Udall visits Cuba, sees possibilities for NM businesses

Udall visits Cuba, sees possibilities for NM businesses
Nov 14, 2014, 6:47am MST
Gary Gerew
Assistant Editor-Albuquerque Business First

Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) has returned from a three-day Senate Foreign
Relations Committee trip to Cuba and said it would be to New Mexico's
benefit if relations between the U.S. and the island nation were more open.

"New Mexicans are anxious to meet and work with Cubans, and the time is
right to rebuild business and cultural ties between the United States
and Cuba," Udall said in a statement. "The Cuban regime is
antidemocratic and has many flaws, but our current policy has proven
ineffective and has primarily served to isolate the people of Cuba. It's
time for a 21st century approach that opens up opportunities for New
Mexicans and other American interests."
Tom Udall, who was accompanied by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), said the
two have pledged to continue working together in the Senate to open U.S.
travel to and trade with Cuba.
"My recent trip to Cuba has only reconfirmed the necessity of
modernizing our failed policy toward the island," Flake said. "While the
significance of Cuba's recent economic changes remains to be seen, there
is now a burgeoning small-business community there, much of which is
funded by remittances from the United States. Rather than continuing to
provide the regime an all-too-convenient scapegoat and wasting money on
boondoggle aid programs, it's time to take commonsense steps to support
these entrepreneurs, expand the participation of U.S. businesses in the
Cuban economy, and lift the ban on non-Cuban American U.S. citizens
travelling to the island."

Source: Udall visits Cuba, sees possibilities for NM businesses -
Albuquerque Business First -
http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/blog/morning-edition/2014/11/udall-visits-cuba-sees-possibilities-for-nm.html