Kennedy bought 1,000 cigars before imposing blockade on Cuba
By Aurelio Pedroso
HAVANA – The late U.S. President John F. Kennedy ordered one of his aides to buy 1,000 Petit Upmann cigars before signing the economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba.
Kennedy called the purchase ‘Faaantastic!’
Pierre Salinger, press secretary to President Kennedy, in an undated interview with the television program “Biography.”
I got to the White House and the phone was already ringing from the Oval Office: "Come in, come in!"
"How did you do?" [asked Kennedy].
"I did great," I said. "I got 1,200."
"Faaantastic!" [Kennedy said] and he opened up the desk drawer, pulled out the paper banning all Cuban products in the United States and signed it.
The 35th president of the United States estimated that three small cigars per day would last him for one year, by which time the embargo would have fulfilled its purpose – throttling the nascent revolution.
The preceding was stated by Ana López, a Cuban marketing specialist for the joint venture Habanos S.A., during a press briefing before the 14th Cigar Festival was launched Monday in the Cuban capital. The festival – with 1,500 participants from 70 countries – will end Friday, March 2.
According to officials of Habanos S.A., the U.S. trade blockade has caused Cuba losses estimated at $79 million, because cigars cannot be sold in the United States.
The figure is a commercial estimate, as of the final sale to that country in 1962.
“The United States is a market that grew 6 percent in October, with imports estimated at 220-250 million units,” said an official. None of the cigars were made in or shipped from Cuba.
During this annual festival, the Cohíba and Romeo y Julieta brands will introduce new vitolas (cigar bands or rings.)
The sales of Cuban tobacco rose 9 percent last year, bringing in more than $400 million from markets such as Western Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
Two former NBA players who have taken up cigars have been invited to this festival. Also present will be Jim Belushi, an American actor and musician, and Jack Bruce, Scots composer and singer and member of the legendary rock band Cream.
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