Washington, D.C. - The National Black Commerce
and 50 business owners traveled to Havana, Cuba recently to assess the
plight of the people of Cuba; 80% of its 12 million residents are of African
descent. The group received a license from the United States Treasury Department
and chartered a flight from Miami to Havana.
The contingent arrived on a Saturday night
and spent five days at the five star hotel, Novetel Miramar (July 29 -
August 2). The NBCC was welcomed by the Cuban Chamber of Commerce which
scheduled three days of meetings and activities. Members of the group were
given professional Microsoft powerpoint presentations by Castro's cabinet
members including the Ministers of Foreign Trade, Construction, Light Industry,
Public Health, Information and Communications and Economics.
The United States embargo has prevented
the nation from true international trade and interaction with the total
world, but it has survived and progressed.
"We were surprised that we could venture
into the populace as freely as in the United States," says NBCC president,
Harry C. Alford, "There were no appointed guides and cabs were everywhere.
Our contingent was given the opportunity to explore Havana and its people.
That liberty was exploited and what we found was a free interaction that
would rival New York or Los Angeles."
NBCC Executive Vice President, Kay DeBow
described her experience this way: "I expected to see armed military personnel
roaming the streets, but what we saw were civilian Cubans walking and interacting
in the neighborhoods and streets of urban Havana; we saw statutes of Jesus
Christ; we had direct access to CNN, ESPN and HBO - it was an an eye-opening
experience. This trip gave new meaning to the saying: "You gotta see it
to believe it."
For more insight, visit the NBCC web site
at nationalbcc.org.