New
White House communications director has traveled to Cuba to scout investment
opportunities
BY NORA GÁMEZ TORRES
Anthony Scaramucci,
the new White House communications director, has traveled to Cuba several times
to explore the possibility of doing business on the island.
Scaramucci, whose
appointment on Friday led to the resignation of White House Press Secretary
Sean Spicer, is the founder of the global investment firm SkyBridge Capital. He
also is behind the annual SkyBridge Alternatives (SALT) Conference that brings
together business and government leaders. In 2016, the conference — for the
first time —included a panel on Cuba in which the Cuban-American
businessman Hugo Cancio was one of the speakers.
At the offices of
OnCuba in Havana, a digital media outlet owned by Cancio, Scaramucci was
quoted in an interview published in May 2016 about his idea of creating an “investment fund” for Cuba, adding
that, “we are eager to exchange (ideas)... about the best ways in which
we can contribute to the development of the country, the services and the
quality of life of citizens.”
Scaramucci told
OnCuba that he first traveled to the island in 2012.
“When I saw that the
U.S. policy of rapprochement was heading to reconciliation and the ease of the
embargo, I started to get in touch with people to get an idea of whether it was
really possible to implement my projects here,” he said
On his Facebook page,
Scaramucci shared the interview on a May 4, 2016 post and wrote that during his
visit to Cuba he "saw a very beautiful country. I am very hopeful for the
future of Cuba and excited to welcome the Cubans to the SALT Conference!”
Timing is everything re: biz in Cuba http://oncubamagazine.com/economy-business/anthony-scaramucci-on-doing-business-in-cuba-timing-is-everything/ … @OnCuba
I'm bullish on Cuba & excited to bring @HugoCancio to @SALTConference
I'm bullish on Cuba & excited to bring @HugoCancio to @SALTConference
The White House did
not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Cancio confirmed that
Scaramucci is “a good friend.
“He is a very
successful businessman and I hope his new vision will be good for the White
House and President Donald Trump,” Cancio said.
Trump recently took
steps to tighten U.S. policy toward Cuba and ban business with
companies linked to the Cuban military, which controls most of the Cuban
economy. It also imposed some limitations on individual travel by Americans to
the island and ordered more audits for travelers. However, he did not entirely
undo all of the easing of restrictions implemented by former President Obama.
Before taking a
harder approach on Cuba, several media outlets, including Newsweek, Bloomberg and the Miami Herald reported the Trump Organization’s interest
in doing business with Cuba, even though the U.S. embargo prohibits it.
“I think the
situation is oversimplified to one country being capitalist and the Cuban
system originating from communism, and as a consequence, there’s an embargo,”
Scaramucci said in the interview. “However I think that many Americans would
like to get in touch with Cuba and its culture.”
“I have always said
that to speak and give an opinion about Cuba, people should travel to the
island and be in contact with all kinds of Cubans,” said Cancio, who has served
as an adviser for several U.S. companies interested in business on the island.
“Anthony has had that opportunity and I hope he can be a new, more calm and
coherent voice about Cuba's past and present.”
“Today I sleep more
calmly that there is a person close to Trump who can share that vision stemming
from the experience on his visits to Cuba,” he added.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article162991893.html
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