3 Democratic Lawmakers Visit Havana, Meet With Cuban President And Foreign Minister

At least three U.S. Congressmen reportedly met with members of the Cuban government on Sunday, including its President Miguel Díaz-Canel, in a bilateral meeting aimed at improving relations with the country.

The delegation of U.S. officials, confirmed to include Reps. James McGovern (D-MA), Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Troy Carter (D-LA), met with Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel, as well as the country’s foreign minister and the leaders of Cuba’s Congress, according to the Associated Press.

The meeting is one of a handful of visits to the country that officials in the U.S. government has participated in over the decades. These are meant to improve relations with the Latin American country whose history with the U.S. tends to be acrimonious, ABC News reported.

“We addressed our differences and topics of shared interest. We affirmed our willingness to improve bilateral relations,” Díaz-Canel said in a tweet.

The discussion between the two countries was not revealed, but pictures of the meeting were shared with the public, including one where Rep. McGovern was shaking the hand of President Díaz-Canel and another where the American politicians were meeting with Cuban officials.

The Biden administration has been having meetings with the Cuban government for the past few months due to the increase in migrats from Cuba. Cubans became the second-most number of people after Mexicans who are arriving at the border, with over 28,848 being stopped at the border by U.S. authorities in the previous month.

The cause for the sudden influx of migration from Cuba is pointed to an increasing amount of economic and political crises in the country, compounded by an unexpected energy crisis.

As the U.S. plans to resume visa and consular services in the country, Díaz-Canel has expressed hope that these bilateral meetings continue and that it could potentially lead to the lifting of sanctions that have been in place since the 1960s.