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On Day 1 in Cuba, Gov. McAuliffe touts his state’s pork, wine — and seaport In Cuba, Gov. McAuliffe touts his state’s pork, wine — and seaport
(about 5 hours later)
HAVANA — The Hotel Nacional de Cuba, playground for Hollywood stars and mobsters in its pre-Cuban Missile Crisis heyday, played host Sunday night to a visibly peeved Virginia governor. HAVANA — Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe sat down with a Cuban vice president and a Catholic cardinal Monday, while also snagging a rare tour of Fidel Castro’s Havana Hilton headquarters and taking the wheel of a pink-and-white 1956 Chevy named Lola.
Over a dinner at the start of his three-day trade mission here, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) learned that when Virginia-based Smithfield Foods sells pork to this island nation, it ships the meat from Florida instead of the Port of Virginia. McAuliffe (D) spent the second day of his three-day trade mission to Cuba mixing delicate politics and business with his free-wheeling sense of fun, whipping it all up like so many pina coladas in this city’s tourist-hotel blenders.
“You truck it all the way to Jacksonville?” McAuliffe asked the Smithfield vice president sitting across from him. “Dumbest thing I ever heard.” He met privately for more than an hour with Vice President Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, discussing expanded trade opportunities at a time of improving U.S.-Cuban relations.
McAuliffe traveled to Cuba on Sunday, at a moment of historic rapprochement between Cold War foes, to pitch Virginia products to the communist nation. But first he found himself having to promote Virginia’s port to Virginians. In a formal meeting with Cuban Minister of Commerce and Foreign Investment Rodrigo Malmierca, McAuliffe talked up his longstanding opposition to the U.S. trade embargo of Cuba and his high-level Washington connections. When he flies out of Havana on Tuesday, McAuliffe noted, he will go directly to Washington for a National Governors Association that includes a meeting at the White House.
[McAuliffe’s Cuba trip highlights his emphasis on foreign trade] [McAuliffe’s Cuba trip highlights his emphasis on foreign trade]]
And so, in the patio restaurant of the famed hotel, when he should have been swooning over pork, black beans, good cigars and ocean breezes, the 72nd governor of Virginia was barking. The governor also helped strike a university exchange deal.
“I do not want to hear about one more Smithfield pork [product] shipping out of Jacksonville,” he said loudly enough to be heard at the next table. “How do we fix that?” McAuliffe traveled to the island nation Sunday, at a moment of historic rapprochement between Cold War foes, to pitch Virginia products to the communist nation. The governor’s aggressive efforts to expand and diversify Virginia’s defense-heavy economy have taken him to the Middle East, Asia, India and Europe.
The governor’s aggressive efforts to expand and diversify Virginia’s defense-heavy economy have taken him to the Middle East, Asia, India and Europe. He became the fourth U.S. governor to visit Cuba in the 13 months since President Obama announced plans to begin normalizing relations with the country.
And now they have led him to visit Cuba, the fourth U.S. governor to come here in the 13 months since President Obama announced plans to begin normalizing relations with the country. McAuliffe and his 30-member delegation spent most of Monday in a series of meetings with Cuban officials, trying to sell them on products ranging from modest roofing to high-end flooring.
McAuliffe and his 30-member delegation will spend all day Monday in a series of meetings with Cuban ministry officials, hoping to sell them on products ranging from modest roofing to high-end flooring. State officials are also hoping to announce deals — one between the Port of Virginia and Cuba’s Port of Mariel, another between Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Havana. Details of those announcements remained under wraps. He kicked off trade talks between Cuban officials and about 20 representatives of Virginia businesses who accompanied him on his trip. After that, he helped officials from Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Havana strike a deal. They signed a memorandum of understanding intended to lead to academic exchange programs and research collaboration — a first for a Virginia university, although about two dozen other U.S. colleges already have exchange programs with Havana.
Sunday was devoted primarily to seeing a few sights and getting to know some of the private business people exploring the potential for trade. McAuliffe does not usually play tourist on trade missions. A world traveler long before he took office, he has often been there, done that. But he did a little touring Sunday in Havana, he said, for the sake of the larger-than-normal delegation accompanying him. In between efforts to mend a long-frayed relationship, McAuliffe gleefully inflicted agita on his security detail. He was supposed to have been chauffeured to the cardinal’s office in the pink Chevy Bel Air. He commandeered it instead.
“Usually when I do trade missions, we generally don’t take anyone with us,” he said. “Our last trip was 135 meetings. I like to go, go, go, go – meeting, meeting, meeting, meeting. This one’s a little different because it’s a brand-new opportunity for folks. So this one, since it’s really virgin territory for so many American companies and Virginia companies, we put out the word, ‘If you want to come down, we can help you open some doors.’ ” “He said, ‘Do you want to see my car?’ ” McAuliffe said, referring to his would-be chauffeur, Julio Alvarez. “I said, ‘No. I want to drive your car.’ ”
With a Cuban architect as a tour guide, McAuliffe and the delegation strolled past Old Havana bars where Hemingway drank. They admired crumbling architectural gems, such as the 18th-century limestone palace that had been home to colonial governors. He drove it first to the former Hilton, then to the Havana cardinal’s office — but with a detour of about five miles that included hanging a U-turn on the broad seaside Malecon, a landmark Cuban boulevard. He ended up winding down the narrow streets of Old Havana to arrive (a little late) at the office of the Archbishop of Havana, Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino. McAuliffe allowed three U.S. journalists to trail him to the meeting and take his photograph with the cardinal, but the meeting itself was private.
Sunday had been devoted primarily to seeing a few sights and getting to know some of the private business people exploring the potential for trade. McAuliffe does not usually play tourist on trade missions. But he said did a little touring Sunday for the sake of the larger-than-normal delegation accompanying him.
“Usually when I do trade missions, we generally don’t take anyone with us,” he said. “Our last trip was 135 meetings. I like to go, go, go, go — meeting, meeting, meeting, meeting. This one’s a little different because it’s a brand-new opportunity for folks.”
With a Cuban architect as a tour guide, McAuliffe and the delegation strolled past Old Havana bars where novelist Ernest Hemingway drank. They admired crumbling architectural gems, such as the 18th-century limestone palace that had been home to colonial governors.
“Lot bigger than the one I live in,” McAuliffe said. “The Spanish knew how to do it.”“Lot bigger than the one I live in,” McAuliffe said. “The Spanish knew how to do it.”
[Repatriados: The Cubans who are heading home]
The group lingered before a street performer who, perched motionless on a cobblestone street and smeared in dark makeup, looked uncannily like a weathered bronzed pirate statue. The buccaneer came to life after McAuliffe placed $1 in his tip box, pretending to threaten the governor with his sword.
In a funny coincidence, McAuliffe ran into Luis Avila, 32, of San Francisco, a former Northern Virginian who had volunteered for the governor’s campaign.
Tour guide Ayleen Robainas pointed out a 1906 hat factory gutted down to its ornate facade, the rest of it too ruined to be saved. When she said it was being turned into a hotel, McAuliffe smelled an opportunity. He asked if any private partners would be involved.Tour guide Ayleen Robainas pointed out a 1906 hat factory gutted down to its ornate facade, the rest of it too ruined to be saved. When she said it was being turned into a hotel, McAuliffe smelled an opportunity. He asked if any private partners would be involved.
No, Robainas said. The Cuban government has had lots of offers, she said, but it wants to do the hotel on its own.No, Robainas said. The Cuban government has had lots of offers, she said, but it wants to do the hotel on its own.
Even so, McAuliffe believes the island is teeming with other opportunities.Even so, McAuliffe believes the island is teeming with other opportunities.
“I just think it’s a huge potential for us for many years to come,” he said afterward. “We’re coming here to plant the flag.”“I just think it’s a huge potential for us for many years to come,” he said afterward. “We’re coming here to plant the flag.”
McAuliffe found a way to promote his state as the tour wound down. He presented a bottle of Virginia wine to Warnel Lores, of Cuba’s Foreign Ministry. The bottle — a 2014 Barboursville Vineyards viognier — was one of the state’s best, McAuliffe said. McAuliffe found a way to promote his state as the tour wound down. He presented a bottle of Virginia wine to Warnel Lores, a Foreign Ministry official. The bottle — a 2014 Barboursville Vineyards viognier — was one of the state’s best, McAuliffe said.
“Excellent with lobster,” Todd Haymore, Virginia’s secretary of agriculture and forestry, piped up.“Excellent with lobster,” Todd Haymore, Virginia’s secretary of agriculture and forestry, piped up.
“Excellent with everything,” McAuliffe said. “You fire that up and think of Virginia. You forget those other 49 states.”“Excellent with everything,” McAuliffe said. “You fire that up and think of Virginia. You forget those other 49 states.”
Virginia — one of Cuba’s top three U.S. trading partners since Washington lifted the ban on agricultural exports more than a decade ago — does not face competition from other states so much as from the rest of the world. While other countries allow Cuba to buy products on generous financing terms, the United States still requires Cuba to pay in cash. But even as the governor tried to sell the commonwealth, he found himself having to promote Virginia’s port to Virginians.
“This is ridiculous,” McAuliffe said. “As I like to say, you look at Vietnam — 57,000 Americans were killed over there. We’ve had an embassy there for years. This is a country that we actually came over and invaded. We’ve got to put the past behind us.” Over a dinner at the start of his three-day trade mission here, McAuliffe learned that when Virginia-based Smithfield Foods sells pork to this island nation, it ships the meat from Florida instead of Hampton Roads.
Among the businesses participating in the trade mission are Perdue Agribusiness; Virginia Natural Beef; Forever Oceans, a high-tech, sustainable fish-farming outfit spun off from Lockheed Martin; T. Parker Host shipping; roofing firm Onduline North America; and Mountain Lumber Co. “You truck it all the way to Jacksonville?” McAuliffe asked the Smithfield vice president sitting across from him. “Dumbest thing I ever heard.”
Participants from those firms paid their own way for the trip, at a price of about $3,000 per person. Taxpayers will pick up the tab for sending McAuliffe, first lady Dorothy McAuliffe and the state officials accompanying them. The administration has not yet calculated the cost. “I do not want to hear about one more Smithfield pork [product] shipping out of Jacksonville,” he continued loudly enough to be heard at the next table. “How do we fix that?”
Members of the state delegation include McAuliffe spokesman Brian Coy and two cabinet secretaries besides Haymore: Bill Hazel of health and human resources and Karen Jackson of technology. Among the businesses participating in the trade mission are Perdue Agribusiness; Virginia Natural Beef; Forever Oceans, a high-tech, sustainable fish-farming outfit spun off from Lockheed Martin; T. Parker Host shipping; the roofing firm Onduline North America; and Mountain Lumber Co.
Additional state staff members include the deputy agriculture commissioner and a special assistant; a member of the state’s economic development authority; an official with the Virginia Port Authority; three from Virginia Commonwealth University; and the director of the state-supported Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Participants from those firms paid their own way for the trip, at a price of about $3,000 per person. Taxpayers will pick up the tab for sending McAuliffe, first lady Dorothy McAuliffe and the state officials accompanying them. The administration says it has not yet calculated the cost.
Three people with the Center for Democracy in the Americas, which helped organize the trip, are traveling with the delegation as well. Although most of the delegation arrived via charter flight, the Cuban government extended a special privilege to McAuliffe by allowing him to land his state plane at José Martí International Airport. Cuban Ambassador José R. Cabañas offered that favor to McAuliffe in a face-to-face meeting in Washington about two weeks ago, and the governor took it as a good sign.
Also along for the trip are two members of the governor’s executive protection unit, who accompany the governor wherever he goes, and two pilots for the state plane. “There’s a whole different feeling I can tell, even from last time I was here,” said McAuliffe, who traveled to Cuba in 2009 as a volunteer pitchman for Virginia apples and wine. “Much more open feeling, much more willingness to do business.”
Although most of the delegation arrived via charter flight, the Cuban government extended a special privilege to McAuliffe by allowing him to land his state plane at Jose Marti International Airport. Cuban Ambassador José R. Cabañas offered that favor to McAuliffe in a face-to-face meeting in Washington about two weeks ago, and the governor took it as a good sign.
“There’s a whole different feeling I can tell, even from last time I was here,” said McAuliffe, who traveled to Cuba once before, in 2009, as a volunteer pitchman for Virginia apples and wine. “Much more open feeling, much more willingness to do business.”