Megaport Mariel Inaugurated Amidst Cuban Commerce Push

SHOTLIST: MARIEL, CUBA, JANUARY 27, 2014, SOURCE: AFPTV SOUNDBITE 1- Dilma Rousseff (woman), President of Brazil (Portuguese, 22 sec) : "Brazil believes in Cuba's economic and human potential. We're proud to work with Cuba on the Caribbean's first container port with the logistical capacity to be part of an inter-ocean chain." VAR images showing: - the inauguration of the megaport by Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff and Cuban president Raul Castro -views of the Mariel "megaport" /// --- AFP text story Cuba-economy-investment-port Megaport Mariel inaugurated amidst Cuban commerce push MARIEL, Cuba, Jan 27, 2014 (AFP) - Cuba inaugurated its new Mariel "megaport" Monday, in hopes the project will symbolize a more open stance towards commerce and become a regional hub for shipments despite a lack of investment and the US economic embargo. Leading the ceremony were Cuban President Raul Castro and his Brazilian counterpart Dilma Rousseff, whose country provided technical and financial help for the port's construction in the joint project. Only the first 700 meters (2,300 feet) of what is slated to be a 2,400-meter quay were inaugurated Monday, with hopes the project will welcome one million containers per year when finished. "From this moment, Mariel is part of the Cuban and Latin-American port system" Castro said. "It's the first phase of the project, we must continue working," he said. After cutting an inaugural ribbon with Castro, Rousseff said that "Brazil is proud to be associated with Cuba on this project, the first large terminal port for containers in the Caribbean." But Mariel, located 45 kilometers west of Havana, still faces major hurdles including lack of investment and the American economic embargo placed on the communist island for the last half-century. Cuba is hoping to establish itself as a regional hub for shipments from Asia after an expansion of the Panama Canal is completed in 2015, allowing for the passing of larger ships carrying up to 12,000 containers. The largest infrastructure project ever launched by Cuba, Mariel will cover some 465 square kilometers and include a free-trade zone where foreign-owned factories can produce goods for other markets. ...