Friday Flashback: Governor Ryan Goes To Cuba

By Karl Klockars in Miscellaneous on Apr 17, 2009 8:30PM

This week's news about President Obama's relaxing of travel restrictions to Cuba reminded us of all the things we would love about a trip to America's Future Territory* (minus that pesky totalitarianism, of course). Cigars, rum, Hemingway, '50s era automobiles held together by spit and duct tape - ah, Cuba! So naturally our thoughts traveled back to the most high-profile Illinoisan to set foot on Cuban soil (up until Bobby Rush's recent trip) and the first American governor since 1959. Let's travel back, you and I, to Governor Ryan's humanitarian delegation trip to Cuba in October of 1999.

Along with Ryan, a throng of more than 45 other state delegates and dignitaries traveled to Cuba to bring over $2 million in food, clothing and medical supplies, including nearly a half-million dollars worth of hospital products and drugs from Lake County based Abbott Labs. Ryan was also accompanied by nearly as many TV, radio and print reporters during his 5 day visit.

During the trek to Cuba, Ryan met with citizens and dissidents, but most of the attention came from Ryan's meeting with Fidel Castro. This ruffled feathers across the country, raising criticism from Cuban-Americans and the Clinton administration alike.

From the Washington Post:

Ryan said his mission would have been a "failure" if he had not met with Castro, and he said he will contact other U.S. governors to urge them to travel to Cuba and meet with officials of the communist regime.

"Since I was the highest-level official in the United States to go there since the embargo was imposed, it would have been a mistake for me not to meet with Castro," Ryan said in a telephone interview. "My hope is there will be other state delegations that go, and hopefully we'll lift this embargo."

State Department spokesman James P. Rubin said Wednesday, after Ryan's meeting with the Cuban dictator, that personal visits with Castro should be avoided "to not give the impression that anyone supports the oppression that he has visited on his people."

Ryan said he did not interpret Rubin's remarks as a stricture against talking with Castro. He said no one told him during a 90-minute briefing by State Department officials before his trip that he could not meet with the Cuban leader.

It's hard to imagine that former Governor Ryan doesn't from time to time reflect back on the trip. Who could have guessed in '99 that of the two guys pictured above, in ten years one would be in prison - but it wouldn't be the one that ran the communist island dictatorship?

Photo by AP.

*Just a theory.