Boise News

The Boise Weekly's Man In Havana

Just One Wild and Crazy Reporter Makes It To Cuba With Gov. Butch Otter

By Jill Kuraitis, 4-12-07

You have to hand it to Nathaniel Hoffman and the Boise Weekly.  Using nothing more magic than a letter to the Cuban government requesting a visa, Hoffman is in Havana, Cuba covering Idaho Governor Butch Otter’s trade mission – the only reporter to make it.  Boise’s Big Two - The Idaho Statesman and KTVB Channel 7 - aren’t there. As far as we’ve been able to find out, Hoffman is it.

Idaho Statesman Managing Editor Bill Manny told New West, “We’d hoped to send someone along, but at the same time the dates were announced we were told by Otter’s office that no reporters would be allowed with the delegation. By then there just wasn’t time to pursue it.”

Boise Weekly Editor Shea Anderson said that when Hoffman’s visa application was received, the Cuban government called Governor Otter’s office to ask if a reporter from the Weekly should be allowed in for the trade mission. “It was all done officially,” he said.

Hoffman’s first funny “Our Man in Havana” dispatch is on the Weekly’s website.  Here’s an excerpt:

When I arrived at the Cuban International Press Center Tuesday morning, the first thing I was handed was a two-sided sheet of paper titled “The Cuban Truth About: Plan of Bush administration to destroy the Cuban Revolution.”
And in just one day here two Cubans have said “Bush fukkie,” and made slitting motions across their necks.
In all fairness, Cubans make lots of slitting motions across their necks. Sometimes it follows statements about Bush, and sometimes following a beard-tugging motion that alludes to a dictatorial personality a bit closer to home.

This is the part where I get to say that Hoffman is a New West writer, too – here’s his blog, Xutos – but he’s not writing the Havana trip for us. 

Hoffman hasn’t yet been able to witness any of the trade talks going on, or get original statements from Otter or his entourage, but not to worry – he will.  He manages to get statements from everybody and anybody, using a polite style, an ever-present grin and an obstreperous, no-boundaries friendliness like an overgrown Airedale retriever. And in his charmingly appalling wardrobe and bicycle clips, he looks much too nice - which he is - to be out to get you - which he isn’t.

Fluent in Spanish and another language or two, Hoffman has reported from other dictatorships. But a real investigative reporter and foreign correspondent – for the Boise Weekly? 

The Weekly’s Anderson told NewWest.Net/Boise,“I wish I could say it’s a great mystery, but I just told him that if he could get in, we would back him – which is what we should be doing with a good reporter.  When a writer has a great idea and a plan, it’s my job to figure out how to support that.”

Governor Otter and his 35-member entourage are in Cuba hoping to land some contracts for Idaho food products to Cuban buyers. 

“If you can get in, you might as well take as many people as you can,” said Anderson, who also said he doesn’t have high expectations for good results from the trip. “I expect Butch and the people with him will enjoy themselves and learn a lot about international trade.  But we’re not there because we believe in the trip, we’re there because it’s such a crazy story.”

I’m looking forward to dispatches from Havana Man. If nothing else, we will all learn a lot about Cuban food, as Hoffman loves to eat. 

But I’m betting we’ll learn a lot more.

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