U.S. Congressional delegation concludes visit to Cuba

A delegation from the United States House of Representatives, led by Republican Congressman Jeff Flake and included Democrats William Delahunt, Jane Harman, Jim McGovern, Hilda Solís, Gregory Meeks and Lincoln Davis, as well as Republicans Jo Ann Emerson, Jerry Moran and Michael Conaway visited our country from December 15 to 17. Congressional aides and other prominent individuals from the United States were also part of the delegation.

The group had an intense schedule of activities that included discussions with Ricardo Alarcón, president of the National Assembly of People’s Power; Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque; Fernando Remírez de Estenoz, member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party; Francisco Soberón, president of the Central Bank of Cuba; Yadira García, minister of basic industry, and Pedro Alvarez, president of the ALIMPORT company.

They also toured the city’s historic district and visited the former residence – now a museum – of celebrated U.S. writer Ernest Hemingway in San Francisco de Paula.

The delegation held a broad exchange on the state of relations between the two countries and was informed about the Cuban economy and its perspectives; energy development and the oil industry; environmental protection regulations, and food purchases from U.S. companies, among other issues. The discussions were cordial and respectful.

The delegation left for the United States at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 17.