President Obama spoke of ending the trade embargo against Cuba in his State of the Union speech, stating: “Our shift in Cuba policy has the potential to end a legacy of mistrust in our hemisphere; removes a phony excuse for restrictions in Cuba; stands up for democratic values; and extends the hand of friendship to the Cuban people. And this year, Congress should begin the work of ending the embargo.”
Many pundits have analyzed the probability of this happening as have many in the coffee trade. Thanksgiving Coffee of Fort Bragg, Calif., has advocated for just such a shift for 15 years. On their website, www.EndTheEmbargo.com, Joan and Paul Katzeff outline the social justice and environmental reasons behind their position.
While enthusiasm abounds that a conversation about this highly politic subject is happening, the embargo remains. The Bean Shop, a retailer in Perth, UK, recently removed Cuban coffee from its website after its customers were warned they were in violation of U.S. trade laws by merchant service provider Paypal. Learn more: www.cubacentral.wordpress.com