US Senator Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, called on the Biden Administration to strengthen support for Cuba’s private small and medium-sized businesses through the creation of more general licenses, as well as private sector access to international banking. .
Wyden, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, will promote a discussion on this issue with his Senate colleagues in the coming weeks, according to what was published in his institutional page.
“During my visit to Cuba, businessmen told me that Cuba’s vibrant private sector would benefit from small changes to US licensing and other rules,” Wyden said.
During my visit to Cuba, I saw how a growing middle class of entrepreneurs and family businesses can encourage fundamental political and economic reforms in one of our closest neighbors. As chair of @SenateFinance I’m all in to help make it happen. https://t.co/GTLLbzY8R8
—Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) January 4, 2023
“Specifically, businessmen told me that general licences, which would allow them to operate despite sanctions, would give them and their businesses legitimacy and credibility. They told me they expected these changes to lead to the creation of thousands of new businesses. In addition, they said the bank accounts would make it easier to attract investment capital, and knowing that I wrote the US e-commerce law, they asked me to help them with their e-commerce initiatives.”
research trip
Wyden visited Cuba at the end of December on a “research trip” during which he met with Miguel Díaz-Canel, the president of the National Assembly Esteban Lazo, officials, private entrepreneurs and two opposition activists.
According to the report, in the meeting with Díaz-Canel, on December 28, 2022, Senator Wyden urged Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel to offer clemency for the Cuban protesters of July 2021.
I received the US senator @RonWyden, to whom I ratified the will to work together to improve bilateral relations for the benefit of our peoples. I explained to him the impact that the extreme measures of the US government have had on the Cuban population. pic.twitter.com/S3QytJIkoE
— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) December 28, 2022
The senator believes that the development of Cuban economic opportunities would help reduce Cuban migration to the United States and give a “growing middle class of entrepreneurs and family businesses” (…) “the basis for fundamental political and economic reforms in one of our nearest neighbours.”
In the meetings with Cuban officials, the senator received information on the impact of the blockade and other sanctions of the United States government on Cuba in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
exchange #EstebanLazoPresident of the National Assembly of #Popular power and the State Council of #Cuba??, with senator from #USA??, @RonWyden
https://t.co/1wBlgsMxEx— National Assembly Cuba (@AsambleaCuba) December 29, 2022
The senator also visited Miguel Calderón Gómez, former coach of the Cuban basketball team, with whom he discussed how sport could contribute to improving relations between the two countries.
The failed policies of Donald Trump
Wyden is a patron of the legislation to end the trade embargo of Cuba and in February 2021, as part of a group of Democratic Senators, he urged the then newly inaugurated government of Joe Biden to reverse Donald Trump’s failed policies toward Cuba.
“USA. must engage with Cuba to more effectively protect and promote US interests and defend US citizens abroad, and not as some sort of reward for Cuban government action,” the senators wrote at the time. .
“You have an important opportunity to protect and advance the interests of the United States by building on the progress made under the Obama administration, which signed nearly two dozen mutually beneficial bilateral agreements with Cuba, and to re-engage the Cuban government on trade issues. and exchanges. as well as human rights and political and economic reform”.
