Women and Cuba

US State Dept. Interferes with Historic Event

A historic meeting took place from May 23 through the 26th in Monterrey, Mexico as Cuban and US hurricane experts gathered to exchange ideas and information just as hurricane season began. However, one participant failed to appear, thanks to untimely interference by the US State Department. The US-Cuba Hurricane Summit was the first event of its kind. Wayne Smith of the Center for International Policy and co-coordinators WILPF member Randy Poindexter of NO-MAS (the New Orleans-Mariel Amistad Society) and another WILPF’er, Jay Higgenbotham of Society Mobile-La Habana, assembled participants from along the hard-hit Gulf Coast region to attend the summit. They met with leading Cuban experts to discuss how the US could better prepare for hurricanes.