Why No Advance Or Post Visit Mention On State Of Delaware Internet Sites For Visit To Cuba By Secretaries Of Agriculture And State? Under-The-Radar Visits Are Not Helpful.

Although there was a media event in the city of Havana, Republic of Cuba, during the end of January 2023 visit by Jeffrey Bullock, Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, and Michael Scuse, Secretary of Agriculture of the State of Delaware, the Internet sites and social media sites connected with their respective offices did not share information in advance of the visit or subsequent to the visit. No media release. No posts to Twitter or Facebook.

Unhelpful when officials of states visit the Republic of Cuba and do not publicize in advance their visit- the purpose, the costs, sources of funding, meeting agenda.

17 February 2023- From the Delaware Department of Agriculture: “We did not have a Comms [Communications] staff member on the trip, hence the reason why there was no social media during the visit to Cuba. Secondly, it is not our practice to share media out related to trips the Secretary is on or has come back from. If a media outlet requests an interview following a trip, we will set that up.” 

The Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act (TSREEA) of 2000 re-authorized the direct commercial (on a cash basis) export of food products (including branded food products) and agricultural commodities from the United States to the Republic of Cuba, irrespective of purpose. Since the first deliveries in December 2001, more than US$6.9 billion in agricultural commodities and food products have been exported from the United States to the Republic of Cuba.

27 January 2023: “The Secretaries of State and Agriculture of the state of Delaware (USA), Jeffrey Bullock (d) and Michael Scuse, during a press conference in Havana. Photo: Ernesto Mastrascusa / EFE”