Madrid/Vietnam alternates generosity and business, although the first – of course – is known much more than the second. Media from the Asian country and the island, the results of the campaign have been eager on Monday 65 years of Vietnam-Cuba solidaritywith which They have raised –Afirman– 12.1 million dollars, 400% more than the minimum objective, set at 2.6 million dollars. It is unknown, meanwhile, how much money is the new contract signed by Agroforestal Business Group of Artemis The provincial press this weekend.
He Artemiseño Partially, account of the agreement, signed by Nguyen Khac Hoang, director of the Vietnamese company, and Miguel Sánchez García, his Cuban counterpart, which will have several phases of development, including the “put in production” of 2,000 hectares of idle land in Alquízar, San Antonio de los Baños and San Cristóbal. In that space, soybean, peanut, sweet potato, malanga and potatoes – downtown to the domestic market, including oil and animal food – as well as green and tanga beans, directed to export, will be grown fundamentally.
The Vietnamese part promised to provide machines, initial supplies, fertilizers, personnel and working capital. Something similar to what it has already done in Pinar del Río, where the Cuban government gave in lease to a company in the Asian country land for rice cultivation, whose results are, for the moment, very satisfactory, according to comments from both parties. Meanwhile, the Cuban company provides the land, factories and warehouses, labor and operational processes, affirms the state press.
The Vietnamese part promised to provide machines, initial supplies, fertilizers, personnel and working capital
It is striking that, in addition, he undertakes to deliver the fuel for the machinery, a very scarce good on the island and precisely one of those responsible for the unproductivity that Cuba ravages. The marketing will be in the hands of both companies.
The official newspaper dedicates several paragraphs to talk about “the commercial ties that unite Artemis with the sister province of Binh Duongen in Vietnam” and other foreign countries, but the precision shines for its absence. Jorge Luis Oramas Vargas, head of the Department of Internal Commerce, Foreign Investment and Economic Collaboration of the Provincial Government mentioned that the director of Viet Royal had put on the table the idea of “sealing links with other territories of his country to develop vital lines such as livestock”, but for now there are nothing more than words.
“Artemisa is seriously involved in foreign trade activities, foreign investment and international cooperation, with a notable approach to agricultural development,” said the Cuban official, who said there are 17 international cooperation projects, both in agriculture and health, culture, sport, etc. “With important results from outside financing.” He did not justify his words with data on what results, what countries are involved and how collaboration is specified, although, if so, the population has not arrived.
He also mentioned the 68 ready projects that the province has for foreign investment, but the success in this area is clearly void. Although the figures are outdated, until 2024 – with ten years of foreign investment law in force – 334 businesses and 172 international economic association contracts had been approved in Cuba. The value would be around 3.5 billion dollars in total, just one billion more than what was aspired to obtain each year.
Oramas Vargas, however, did not cease in his intention to sell Cuba to the potential investors and cited the main exportable items of the province. “The crooked tobacco, the tobacco layer, the honey and some products of agriculture, such as avocado, mango, chili habanero chili. We also have ginger and turmeric,” he said. In addition, Jamaica said, a product that is part of a specific planting program throughout the province. “They understand that a ton of Jamaica flower in the international market is worth around 2,000 dollars,” he warned.
The official, lent before anyone indicates the obsession to export while Cuba goes hungry, pointed out that the objective is “to capture currencies to be able to acquire fertilizers, irrigation, machinery, to be able to develop agricultural production in the province and arrive with variety and quantity of products to the table of the Artemiseños.” The plan of Exportshe said, it is fulfilled, but the population is still – as bad – as it was.
“By Vietnam, Cuba is willing to give until his own blood!” He said, remember, the leader of the revolution
While expanding its business on the island, Vietnam continues with the diplomacy of “solidarity.” This Sunday, by offering the news of the great collection of the campaign launched by the Red Cross delegation in the country to the island, the official press of the two communist countries reviews Castro slogans. “For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to give until her own blood!” He said, they remember, the leader of the revolution. The general director of the news agency of that country, VNA, Vu Viet Trang, had corresponded to the message of half a century, saying: “Vietnam-Cuba: always united in difficult times. Solidarity in the face of difficulties” and “Vietnam is still there.”
The campaign was part of the activities for the 65th anniversary of the relations of both countries, although donations – many of them – date back to many years ago in which the Cuban crisis has left the industry in minimums. Solidarity apart, Vietnamese companies do not forget that to do business on the island it is essential to be on top.
Last May 2024, the lessee of the land in Pinar del Río and with several more businesses in the special area of Mariel, Agri Vma, had to write to three Cuban ministers to claim for Frozen funds In his International Financial Bank account – proprietary of the Cuban State – whose situation made it impossible for them to send $ 300,000 to their parent home in Vietnam to acquire necessary supplies for the production of their factory in Mariel.
