Pool Report #4: Governor Abbott’s Business Development Mission To Cuba
Pool report provided by the Austin American-Statesman
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott assured Cuban officials Tuesday that he wanted close economic ties between Texas and Cuba whether or not the U.S. embargo is lifted, but with an eye toward getting a jump start on an even more mutually profitable relationship if and when that day comes.
“We appreciate the way we have been received, and we look forward to mañanawith that being a double entendre,” Abbott told the leadership of CIMEX, the Cuban Export-Import Corporation and the nation’s largest commercial corporation, which Abbott likened to Texas in its size, scope and growth
But with Texas in the CIMEX mix, Abbot said, “We can grow that mas grande.”
And, in successive meetings with CIMEX and the ministry of tourism, Abbott, joined by members of a small trade delegation he brought with him to Cuba, sought to seal the deal – and his good intentions - with the presentation of an autographed Nolan Ryan baseball. (He brought a dozen on the trip.)
“You tengo un baseball. It’s signed by Nolan Ryan who is an All Star, one of the best players, and he’s also a Texan. He asked me to give this to you as a sign of friendship,” Abbott told Alexis Trujillo Morejón, the first deputy minster of tourism, who was seated across the large conference room table from him.
“Can you catch?”
“This is the beginning of what we hope will be a very productive relationship,” Abbott said.
“One thing I can say is that Texas has a business point of view for travel and tourism to Cuba,” Abbott said. “From a Texas perspective, we view Cuba as a place of vast tourism and travel opportunities ”
“Texas would really like to expand travel and tourism with Cuba,” Abbott said. “If you could name one thing to speed up or aid that process what would that be?”
“The lifting of the blockade,” replied Trujillo Morejón
“I say, `Not my job,’” Abbott said.
“The ability for states to affect the embargo is very limited,” Abbott said.
But Saba Abashawl, chief external affairs officer for the Houston Airport System, said, “the governor of Texas is being modest,” noting that his presence in Havana seeking closer relations with Cuba, ”sends a very strong message to Washington.”
Abbott smiled and nodded.
While the Cubans blame the United States for the failure to move faster to create direct commercial service – something now the subject of intense negotiations - Abashawl said the Cubans also have some responsibility for the slow-going because they worry that they don’t’ have the infrastructure to handle as many flights as the airports in cities like Houston and U.S. airlines would like.
“Several airports and airlines in Texas that have a keen interest in that process,” Abbott said.
While Abbott has not directly called for an end to the embargo, his conversations with the Cubans have been sympathetic. Duly noting that the future of the embargo rests with Washington, he said, “while we are waiting for that decision from the federal government, Texas wants to begin the process of building relationships with business leaders like CIMEX so that we will be well prepared to act swiftly to the mutual benefit of CIMEX and Texas.”