Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico will spend the week in Cuba for a trade mission. A spokeswoman said the governor was to fly to Havana today and return Friday.
He decided to pay his own way because of the state’s budget problems.
Richardson plans to discuss possible agricultural and cultural partnerships between New Mexico and Cuba.
According to Alarie Ray-Garcia, a spokeswoman in the governor’s office, the state is going to pick up the tab for the other members of Richardson’s official delegation.
Please Governor, don’t go there just in a trade mission, if you do not visit the dissidents, and at least do not ask about the labor and human rights record of the people or state own companies that you supposedly are going to deal with, you will be render a poor service to the cause of freedom and justice that have been one of your “trade mark” as a politician so far.