The Next Steps on Cuba: Rep. Barbara Lee Pushes for End to Embargo & U.S Travel Restrictions
HAVANA TIMES – As the United States prepares to reopen its embassy in Havana, we speak to Rep. Barbara Lee, who has been rumored to be a frontrunner to become U.S. ambassador to Cuba.
Lee has traveled to Cuba over 20 times since the 1970s and has co-sponsored the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act and Free Trade with Cuba Act.
Transcript
AMY GOODMAN: So, Congressmember Lee, speaking of issues that people have worked hard on, you have worked extremely hard on changing the U.S. relationship with Cuba. The embassies are about to open—U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C. It has been talked about that you were interested in being the U.S. ambassador to Cuba, the first one, right now in this new era. Would you accept that position if President Obama nominated you?
REP. BARBARA LEE: No, let me tell you what happened. There was an article in the Matier/Ross column. They wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle some gossip, I guess, a rumor or—I don’t know where they got this from. They said that I had a gentlewoman’s agreement with the president that I would be the first ambassador to Cuba. That is just not the case. That is not true.
I represent some great constituents in the 13th Congressional District. There’s a lot of work to do in Congress. And so I intend to continue working to represent my constituency in Congress and continue to try to help lift this embargo, because, you know, that’s going to take legislative action, as well as lifting the travel ban. The president has come a long way and done everything he can do. I’ve been to Cuba over 20 times, beginning in the ’70s. I think ’76, ’77. And I’ve worked very hard to get us to this point, with other members. But we’ve been doing this for many, many years. And so, now this is a sea change, once again. But I—these rumors, you know how they get started. And, you know, I intend to stay here in Congress and continue to work to represent my constituents, which, I have to—
AMY GOODMAN: You may not have—
REP. BARBARA LEE: —I have to say, is the most progressive and enlightened and diverse constituency in the country.
AMY GOODMAN: Congressmember Lee, you may not have an agreement, but would you like to be the ambassador?
REP. BARBARA LEE: Being an ambassador to Cuba is, I think, a great position, if you’re about ready to retire from Congress. I’m not about ready to retire from Congress. I want to continue to work to lift this embargo and to ensure that the travel ban is lifted. I want to continue representing the greatest district in the country.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you explain the legislation that you think needs to happen with the president’s diplomatic initiatives on Cuba? As you said, he can only go so far. What has to pass in Congress, and what are you pushing for now for normalizing relations with Cuba?
REP. BARBARA LEE: Well, there are two bills. One would lift the travel ban. Now, you know, you have to have a license. It’s a general license, that really, though, is specific in terms of who can travel to Cuba. But under this administration, they have really made it a little broader and much more flexible in terms of traveling. But you cannot go to Cuba as a tourist. And so, we have legislation that would allow just normal travel relations, like we can travel to China, to Vietnam. Americans have the right to travel to Cuba. And so, we have to have a law, though, that says that, which is really unfortunate. But there’s legislation we’re trying to get passed that would do just that. I’m co-sponsoring that legislation with a Republican member of Congress, Congressman Sanford, to try to get a bipartisan consensus to get this legislation passed.
Secondly, just in terms of normal trade relations, to be able to do business. Currently, under the recent executive orders and prior executive orders, there are some industries that can do business in Cuba. For instance, we can sell medicine and agricultural products to Cuba. But normal trade relations just don’t exist. There’s an embargo. And so, we have to pass legislation that would lift the sanctions and lift the embargo against Cuba, so that we can engage in normal financial and trade transactions. And let me just say, Amy, once that is done, there have been enough businesses, the Chamber of Commerces, all—many economic organizations have shown that we would create economic growth in this country, as well as create jobs in America, if in fact we had normal trade relations with Cuba. And so, there are two bills—there’s a bill that would actually do just that, that Congressman Charlie Rangel is leading on, and I’m a co-sponsor of that.
And so, I hope the people listening to this interview would call their members of Congress and tell them to—tell their members to sign on as co-sponsors, and let’s get these bills passed so that we can have just normal trade and diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba. It’s to the benefit of the Cuban people and the American people.
1) What’s your percentile in the Black community? It’s not a secret and it’s not a joke that the numbers are soooo bad for African Americans in the USA; incarceration, education, employment, health, crime on both sides of the “gun”, housing, single parent families, lifespan, and on and on, and a Black Face in the White House means jack in South Carolina or anywhere in the USA really, for the great majority of both Blacks and Whites alike. It’s a great show that pacified for the moment but did not fulfill or satisfy the long and arduous quest for real power that has always been denied to the African American People in the USA.
2) I think only those Vietnamese that collaborated with Uncle Sam, and murdered, robbed, tortured, raped and exploited their own people for the USA during the occupation were “pigs”, and still do, and it’s not racist but Moral. I had the great honor of being one of only 3 non-Viet guests at the Victory Banquet the Montreal Vietnamese Community threw to celebrate the fall of Saigon in 1975, and have worked with Viet comrades for years but, YOU ARE RIGHT MOSES, out of context “Viet-Pigs could be confused with or twisted to imply racism.
I’m a product of the American dream. It would be disingenuous for me to say it doesn’t exist for Black folks. President Obama is the most obvious example. There may not be as many as you or I wish that there were but I can’t deny myself and my own success. Any time that you use a derogatory name to identify a group of people, it’s probably a racist comment. Just a little guide for you.
Your accusations of Racism are no different than your demonization of Fidel and Raúl, baseless; anyone, like you, than does not see what sham the USA “Dream” has always been for Black Americans and the historical progression of immigrant waves ahead of the native-born African American population in every aspect of society is really blind, does not want to admit defeat again or wants to negate my points with a simple accusation which has the power to negate anything I’ve said. It used to be “Communist” during the 50’s and 60’s…
Yes, a lot of Vietnamese that fled after the reprisals taken by the new Vietnamese Communist Government against families of anyone connected to the USA or its puppet, S. Vietnamese regimes, were just displaced, impoverished and persecuted people, desperate enough to take to the sea as “Boat People” and don’t deserve to be called Pigs, like the collaborators that served the USA and help them oppress, rob, rape, torture and terrify their own people from 1961 to 1975.
Again with the racist comments. Name-calling doesn’t make your arguments stronger. It does however diminish the respect that Havana Times readers have for you. Tough times in Pacoima don’t justify the self-inflicted harm that the Castros caused for the Cuban people. Finally, I will rail against my government when it is appropriate AND rail against the Castros when it is appropriate. I can do both.
Wow, I actually agree with you N.J., thanks! Pay attention Moses, IC and Carlyle…
Better than no bus, no chicken and no electricity because there is no money like with the majority of People in Latin America, Africa and Asia, or Cicero, Paterson, Fergustan, Detroit, South Philly or Pacoima, so again, take a hike, dude!
How long has the Black People in the USA been waiting and what did they get, a (very light) Black Face in the White House and still no jobs, no education, no health-care, no rides up the social elevator like the Irish, the Italians, the Germans, the Chicanos and the Latinos have before them, even the Hmong and Viet-Pigs that helped the USA invasion and occupation of their countries have risen; but not African Americans. Rail against your own government for they have kept you and your People down since the USA became an independent country.
Yes, look at Russia – an economic disaster which Xi of China exploited in his energy agreement with Putin. Yes, look at China and the Chinese stock market (controlled by the Party) collapse
Analyser: You are rude and bigoted. While I do not always agree with Moses and sometimes find him unnecessarily repetitive, he is a gentleman who I will defend. You however, should go away.
Yes, it time to try a different path with Cuba. The U.S. Government does not need to fund development or give other aid. It just needs to get out of the way and let interaction of cultures and trade happen. This is not the Cuba of the 1980’s. That time had passed.
Differences exist and debts are owed. Those should be dealt with at bargaining table. It does not require a ban on American travel to work a deal on property claims. If travel ban was going to help, it would have.
The other change is in how other Countries treat Cuba. The U.S. Is absurdly isolated. Play tough but smart. Obama is right to change course.
First of all, I didn’t write that Rep. Lee was incorrect. I write that we disagree. If one takes from another what belongs to oneself, it may be harsh and unfortunate, but it is not stealing. But if I take from you what belongs to you, it is theft. Cubans who chose (choose) to seek a life outside the revolution and took (take) with them their meager belongings are not stealing. Anyone involved in harming innocent civilians is a criminal and should be prosecuted. Likewise, the Castros who have destroyed generations of Cuban lives should have to answer for their crimes. History will not be kind to the Castros once Cubans are free to speak the truth.
What a despicable racist remark, a new low worthy only of contempt! People like you are the basis for the Confederate flag waving mob that rightly is condemned by decent society world wide. You would make a suitable cell-mate for the misogynist Dan.
All you’re missing Rich is a podium and a shoe to bang upon it !
Human culture melting pot is a world wide phenomena , all what you have to do is to look at Russia and China today , most of the change that you see in there society happened because the door was open , and change was allowed to come in , life is for the living ,future is for those who are looking for a future .
Aggression against Cuba was directed at them from the US , I am yet to hear Cuban anger against the US as much as I hear American anger against Cuba , all what I hear coming from Cuba is dissatisfaction , not hatred or aggression , Cuban did not ask to be in this position , it was enforced on them.
The young and hopeful for a better future should not be chained down with the hatred of the past , humanity can use one less problem .
Moses, did Batista, the Mafia, and the self-serving U. S. businessmen steal anything “from the Cuban people” beginning in 1952? Tell the world that the U. S. didn’t steal Guantanamo Bay from Cuba, which you ridiculously say was a legitimate deal. Have the Cuban exiles, who fled the Cuban Revolution with tons of cash (and gold) to hook back up with money already sent ahead to Mafia-related banks in Miami and Union City, steal anything “from the Cuban people?” Have the Cuban-Americans in Congress stole from the American taxpayers to fund regime-change schemes and to enrich hundreds of Cuban-Americans? Did terrorist Cuban exiles steal anything “from the Cuban people” with vicious bombings of a civilian Cuban airplane, Cuban hotels, coastal fishing cabins, cars of Cuban-Americans who objected to such things, etc.? Moses, preaching to the choir, namely those who benefit from Batista’s Cuba and from the Cuban-exile dictation of a Cuban policy that the rest of the world, especially the Caribbean and Latin America, disagrees with. Explain to us, Moses, why you are correct while Congresswoman Lee and the rest of the decent world disagrees with you.
That may well be but it is a reality shared by millions of Cubans who don’t live their lives in the perpetual reality of debating Adam Smith vs. Karl Marx. Their reality is waiting for the bus in the sun, waiting for the chicken rations in the bodega, waiting for electricity to come back on but always just waiting.
Wannabe what? Grow some what? What is a “sickle cell stone”?
Your reality comes from your wife’s family not the majority of U.S. Citizens.
Same old hatred from a wannabee. Grow up, grow some and crawl back under your sickle cell stone.
Barbara Lee speaks for me and I am proud to live in her district.
I have known Rep.Lee for more than 20 years beginning from her days as a staffer to Rep. Dellums. We share, for the most part, the same goals for US/Cuban relations. We differ dramatically on how the US should accomplish those goals. At this point, Rep. Lee knows that she does not have the votes in Congress to lift the travel ban nor repeal the embargo.