August 30, 2022
by Jose Ricardo G. Bondoc
San Francisco – Congresswoman Barbara Lee asked Fred Jordan, board chairman of the San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce, to host a business meeting for Ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera, serving as Cuban ambassador to the United States, to meet with members of the SFAACC and the business community while she visited San Francisco. Vice Chairwoman of the SFAACC board Brigette R. LeBlanc facilitated the meeting due to Chairman Jordan attending the 2022 National Black Chamber of Commerce and Illinois State Black Chamber of Commerce conference in East Peoria.
The San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce (SFAACC) is one of California’s most influential minority business organizations, representing and promoting African American business owners in San Francisco. Through advocacy and economic development, SFAACC is creating a firm economic base that supports the self-determination and survival of African American businesses.
Ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera is Cuba’s chargé d’affaires to the United States since 2021. She is the first woman to head Cuba’s mission in Washington. Ambassador Torres Rivera has been a diplomat since 1994. Her previous positions include ambassador to Vietnam and member of the Cuban delegation involved in reestablishing diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba via the Embassy of Cuba in Washington, D.C.
“Cuba has the most comprehensive sanctions placed upon it, which touch every part of our lives. My daughters were born under the regime of sanctions. I hope that they will not live all of their lives under those sanctions.
“Empathy and the ability to listen – one of the definitions of diplomacy is ‘the art of dealing with people in a sensitive and effective way.’ In order to carry out effective diplomacy, one needs to understand countries’ histories, their struggles, their traditions and culture, and the social, economic and political conditions in which diplomacy will be conducted.
“Putting yourself in another’s position helps to comprehend their challenges. You may realize that solutions to the biggest problems affecting humanity might not be associated with lack of high-end technologies, but rather with unmet basic necessities in a disproportionately unequal, unfair international order.
“Cuba’s conduct globally is guided by principles such as solidarity and cooperation when possible, as well as respect among nations and non-interference in countries’ domestic affairs. “Cuba is not an interventionist state. We haven’t invaded any other country or threatened action against neighboring states, but nine days before they left office, Cuba was labeled a “terrorist state” by the Donald J. Trump administration.
On Aug. 8 in Matanzas, Cuba, lightning struck the nation’s main oil terminal, sparking a massive, deadly fire that burned for days. “This was one of the main storage areas for oil and a main supertanker base. Fortunately, we have received help from Mexico and Venezuela to help with the fire. We won’t stop. Cuba will continue to work to improve itself,” said Torres Rivera.
In regard to biotechnology, Torres Rivera noted: “We want that! We want to share our vaccines with those who ask for them. We are more than ready to share. We believe the only way out of any pandemic, as seen by the experiences of COVID-19, is to be able to share information and ideas on how to do that.
“During the pandemic, we developed research, including in homeopathic methods, in order to find out how to best treat the virus. We have produced five vaccines. We have vaccinated 90% of the population and have boosted 70% of the population. We have even developed a treatment for #Alzheimer’s disease that is currently undergoing Phase 2 of clinical trials.”
On the economy, she said: “Cuba is going through a profound expansion of the private sector. This is one of the most important developments in decades.”
What became abundantly clear was that no subject was off the table and that any question was certainly free to address.
In regards to the future, Torres Rivera stated: “We are asking the White House to end the sanctions. I hope that we will be able to come together for the good of the Cuban and American people. We are neighbors and should be able to relate to each other in such fashion.”