Rep. Barbara Lee Condemns State Department’s Announcement of Permanent Staffing Cuts at U.S. Embassy in Havana
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Lee, a co-chair of the bipartisan Cuba Working Group, issued the following statement regarding the State Department’s announcement that the U.S. Embassy in Havana will continue to operate as an unaccompanied post:
“I am extremely disappointed by last week’s announcement from the State Department on permanent staffing reductions at our embassy in Cuba. The safety of our diplomatic corps in Havana and their families remains paramount, but as long as the United States continues to limit the presence of its culture, values and beliefs on the island, there can be no reasonable expectation that our relationship and the lives of eleven million Cubans can or will improve. Limited consular and commercial services hurt families and businesses both in Cuba and here at home. Secretary Tillerson should return our embassy to full operating status and allow our foreign service and consular officials to resume their important work."
###