Re: [Marxism] INTERVIEW: Cuban Ambassador to Zimbabwe

[Patrick Bond <pbond@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Louis Proyect wrote:
> What else would an Ambassador say? 

http://harare.usembassy.gov/dell20070206.html
Response to Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe monetary policy statement

Ambassador Christopher W. Dell

February 7, 2007: Governor Gono’s Monetary Policy Statement of January 
31 could mark an important moment in restoring prosperity to Zimbabwe. 
As I told him that afternoon in his briefing to the diplomatic and 
business communities, I welcome his courage in speaking out and his 
recognition that the primary problem in Zimbabwe today is governance. 
The key to turning around Zimbabwe’s economy, as the Governor said, is 
the political will needed to implement the market reforms the IMF and 
others, including the United States, have been recommending for the past 
few years.

The Governor also deserves commendation for recognizing that Zimbabwe’s 
problems are of Zimbabwe’s making and are within the power of 
Zimbabweans to solve. Sanctions have been a convenient excuse but 
neither the U.S. nor any other country has imposed general sanctions on 
Zimbabwe. In fact, contrary to recent press reports, U.S. companies, 
with the support of the U.S. government, continue to do business in 
Zimbabwe, and Zimbabwe enjoys a trade surplus with the U.S. Instead, 
what we and others did was to target financial and travel sanctions at 
the roughly one hundred individuals most responsible for undermining 
Zimbabwe’s prosperity and democracy.

The Governor’s call echoes the conclusions of a conference held in 
Harare last October, sponsored by the American Business Association of 
Zimbabwe. At the conference, economists from southern Africa, from 
Brazil, and from the U.S. underscored the importance of a free-market 
economy and security of property to investment and economic growth. The 
Brazilian economist and the former Finance Minister/former Reserve Bank 
Governor of Malawi in particular emphasized that the success of economic 
reforms in their respective countries had depended vitally on the 
political will to make the difficult decision to embrace tough reforms.

At his briefing, I also told Dr. Gono that if the Zimbabwean government 
is sincere in its desire to improve governance by embracing economic and 
political reforms, the US, as well as other donors, will be supportive. 
I wish Dr. Gono, the Zimbabwean government, and above all the Zimbabwean 
people success in this regard. The future of your country is in your hands.

Christopher W. Dell
Ambassador of the United States of America



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