available from the
Center for Cuban Studies, 124 West 23rd St. NY 10011 ($12.95 paper,
200 pp).  The Interview was conducted for SJR by Daniel Hellinger.
  
SJR:  What is the quality of television news? 
  
Television is revamping its format.  There is a program, Hoy Mismos 
["Ourselves Today"], that starts a 7:30 at night and goes to about 
ten.  Don't be surprised if you see "Peter Jennings, ABC News."  
They've got CNN and Echo.  It's stuff taken from national and 
international sources.  But to overcome the economic problems and 
the blockade, it's not an easy job. 
  
SJR: How does the Cuban press treat the Cuban American community? 
  
Reed: I think its treatment has changed a lot.  There's a lot more 
sophistication not only about Cubans in Miami, but in general about 
Cuban exiles abroad.  There used to be an approach that treated 
them monolithically.  You find now a much more vaired approach as 
it becomes clear to Cubans abroad themselves that they are not a 
monolithic community.  For example, this whole fight between the 
Miami Herald and Jorge Mas Canosa [leader of the right wing, Cuban- 
American Foundation] has been reported.  There's still a lot to be 
learned here in Cuba about that community, in terms of generational 
differences, in terms of conceptions of the past, perspectives, 
etc.  But I think they're on the right road to understanding and 
reflecting it. 
  
SJR:  The U.S. media calls the policy an "embargo."  Why do you and 
the Cuban government call it a "blockade"? 
  
Reed:  The Cubans say its a blockade in violation of international 
law because it goes beyond limits on trade between the U.S. and 
Cuba.  Last year the Treasury Department got $40 million more than 
they asked for to enforce it.  It must be the single case where 
somebody got more money than they asked for out of Congress.  So 
Treasury is rolling with money to go sniping at people all over the 
world.   
  
SJR:  For example? 
  
Reed:  The United States has said that it will not buy any steel 
that is manufactured with an ounce of Cuban nickel by European and 
Candian companies.  Cuba has the second largest nickel reserves in 
the world.  Another case is that of the pediatric heart center, 
which has been importing equipment from a Swedish firm for years.  
But it has just been prevented from importing a piece of equipment 
for the children's hospital because it has small filtering membrane 
patented in the United States.  With the blockade, anything that is 
sold to Cuba that has passed through U.S. hands or been 
manufactured with U.S. technology cannot be imported by Cuba.  
Economically, the challenge is to change the oil economy.  You can 
take almost everything else away, but you've got to have the oil. 

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Exctepted from:


Topic 136       Interview with Gail Reed in Cuba        Response  1 of  1 
dhellinger 
media    4:18 pm  Aug 16, 1992 

In the foregoing interview, "SJR" stands for St. Louis Journalism 
Review.  The interview will appear in the September issue.  Please 
credit SJR if you reproduce or cite any part. 
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive