The death of longtime dictator Fidel Castro has again sparked interest in Cuba.
Meantime, Illinois lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, are already delving deep into developing economic ties with the island nation.
Congressman Darin LaHood (R-Peoria) gives credit to President Barack Obama for opening up trade with Cuba. Lahood says Cuban trade is important for companies, including Caterpillar because 75 percent of the tractors built in East Peoria are shipped to foreign destinations.
"There are some parts of our country that don’t want to do that because of the Castro regime, some of the human rights violations and those need to be looked at," LaHood said. "But I think many of the problems in other countries are solved by economic opportunities and opening up trade opportunities with Cuba is one of the ways to do that.
LaHood says he believes the congressional Cuba Working Group will help develop new policies as the United States and Cuba restore diplomatic relations.
Democratic Congresswoman Cheri Bustos Congresswoman says while the opportunity is large, there is still a significant financial barrier to overcome.
"We’ve got about a $2 billion a year opportunity to trade our agricultural products with Cuba. The problem is they don’t have access to the standard credit markets," Bustos said. "Typically, they have to have credit so they can buy our goods that currently under law is not there."
Bustos has visited Cuba twice in the last 13 months. She's co-sponsoring a bill to open the credit markets to Cuba. Bustos says she hopes it will pass in the lame duck congressional session.