Congresswomen's Secret Visit to Cuba
Reps. Ilhan Omar and Pramila Jayapal secretly traveled to communist Cuba to discuss human rights and the U.S.-Cuba relationship. The visit remains mysterious, with no comments from the Congresswomen or the Cuban Communist Party. The trip coincided with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov's visit to Cuba, where he demanded the U.S. to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Key Points
- Reps. Jayapal and Omar met with Cuban officials to discuss human rights
- No confirmation from civil society organizations on the nature of the meetings
- Visit occurred during Lavrov's visit, who demanded U.S. to remove Cuba from terrorism list
Pros
- Initiating discussions on human rights and U.S.-Cuba relations
- Engagement with Cuban civil society
Cons
- Lack of transparency surrounding the visit
- Potential support for a repressive regime