This week wasn’t the first time a Congressional delegation has visited Cuba. In the spring of 2000, Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), now the House Majority Whip, led a group of three congressmen to meet with Fidel Castro and speak out against the embargo.
When he returned, Clyburn praised Castro for his “great sense of history and a great sense of self.” He added the the Cuban leader was “very reflective” and “a policy wonk,” according to an archived news article from the Charleston Post and Courier.
Clyburn used the trip to raise awareness about the U.S. embargo against Cuba.