(ESSEX JUNCTION, VT) – Lt. Governor Brian Dubie chose Essex High School as the venue to unveil today plans for his upcoming mission to Cuba, set for April 13 – 16. Essex High School Principal Armando Vilaseca, a Cuban-American, joined Dubie at the news conference. Vilaseca will accompany Dubie on the mission, as an interpreter and education and cultural consultant.

Dubie said, “Our goals for this trip are to establish a relationship between the people of Vermont and the people of Cuba. We hope to do that by building a framework for educational exchange, by exploring opportunities to export Vermont products for the Cuban people, and by promoting peace and dialogue between our countries.” The US Department of Treasury has granted Dubie a license to travel to Cuba, which is good for a year.

Dubie has been invited by Alimport, a Cuban government-authorized trade group, to attend a Cuban-US agricultural trade fair next week. Dubie is scheduled to address the conference on Tuesday, the opening day. The Cuban Humanitarian Trade Act of 2001 authorizes certain sales of US agricultural and medical products to Cuba, and Cuba has released an extensive list of commodities it is interested in buying. Among them are dairy products, maple products and apples.

Dubie said, “The government of Cuba has declared that each Cuban child should receive a liter of milk to drink every day, and they need more milk to make that promise a reality. If we can send milk from Vermont farmers to help Cuban children grow and thrive, that’s good thing.”

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Dubie and Vilaseca will also seek out Cuban educators to discuss avenues for language and cultural exchange between Vermont schools and Cuban schools. Champlain College’s School for International Studies has provided briefing materials on current conditions in Cuba in preparation for the Lt. Governor’s visit.

“Clearly,” Dubie said, “with respect to issues like freedom of speech, prisoners’ rights, workers’ rights and more, our government and Cuba’s government have long-standing differences, both in our values and aspirations. But I firmly believe that our people do not. By looking ahead to the future, and building on those values we share, Vermont can play a positive role in the future of the Cuban people.”