Democratic Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) reportedly made a secretive trip to Cuba last week on behalf of the Congressional Progressive Caucus—a visit Congressional lawmakers did not previously disclose and Cuban state media has not yet acknowledged.
As first reported by The Miami Herald, Jayapal and Omar (chair and deputy chair of the Progressive Caucus respectively) led a delegation of roughly a dozen Congressional staffers to discuss “human rights” and diplomatic relations with the island nation’s communist government. Sources who spoke to The Herald also confirmed that a staffer from the office of Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) joined the secretive delegation.
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“Representatives Jayapal and Omar traveled to Cuba last week, where they met with people from across Cuban civil society and government officials to discuss human rights and the US-Cuba bilateral relationship,” a Progressive Caucus spokesperson confirmed following The Herald’s report. However, details about the trip beyond those provided in this statement remain a mystery. Members of the Progressive Caucus have remained tight-lipped about the objectives of the visit, and Cuba’s state-run media outlets have not reported on any meetings that may have taken place.
Cuba has been under an American embargo for more than 60 years, but progressive Democrats—Omar and Jayapal among them—have recently called for a normalizing of relations between the two nations.
In 2021, the two “Squad” members were among 40 House Democrats who voted against a resolution in support of anti-communist demonstrations protesting the Cuban government. In January, Jayapal urged the Biden administration to remove Cuba’s Trump-era classification as a state sponsor of terrorism, claiming that the label had led to “an economic downturn” that was causing residents to flee the island.
Related: Ilhan Omar Faces Calls for Resignation, Deportation Over “Somalia First” Speech
The Democrats’ mysterious visit to Cuba, which took place during a two-week House recess, coincided with a diplomatic visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who visited the capital of Havana during a tour of Latin America last week.
During that visit, figurehead Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel offered “an affectionate greeting” to his Russian partners and discussed “making bilateral relations more dynamic on topics of common interest.”
Recibí al canciller de Rusia, Serguéi Lavrov, a quien trasladé un afectuoso saludo para el presidente Vladimir Putin.
Intercambiamos sobre la dinamización de las relaciones bilaterales en temas de interés común y acerca de asuntos relevantes de la agenda internacional. pic.twitter.com/wHhYOYDymn
— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) February 19, 2024
Following reports of the Democrats’ trip, Congressional Republicans accused Omar and Jayapal of attempting to appease a hostile communist regime.
“All members of the media should refer to the Progressive Caucus by their more accurate name — the Congressional Communist Sympathizing Caucus,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) wrote on X. “Perhaps their time would be better spent listening to the Cubans crossing our southern border & risking their lives on makeshift rafts to find out why they’re fleeing Communism.”
.@nicholaswu12 and all members of the media should refer to the Progressive Caucus by their more accurate name – the Congressional Communist Sympathizing Caucus.
It's outrageous that Members of Congress would visit a country that jails, abuses, and murders their citizens and… https://t.co/4gC50jVyu4
— Office of Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (@RepMalliotakis) February 27, 2024
Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), a Cuban immigrant, accused the Congresswomen of appeasing “the murderous dictatorship in Cuba.”
The murderous dictatorship in #Cuba must be defeated — not appeased.
— Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez (@RepCarlos) February 28, 2024
Florida Senator Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban refugees, likewise criticized the visit, denouncing the “Pro-Hamas members of marxist congressional squad” for their meeting with the anti-American dictatorship in Cuba.”
Pro-Hamas members of marxist congressional squad just returned from a secret visit with anti-American dictatorship in #Cuba https://t.co/0YevLdYknd
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 28, 2024
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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