Biting the Hands that Feed Him

Fidel Castro's verbal attacks against the United States have slowed down commercial exchanges and Cuban imports of US products in the last three months. But in spite of that, and in spite of Cuba switching to the Euro instead of the US Dollar, Cuba has become a major importer of US agricultural goods.

Fidel has used very tough talk, launching many insults against president Bush. He has called GWB a tyrant and a lunatic. (He has also called the then Spanish PM Jose Maria Aznar a Hitler, and the EU's president Silvio Berlusconi a fascist). All that notwithstanding, Cuban imports of US agricultural products since 2001 have more than doubled, going from $144 million to $391.9 million in 2004. The new figures have thrusted Cuba to the 25th place among consummers of US agriproducts. Since 1993, Cuba has beneffited from 145 million Euros in European aid.

Yet another example of why, in politics, one must always compare the talk to the walk.

Source.