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Kriseman: Cuban trip could pay off with consulate office

 
Mayor Rick Kriseman says the trip to Cuba helped start form relationships that could lead to a Cuban consulate in St. Petersburg. [MONICA HERNDON | Times]
Mayor Rick Kriseman says the trip to Cuba helped start form relationships that could lead to a Cuban consulate in St. Petersburg. [MONICA HERNDON | Times]
Published Sept. 2, 2015

ST. PETERSBURG — Mayor Rick Kriseman said Cuban officials are receptive to his idea of placing a consulate for the island nation in Florida's Sunshine City.

"Having a Cuban consulate would be a very good thing for us," Kriseman said at a City Hall news conference Tuesday, three days after his return from a weather-shortened trip to Havana.

A "couple of other" Florida cities have been "outright rejected," said City Council Chairman Charlie Gerdes, alluding to Tampa and Miami, which have larger Cuban populations. "One of them should be very obvious, it's on the southeast coast of Florida."

Gerdes didn't elaborate on his remarks, saying he didn't want to betray the confidence of the Cuban foreign ministry official who told him which Florida cities were out of the running.

A consulate office typically issues visas, serves as an outpost for dealing with local officials and helps its citizens in a variety of roles. Consulates also frequently serve as regional outlets for spreading a nation's foreign policy outside of its embassy in Washington, D.C. Some countries, like Mexico, have consulates in dozens of cities to serve the millions of Mexican nationals who live in the United States. Other countries have just a few, focusing their diplomatic efforts at the embassy level in Washington.

Kriseman, Gerdes, Deputy Mayor Kanika Tomalin and the mayor's chief of staff Kevin King flew from Tampa to Havana on a chartered plane Thursday morning, provided by the Alliance for Responsible Cuba Policy, a Tampa-based nonprofit.

The trip was originally slated to end Sunday, but the group returned Saturday morning to avoid Tropical Storm Erika.

Because the trip was abbreviated, scheduled economic development talks were scrubbed, but Tomalin said cultural exchanges between the two cities are possible.

She pledged the city's help — with private donations and other forms of collaboration — to restore a monument to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Havana.

The short visit left a positive impression on St. Petersburg's leaders. Gerdes spoke about a visible "egalitarianism" in the country while Tomalin praised Cuba's "specific commitment to human dignity and civil rights."

Tomalin later clarified her remarks, saying that she had been referring to the Cuban people and not the government.

Although he didn't bring back any trade deal or firm promise of a consulate, Kriseman said that hadn't been the intent of the brief jaunt. Instead, he gained a new understanding of conditions in Cuba and an appreciation for the people.

And the group was able to begin forming relationships that might pay off in the future.

Kriseman met with Cuban-Americans in St. Petersburg before his trip — which a few years ago might have generated a storm of controversy — but hasn't heard any criticism from residents, he said.

Most people whom he's talked to have an intense interest in Cuba and want to learn more, Kriseman said.

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Opportunities abound for St. Petersburg and the region, including medical science exchanges and commercial flights, Kriseman said.

"But those things aren't going to happen without the trip we just did. Those are the steps forward," Kriseman said.

Contact Charlie Frago at cfrago@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8459. Follow @CharlieFrago.