Strengthening bonds through cultural exchange: Poet Nancy Morejon (left) and USA Rice's Asiha Grigsby
May 10, 2024
WASHINGTON, DC – In the pursuit of long-term trade viability, the maintenance of diplomatic relations with Cuba is a welcomed opportunity. This sentiment reverberated in the Cuban Embassy this week as Ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera extended a warm welcome to guests, including Asiha Grigsby, USA Rice senior director of international promotion in the Western Hemisphere, gathered there for a night of cultural celebration and diplomatic discourse.
Nancy Morejón, a prominent Afro-Cuban author and poet, was the guest of honor lauded for her literary contributions that have been translated into English, German, French, Portuguese, Galician, Russian, and Macedonian. In 2001, Morejón won Cuba's National Prize for Literature. She recited a number of her poems before the diverse audience comprised of trade representatives, private industry professionals, and Embassy officials from the Latino diaspora.
The networking reception following Morejón’s performance took place in the embassy’s Hemingway Bar, fittingly named for the renowned American author, Ernest Hemingway, highlighting the role of literature in leveraging mutual understanding between nations.
“The evening was a testament to the enduring bonds forged through cultural diplomacy,” said Grigsby. “Through participation in such initiatives, USA Rice reaffirms a commitment to nurturing collaborative partnerships that foster cultural enrichment and economic prosperity on a global scale.”
In 2023, the United States exported 1,215 metric tons (MT) of rice to Cuba, valued at $1,268,962 million, nearly 10 times the export volume in 2022. In the first quarter of 2024, 397 MT of U.S. rice has been exported, exceeding the export levels of the same period last year by more than 500 percent.