Carlos Gutierrez Appointed Chairman of US-Cuba Business Council

HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 10 (acn) Carlos Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce during the administration of George W. Bush, was elected to head the U.S.-Cuba Business Council (USCBC), an organization pressuring into the lifting of the blockade that Washington has maintained against the island for over five decades.

The election of Gutierrez is a boost to efforts to increase the role of U.S. investors in the Cuban market, although the biggest obstacle to such an approach persists, the economic, financial and commercial blockade, Prensa Latina reports.
In exclusive statements to ACN in November, Gutierrez stated in Havana that "the blockade is the key" to normalize commercial relations between the two countries. He pointed out that efforts such as the Business Council are a good space to show that changes in terms of economic ties can be made.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced that Gutierrez will receive on Tuesday the Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca, who will travel to the United States on an official mission.
The impending visit of Minister Malmierca, together with recent changes in U.S. regulations, creates unprecedented opportunities for both nations, particularly in terms of travel and small businesses, asserted Gutierrez.
The USCBC responds in the U.S. to the Chamber of Commerce, which represents the interests of three million entrepreneurs, and its international affairs division works with counterparts in some twenty countries.
Created on September 25 in Washington, the Business Council intends to build a strategic business relationship, foster links in the business sector, and identify commercial