By: Diario Latinoamericano
Today, September 9, Ambassador Pedro Luis Pedroso Cuesta, permanent representative of Cuba to the United Nations, together with Ambassador Yuri A. Gala, Minister Counselor Roberto Hernández and Second Secretary Ernesto Sierra, began a visit to Connecticut, with stops in Hamden, Hartford, Middletown, Willimantic, and New Haven.
We can affirm that it is not just any visit, but a very important one, which will make history. Without a doubt, it can set a precedent and represent a watershed. And it can open paths. At a time when both Cuba and the United States require the opening of new paths in the development of their bilateral relations.
Why is the Cuban ambassador coming to New Haven, Hartford and other cities in Connecticut (CT)?
A member of the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut, the Hon. Edwin Vargas, extended an invitation to the Cuban Mission to the United Nations so that his main representatives could visit the State and have a goodwill exchange with the people of Connecticut. This initiative was supported by Susan Johnson, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives of the Connecticut General Assembly, who recently joined NEMO (No Embargo Cuba), the global anti-blockade movement chaired by José Oro.
The State Representative of Connecticut, Hon. Edwin Vargas, an intellectual, teacher, union leader and politician, took the initiative to invite the Cuban diplomats.
Objectives of the visit:
1. This is essentially a goodwill trip: Show appreciation to the cities of Hartford and New Haven and their elected officials for passing resolutions calling on the United States Government to end its 60-year blockade of Cuba, and express his thanks to the many activists in solidarity with Cuba.
2. Engage in face-to-face meetings with Connecticut residents to explain the current difficulties Cuba faces, largely as a result of the blockade; also to discuss the changes planned by the Cuban government to address them; and discuss what the global solidarity movement can do to help, for example, campaigns to remove Cuba from the US State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism; open the blockade to allow the importation of humanitarian goods such as food and medicine; offering important opportunities for trade and finding cooperative solutions to climate change.
3. Promote peaceful projects such as the development of relationships between sister cities, reaching out to young people interested in attending the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM), bringing Cuban youth sports teams to CT, bringing Cuban artists to the Festival of Arts and Ideas, other initiatives for peace and progress. The distinguished Cuban diplomats will carry out an intense agenda during those two days, which includes meetings with senior state officials, legislators, mayors, union leaders, environmentalists, representative organizations of minorities, scientists, academics, and other sectors of society.