Senator criticizes Chamber of Commerce's Cuba trip

Posted on Tuesday, 05.27.14



Senator criticizes Chamber of Commerce's Cuba trip

BY BRADLEY KLAPPER

ASSOCIATED PRESS



WASHINGTON -- The Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman has told

the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that he believes its trip to Cuba is a bad

idea.



Writing to the chamber, Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey said

Cuba isn't an attractive investment opportunity because the government

unjustifiably jails foreign business leaders and breaks international

labor standards. He questions the merits of engaging a government

controlling almost all the country's economic activity.



Chamber head Thomas J. Donohue is meeting with entrepreneurs, officials

and university students. U.S. business executives traveled with him. The

delegation arrived Tuesday afternoon in Havana and met with Cuban

Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez.



"I hope to go home with a very clear message of progress that's being

made in Cuba on free enterprise and private employment and great

progress in small business," Donohue said. "And that I hope to go home

with other information as well."



Chamber officials say it is the organization's first visit to the island

since 1999.



The delegation was scheduled to visit an auto-repair cooperative Wednesday.



Cuba has legalized private businesses in many fields since 2010,

creating thousands of independent entrepreneurs.



But Menendez reminds the chamber the five-decade U.S. embargo against

Cuba is unlikely to be lifted soon. He says Cuba must release political

prisoners and give citizens their rights.



Associated Press writer Peter Orsi in Havana contributed to this report.



Source: "WASHINGTON: Senator criticizes Chamber of Commerce's Cuba trip

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