January 5, 20223 3:00 a.m.

Senator Ron Wyden is calling on the Biden administration to strengthen support for Cuba’s small and medium-sized private enterprises by creating more general licenses, as well as giving the private sector access to international banking, following his fact-finding trip to Cuba.

A release said Wyden, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee and was the first senator to visit Cuba four years ago, intends to discuss his ideas with Senate colleagues over the weeks ahead.

Wyden believes the U.S. rule changes would benefit the private sector Cuban companies and that developing Cuban economic activities would help reduce Cuban migration to the United States. The release said he believes a growing middle class of entrepreneurs and family businesses will lay the foundations for fundamental political and economic reforms of one of the countries closest neighbors.

Wyden is the sponsor of legislation to end the trade embargo of Cuba, and last year urged the Biden-Harris administration to reverse Donald Trump’s Cuba policies.

A web version of this release is linked: https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-cuban-private-sector-small-businesses-should-get-strong-us-support