United States Relief Cuba

President Fidel Castro removed a major obstacle to the first American food sales to Cuba in 40 years, saying Saturday that U.S. ships or vessels from other countries can bring the goods to the communist island. In a 4 1/2-hour speech that began late Friday, Castro said he would abandon his insistence that the food be shipped on Cuban vessels. The United States had rejected that proposal.

Two ships carrying food from the United States arrived in Cuba on Sunday, completing the first direct trade between the two politically estranged countries since Washington slapped an embargo on the Communist-run island in 1962. The historic sales, prompted by Hurricane Michelle, which devastated the Caribbean island's crops last month, were the result of a year-old law that exempts food and medicine from U.S. trade sanctions.

Reeling from Hurricane Michelle, Cuba has opened talks with the United States for the purchase of millions of dollars' worth of food and medicine, administration and congressional sources said Thursday. Although the U.S. embargo against Cuba has been in effect for about four decades, exports of food to the island nation were authorized by Congress last year. Cuban President Fidel Castro had barred food purchases because no American financing is permitted.

President Fidel Castro removed a major obstacle to the first American food sales to Cuba in 40 years, saying Saturday that U.S. ships or vessels from other countries can bring the goods to the communist island. In a 4 1/2-hour speech that began late Friday, Castro said he would abandon his insistence that the food be shipped on Cuban vessels. The United States had rejected that proposal.

Two ships carrying food from the United States arrived in Cuba on Sunday, completing the first direct trade between the two politically estranged countries since Washington slapped an embargo on the Communist-run island in 1962. The historic sales, prompted by Hurricane Michelle, which devastated the Caribbean island's crops last month, were the result of a year-old law that exempts food and medicine from U.S. trade sanctions.

Reeling from Hurricane Michelle, Cuba has opened talks with the United States for the purchase of millions of dollars' worth of food and medicine, administration and congressional sources said Thursday. Although the U.S. embargo against Cuba has been in effect for about four decades, exports of food to the island nation were authorized by Congress last year. Cuban President Fidel Castro had barred food purchases because no American financing is permitted.