The more than 2,000 kilometers that separate Connecticut from Cuba seemed to be shortened this week with the visit of legislators from that U.S. state determined to extend a hand to the Caribbean country.
Geraldo Reyes Jr., James Sánchez and Anabel Figueroa, members of the House of Representatives of the Connecticut General Assembly, and Edwin Vargas Jr., a former member of that body, stayed in this capital from June 25 to 29 with a clear objective: to seek ways to help lift the blockade imposed by Washington on the Antillean nation more than 60 years ago.
We are supporting Cuba to end the embargo (blockade), and if we cannot remove it, at least relax it, said Sánchez, who since his time as a Hartford city councilman has been in favor of rapprochement between the two countries.
It was precisely he who introduced a resolution against the blockade approved in 2021 in the City Council of that city, capital of Connecticut, which asked President Joe Biden to put an immediate end to all aspects of the economic, commercial and financial siege, including travel restrictions on U.S. citizens.
During a visit to the Prensa Latina news agency, as part of his activities in Havana, Sanchez said that it is not enough to sign such a document, since the issue deserves follow-up and that is why they made this trip, to do everything possible to eliminate the sanctions.
CONDEMNED TO AN UNJUST ENCIRCLEMENT
For Figueroa, the power of the United States to impose this policy on the largest Antillean island is an injustice. "Cuba is a wonderful country", said the legislator, who warned that the measures promoted by Washington "do not punish the government, they punish the people".
Our mission is to try to help lift this embargo, even if it is little by little, so that the most basic needs can be alleviated, added the state legislator, and stressed that they dialogued with both Cuban authorities and the Cuban people.
She added that this is important for them as representatives, because there is a lot of misinformation about the Antillean nation in the United States.
"We want to be a voice through which the reality of the island is known and, at the same time, invite other people, not only elected officials, but the people in general, to come and see it for themselves," he said.
He also made such statements earlier, in a dialogue with deputies of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba, to whom he said that the importance of this trip lies in knowing how the government works here and in making the American people understand that it is not true what is said in the mainstream media.
"Thank you for welcoming us with open arms! Cuba is not a terrorist country, we have appreciated it, and we are going to share it in Connecticut and with the citizens and residents of the United States," he added in that meeting.
In this way, Figueroa made reference to the decision of former President Donald Trump's executive to include the Caribbean nation on the list of countries sponsoring terrorism, a measure still in force despite the fact that numerous voices, including former intelligence officials and members of the U.S. Congress, consider that it does not deserve to belong to that unilateral and controversial list.
In that same stop at the National Capitol (administrative seat of the parliament), Sanchez mentioned the purpose of eliminating the blockade and stressed that the two nations can sustain a mutually beneficial relationship in various spheres such as trade, agriculture, science and medicine. "We are here because we believe that this will happen sooner rather than later," he said.
THE GOAL OF RAPPROCHEMENT
In order to achieve the goal of lifting the siege of more than six decades, the Connecticut legislators agreed on the need to make known what is happening in this country, to banish the myths that are spread in the United States and to gain support both among authorities and among the U.S. citizens.
According to Vargas, the presence of this delegation can help federal legislators in Washington D.C. to feel supported in their efforts to achieve a rapprochement.
The visitor, who until last January held a seat in the state House of Representatives and is currently an academic at Central Connecticut State University, recalled that several groups of elected officials have traveled to Havana, many of them bipartisan, which he sees as an expression of interest in strengthening ties.
According to him, his arrival in the Caribbean nation is a way to break the ice, because almost a hundred members of the Connecticut General Assembly wanted to join the trip, in addition to the fact that the state's delegation in the federal Congress is also in favor of improving ties.
He said that many politicians, both Republicans and Democrats, want normalization of relations with Cuba, and the problem lies in the opposition of ultra-right-wing figures in South Florida. The two national parties, although they want to normalize relations, are afraid of stirring up that hornet's nest, because Florida has become a territory that can decide who will be president in the United States, it has many votes in the Electoral College, he reflected at Prensa Latina headquarters.
Although the environment is unfavorable, he estimated that this type of stay in Cuba, with activities that also included visits to the University of Havana and the Latin American stadium, can contribute to strengthen ties. "Culture, sports, all that helps us create the basis for politicians to move."
For his part, Reyes expressed at the Capitol that he came with the thought of what he could do to improve bilateral ties. "I want to do my bit to see what we can do to break the blockade or reduce it as much as possible, for the sake of a positive change in the relationship."
"We come with the goal of opening doors, extending a hand, helping where we can," he added later in Prensa Latina, where he stressed the importance of dialoguing with Cubans and asking key questions that allow us to dispel the myths surrounding this nation.
In each of these statements, the desire to do everything in his power to eliminate sanctions and promote rapprochement was continuously reflected.
Even when the scenario appears difficult, Vargas did not cease to be optimistic. "Many people with whom I have spoken believe that the embargo will continue for many years, but I do not have that opinion, I think that when things begin to loosen up, they will move quite quickly," he said.