Iran’s Islamic regime has held talks with Cuba’s communist Castro regime to renovate 160 dilapidated sugarcane factories in Cuba, Iran’s state-run Tasmin news agency reported. report Wednesday.
Cuba was once one of the world’s leading sugar exporters, but sugar production has fallen to levels not seen in more than 125 years.only almost Of the more than 100 sugar factories on the island, 20 are still in operation.
The announcement of the agreement with Iran was made during the Iran-Cuba Business Forum held in Tehran on April 30th. During the event, Farshad Mokimi, CEO of Iran Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organization, said that a feasibility study had been started on “Profitable Cuba”. The results will soon be made available to Iranian economic companies “interested in cooperation with Cuba,” it added.
Mokimi said that after the 39th Havana International Fair (FIHAV) in November 2023, several Cuban delegations visited Iran to hold discussions on the renovation and optimization of 160 sugarcane facilities in Cuba. It pointed out.
Cuba’s main sugarcane industry has experienced continuous decline throughout the past 60 years of communist rule, following the rise of the late dictator Fidel Castro, who nationalized the entire sugarcane industry in 1960. Castro stole a sugar cane factory from his private estate. American entrepreneur.
During Cuba’s 1959-1960 sugarcane harvest (the last period of private entrepreneurship), the country gave away Raw sugar was 5.6 million tons.
In 1964, Castro agreed to increase Cuba’s sugar harvest by 10 million tons by 1970, in line with the Soviet Union, Cuba’s main business partner at the time, who agreed to buy more of Cuba’s sugar crop. promised to increase it to Under the slogan, which roughly translates to “10 million people are happening” (Los diez mirones bang!), Fidel Castro forced Cubans to do “volunteer” labor for projects that even pro-Castro demanded new york times Admitted failure.
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Cuba’s raw sugar production gradually increased to 8.1 million tons by 1989, but in the 1990s the sugar industry entered a continuous downward trend.
As with other industries and infrastructure in Cuba, the Castro regime has continually blamed the collapse of Cuba’s sugar cane industry on the US “embargo”.Due to the nature of the alleged “embargo,” Cuba will have to to import It supplies sugar from the United States to meet its own domestic consumption needs. By December 2023, Cuba’s sugar imports from the United States have reportedly decreased. increased 900% increase.
In 1959, only 25 of the more than 150 sugar mills that once operated in Cuba report It is said that it was operated during the 2022-2023 harvest season and produced approximately 350,000 tons of sugar. worst Harvest season for the past 125 years.
The output of the 25 factories was not sufficient to simultaneously meet Cuba’s own demand, estimated at 600,000 to 700,000 tons per year, and export sugar of 400,000 tons per year. agreement Together with China.
Iran’s announcement of rebuilding Cuba’s abandoned sugarcane industry joins other potential cooperation deals between the rogue regimes announced in recent months. agreement “Digital cooperation” for ship construction for South American countries agreement,and contract Cuba signed on to purchase Iranian parts and repair freight cars.
Christian K. Caruso is a Venezuelan writer who chronicles life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
