Martin Luther King Tribute in Havana
HAVANA TIMES, April 6 – A group of U.S. Democratic legislators paid tribute Saturday in the Cuban capital to Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., on the 41st anniversary of his murder in Memphis. The gathering took place in a park dedicated to King in the centrally located Havana district of Vedado, reported IPS.
The delegation headed by Oakland congresswoman Barbara Lee, in representation of the Congressional Black Caucus, also met with Parliament Speaker Ricardo Alarcón and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez.
The Representatives five-day trip to Cuba comes at a time when several pieces of legislation are before congressional committees that would end the travel ban on US citizens traveling to neighboring Cuba and loosen some aspects of the half century trade blockade on the island.
It also comes two weeks before President Obama will meet with Latin American and Caribbean leaders at the Americas Summit in Trinidad and Tobago on April 17-19. At that gathering the only country not invited is Cuba, but the island will no doubt be part of the talks, as several presidents have urged Obama to seek rapproachment with Havana.
It was wonderful to learn about the visit of the U.S. congressional delegation and look forward to better relations between the U. S.and Cuba. I wish that I could have accompanied my friend Representative Barbara Lee.
Clayborne Carson
Editor of the papers of Martin Luther King, Jr.