Kentucky Joins Coalition to Fight US Blockade against Cuba

A bipartisan group of political and business leaders launched today the Kentucky-Engage State Council of Cuba, which seeks to promote closer relations between that US state and Cuba.

The group, headed by Kentucky agriculture commissioner Ryan Quarles and Jonathan Blue, chairman and managing director of Blue Equity LLC, will be the state headquarters of the Engage Cuba coalition, which seeks to foster measures to lift the United States blockade against Cuba.

According to the statement issued by the organization, the members of the Council consider that the economic, commercial and financial blockade damages the companies and farmers in the state, as well as the Cuban people.

For this reason, they seek to lift the blockade to boost exports of the main job-creating industries in Kentucky, including agriculture and manufacturing.

The group, which has congresspeople James Comer and Jon Yarmuth as honorary chairs, includes members of the state management and representatives of agriculture, education and the business fields.

Comer said he supports the end of the blockade because Cuba needs to import some of the state's major products such as soybean and poultry.

He said that with the end of the blockade, the United States could have better access to products such as coffee and tropical fruits from Cuba.

For his part, President of Engage Cuba James Williams said that they are very happy to have a varied list of dynamic and engaged people of Kentucky, a state that becomes the 17th in joining the coalition.

'It's time to end 50 years of failed isolationist policy towards Cuba,' said Williams while praising that these people are willing to step up and call on Congress to end a policy that is costing Kentucky jobs and preventing economic development for the Cuban people.

According to the statement issued today, Kentucky's auto manufacturing industry, which ranks third in the United States, stands to benefit significantly if the US blockade is lifted.