HOUSE MEMORIAL 34

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2016

INTRODUCED BY

Tomás E. Salazar and Patricia Roybal Caballero

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO IDENTIFY AND STUDY OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRADE AND FOR SHARING OF ACADEMIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES BETWEEN NEW MEXICO AND CUBA.

     WHEREAS, Cuba is an island nation with over eleven million inhabitants, and it offers to the world a variety of valuable economic, academic and cultural resources; and

     WHEREAS, Cuba's economy is based on exports such as sugar, nickel, refined petroleum, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus fruits and coffee; and

     WHEREAS, the United States department of agriculture permits the sale of over one thousand three hundred agricultural, fish and forestry commodities to Cuba; and

     WHEREAS, Cuba has established or reestablished trade relations with many countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Europe, China and Russia; and

     WHEREAS, Cuba's major export partners include Canada, China and Venezuela; and

     WHEREAS, several European nations have conducted trade and business relations with Cuba for over twenty years; and

     WHEREAS, Cuba boasts a highly skilled labor pool, with a significant number of students enrolled in post-secondary education; and

     WHEREAS, there are a number of well-established colleges and universities in Cuba, including universidad de La Habana, instituto superior politécnico José Antonio Echeverría and universidad central Marta Abreu de Las Villas; and

     WHEREAS, Cuba has trained high numbers of medical personnel and has made significant contributions to world health; and

     WHEREAS, in addition to its economic and academic resources, Cuba has a diverse culture with roots in Europe and Africa, among other regions, and has made valuable contributions to the world's musical, artistic and literary landscape; and

     WHEREAS, due to trade sanctions, the United States and Cuba have not meaningfully explored a trade relationship for over fifty-five years; and

     WHEREAS, the United States has normalized diplomatic relations with Cuba; and

     WHEREAS, such diplomatic relations could set the stage for a possible trade relationship with Cuba; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico could benefit from the possibility of increased trade with Cuba; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico farmers, in particular, could benefit from trade with Cuban markets; and

     WHEREAS, Cuba has expressed the need for lumber, and New Mexico could meet that need and Cuba's needs for many other resources through a mutually beneficial trade partnership; and

     WHEREAS, the education of students at institutions of higher learning in New Mexico and Cuba could be enhanced through information, programs and experiences shared between faculty and students of those institutions; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico and Cuba have in common rich and diverse cultures, and it would thus be appropriate to facilitate communication and productive relationships to benefit their respective economies, academic institutions and cultural landscapes; and

     WHEREAS, Las Vegas, New Mexico, and Banes, Cuba, as members of the United States-Cuba sister city association, are established as "sister cities", further signifying the potential for a significant and beneficial relationship between New Mexico and Cuba;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the economic development department be requested to identify and study opportunities for trade and for sharing of academic and cultural resources between New Mexico and Cuba; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that representatives of the economic development department report its findings and recommendations, including an estimate of the costs associated with implementation of such recommendations, to the legislative finance committee and an appropriate interim committee by no later than August 1, 2016; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of economic development, the chair of the legislative finance committee and the co-chairs of the New Mexico legislative council.

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