Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
The Cuban
Connection
Other than teaching scuba diving to tourists in Puerto Rico, the best job I
ever had was as the Area Marketing Director for Latin America for Carrier,
the air conditioning giant subsidiary of United Technologies. At the time
United Technologies was one of the top ten largest multi-national
companies in the world, publicly traded on NYSE under the symbol UT.
I had gotten this job through a local Miami head hunter, ironically the first
and only time I ever used the services of a personnel agency. It was an
executive dream job for a young guy like myself.
healthy salary
I envisioned myself
working there until retirement. My girlfriend was even more thrilled with my
prestigious new job and the security of being a UT employee really
appealed to her.
Their small but luxurious office was located in Coral Gables at 2100
Ponce De Leon Avenue was staffed by seven executive managers and
their secretarial staff.
group of countries. They told me I was one of nineteen job applicants and
was chosen for my articulate language skills which really meant my
Spanish was good enough to do daily business with some fifteen major
distributors in Latin America.
group of distributors since I had already visited those countries in the Coast
Guard and was familiar with the many odd quirks and laid-back pace of
island culture. Only Mexico works slower than the Caribbean. Robert York
was the honcho in charge of all the managers and he reported directly to
headquarters in Syracuse, N.Y.
192
I reported to the VP of Marketing for Latin America - a guy named Bill Stowe
who was extremely savvy and knowledgeable about international trade, an
area in which I was totally lacking real hands on experience. I was told
that I'd be traveling extensively throughout Latin America and that was
exciting to me.
to
Jamaica
to
meet
with
our
local
distributors
CAC
Air
It was only a
three day trip and they put me up at the Pegasus Hotel in New
Kingston.
explore
possibility
of establishing
a room
air conditioning
193
either
by
Butch
Matalon
whose
ICD
owned
CAC
family
corporation
and
the
Vernon Matalon and his son Paul were the ones I met with
along with their CAC General Manager Keith Hobbs and Director of
Operations Mac McCullough,
quite well and attentively.
At this time in history Butch Stewart also owned and operated a local
factory that pumped out Friedrich room air conditioners (RAC) whose
prices
Carrier
manufactured
simply
locally.
could
not
We also
compete
with
had to compete
unless
with
we
too
Daikin, a
popular
in the islands
due to the
prohibitive
costs of
electricity. Although Carrier sold over 80% of the big commercial and
industrial
units in the
Carribbean,
of the RAC
If I recall correctly, we
In my free time I played tourist and took in the local sights, enjoying
myself thoroughly.
This
Like everything else in life, people get what they pay for.
no longer
enough
Carrier,
alone
competitive industry.
CAC was
from us per quarter, but less than two dozen were in the warehouse. I
certainly
didn't
see them
and asked
Nervously, he
building
I just hoped he'd sell even more and make me look good in
my new job.
game in progress across the street from CAC that caught my interest
so I went to watch my first cricket match. The game was somewhat
like baseball and intrigued
surroundings were a far cry from any major league ball park, but were
quite cozy with a fresh ocean breeze keeping all the spectators cool
and fresh.
195
When I walked back to CAC after lunch, I realized I was the first to
return so I loitered about the warehouse.
in clear plastic.
I wondered
shipment
Havana, Cuba!
but an outgoing
was
for
Havana.
not surprised
Almost
them.
considering
to say
I was
shocked
than
market
the
could
Jamaican
ever
support.
It was no big secret that Jamaican businesses did a thriving and quite
lucrative trade with Cuba and never really honored the U.S. trade
embargo imposed following Castro's coupe.
products
to
were
circumstances,
not
allowed
to
be
sold
Cuba
under
any
196
But being new on the job, I opted not to say anything to Keith, Mac,
or the Matalons until I could ascertain if the bosses in Coral Gables
and Syracuse were aware of the illicit business.
After lunch we
chatted a bit and then I was delivered to the airport for my return
trip to Miami.
This i s King Street in Kingston, about two kilometers from where I visited Carriers CAC
office at 85 Hagley Park Road and found a half million dollars of room air conditioners to
be shipped to Cuba in violation of U.S. federal law.
I remained silent for a few days thinking and hoping that there might
be some explanation that I overlooked.
So I pulled out the sales records for CAC for the last two
units, and then noticed that about 80% of them were ordered for 220
197
and asked if they knew what voltage was used in Cuban residential,
commercial, and office outlets.
I guess in retrospect, I should have just kept quiet, but doing so would in
my mind, make complicit
few more days trying to figure out the best way to approach
my
bosses about this. Did they know? I wondered. How could they not? To
be sure I had to ask. I went first to Bill Stowe about it and casually asked
"Have you ever wondered how CAC is selling all those RAC units on an
island stricken with poverty". He glanced at me knowingly and simply
answered "No". As I searched for a follow-up remark, Bill made it clear that
he was not going to entertain any, and excused himself saying that he
had a conference call to make. It was now clear to me that Stowe wasn't
even going to discuss the subject, so obviously he was aware of the
situation.
198
It was still possible however for Bob York to be in the dark about it
because he rarely had time to sit in on meetings let alone investigate sales
to such a small market as Jamaica. His attention was saved for bigger
priorities like the impending collapse of the Mexican economy and the
like.
As the new kid on the block, I really did not command the
respect
of York's
attention,
and to corner
would be very difficult for me. None the less, I had to try.
I waited
until day's end when I saw him packing up his briefcase alone in his
corner
office.
"Excuse
me Mr. York"
I almost
whispered.
"Yes
"Well that's
what I wanted to talk to you about Mr. York" There was silence so I
continued
suspected would be a touchy one. "I was going through some old
CAC purchase orders and noticed they bought an awful lot of 220 volt
RAC units."
suppose they do with all those 220 units when the whole island is
wired for 11O?" This time there was no delay and no silence "Why the
hell don't you ask them?" "Well I'm afraid the answer they give me
might not want to our liking Mr. York."
never took
Not wanting to lose my great new job, I made light of the matter and
simply replied "No problem Mr. York" as I slid away back to office with
all doubts now erased in my mind.
199
They not only knew about the Cuban sales, they now knew that I
knew as well.
I wisely
chose
me and
continued
to
But the
nag
matter
did
how petty it
might seem to most people. I would not risk my job, but somehow,
I'd put a stop to it and I decided to do so anonymously.
The following day, instead of going to lunch, I went to a pay phone
and called the local Miami office of the FBI and after I told the
receptionist what I wanted to report, she transferred
woman agent.
me first to a
United Technologies.
I didn't
even disclose
advised her that what was going on and suggested that a stern letter
to UT headquarters
sales.
She
transferred
instead
suggested
me to another
I speak
to
someone
else
and
very little
at the U.S.
get
After
involved
themselves.
all
the
Trade
Embargo
was
I'm not really sure what happened between the FBI and FTC but
about five days later, some government agent came to the office and
asked to speak with Robert York privately.
I asked
Maria his
secretary what was going on and she just shrugged her shoulders.
200
After the man left, York immediately summoned Bill Stowe into his
office and closed the door.
I pretended to be preoccupied
Havanas Malecon Waterfront i s a popular spot for locals to gather and socialize
The following day, Bill Stowe called me into the conference room and
closed the door. "I have some bad news for you my friend" he began.
"We're moving this office up to Syracuse to consolidate costs and
your position here in Miami is being eliminated."
I was saddened by
the news and wondered if the Syracuse move story was genuine, or if
in fact they realized I made some calls about the Cuban connection.
Either way,
it didn't
matter,
down
and relocated to
whose Jamaican
distributor
may
To be clear however, my anger over this episode was only one hyposcsry.
There was a story carried in the Miami Herald newspaper of a Cuban who
was arrested and jailed for trying to ship an air conditioner to his 70 year old
parents in Havana. Yet when a huge Fortune 500 corporation does the
same thing on a large scale for years, it is quite convenient for our law
enforcers to just look the other way with a wink and a nod.
202
Dont be shocked nor surprised when China starts investing the billions of
dollars to rebuild Cuba, as America could have been doing for the last 20
years. Its ironic and shameful that citizens from Communist China can take
a vacation any where in the world that they choose, but American citizens
who allegedly live in a democracy, cannot take a two week vacation in Cuba
without going through a third country to do it! Wealthy Americans visit Cuba
illegally by the hundreds without any repercussions, but if John Q. Citizen
from Patterson, New Jersey tries to do the same, he will be arrested. Why
the selective justice President Obama? Stop the bullshit already and be fair
everyone in the world and not just those who support your regime.
The people of Cuba did nothing to have their lives controlled and
manipulated for 50 years by a foreign government. Further Americas
intransigence at the United Nations is simply alienating what little allies and
friend we have left in the world. I defy any American leader to explain how
203
the embargo on Cuba has helped America in any way over the last two
decades. It is failed policy and one that 90% of Americans do not want.
204