Since the U.S. and Cuban governments announced they would begin normalizing relations, there's been a lot of talk about what that could mean--for the politics of both countries, and for agricultural and job opportunities in Missouri.
A lot of that talk has been about the actions of politicians. Presidents Obama and Casto, members of Congress, political operatives and dissidents.
But when I was in Cuba a few weeks ago, on a trip aimed at exploring export opportunities, the person whose story struck me most was neither a politician, nor an activist.
On a walk through a working class neighborhood in Havana--without the "supervision" of Cuban government officials--I met a Cuban woman in her mid-twenties. She'd recently left a job at a state-managed company after she and her husband had saved enough money to buy a used sewing machine. And there, in her five-by-six foot living room, with a sewing machine that had seen at least 20 summers, this young woman was making history. She is one of the very first generation of small business owners allowed by their government to operate since Fidel Castro stepped down from power.
Is she frustrated with her government? Yes. Is she anxious about what the future holds for her country? Yes.
But at the end of each day, what trumps those concerns is the pride she feels in being her own boss. She sews baby clothes, employs one assistant, and is part of a small but growing core of Cubans forging a path of entrepreneurship, unraveling what it means to have a freer market.
Some of the conclusions I reached in Cuba were ones I expected. Those include the fact that lifting the trade embargo--an embargo we've employed for a half-century with nothing to show for it--would be a boon for Missouri agriculture.
Before my trip, I had detailed talks with folks from the Missouri Rice Producers Association, Missouri Corn Growers Association, Missouri Pork Association, Missouri Poultry Federation, and Missouri Soybean Association--groups that represent Missourians who could greatly benefit from expanded trade with Cuba. In 2013, Cuba bought more than $350 million in agricultural products from the U.S., despite tight credit-controls and financing restrictions. That's a statistic that will only grow if restrictions are lifted and Missouri businesses are allowed to compete. Cuba has contracted with Vietnam, after all--a country nearly 10,000 miles away, for 300,000 tons of rice in 2015. But Cape Girardeau is just 1,000 miles from Havana and Missouri rice producers are eager to meet that demand with their high-quality product.
But lifting the embargo won't just be a boon for Missouri jobs--it'll also strip the Castro regime of its biggest excuse for why its people aren't free and prosperous. Over the past half-century, the embargo has served as the go-to reason for that government for everything from lack of economic opportunity to human rights abuses.
The embargo is also a strategy that has in some ways backfired, isolating America as well as Cuba. That point was driven home over a lunch I shared in Havana with some ambassadors to Cuba from America's strategic allies. Germany, Brazil, Spain, Norway, Sweden--these governments have an official relationship with the Cuban government, and have demonstrated an ability to engage in economic trade, while applying pressure on behalf of human rights and economic freedom.
Those are some of the reasons I'm signing on as a cosponsor and supporter of the bipartisan Freedom to Export to Cuba Act--legislation to end the embargo sponsored by Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota who accompanied me to Cuba. The legislation is also backed by Republican Senators such as Jeff Flake of Arizona and Mike Enzi of Wyoming.
By far, the biggest surprise in Cuba for me was the warmth and affection the Cuban people have for America. The families and business owners, farmers and ranchers, urban planners and healthcare workers I met were universally excited at what the future may hold for our countries. The hope for a new day is palpable.
Back in the Senate, I'm working to make that new day a reality, for the benefit of Missouri business, and for the future of the Cuban people.