Ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera will Speak at Commonwealth Club World Affairs on Her First Visit to the West Coast
March 8, 2024 (San Francisco)—Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA) will host an unprecedented evening on March 12, 2024 at 6:00 PM to welcome the Cuban ambassador to the US on her first visit to the West Coast. In our exclusive public program, Ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera will shed light on one of our closest yet most controversial and closed-off neighbors: the Republic of Cuba. Mike Cerre, Special Correspondent for PBS Newshour, will moderate the live fireside chat. A reception will follow the program featuring drinks and an array of traditional Cuban cuisine served buffet style.
Ambassador Torres Rivera will share a perspective from Havana: What is the story behind record-breaking recent Cuban migration to the US? Is there any hope for moving beyond the US embargo of Cuba, now in its seventh decade and controversially expanded in the 1990s to sanction worldwide companies trading with the island? More than 30 years on since the fall of the Soviet Union—but in an era of rising geopolitical tensions—what can a relationship between the leader of the free world and our closest Communist neighbor look like?
As ambassador to the US and a key negotiator in the bilateral discussions on bolstering US engagement with Cuba during the Obama administration, Ambassador Torres Rivera will offer insight into the process of renewing relations, the backsliding that followed and where we stand now. Attendees will hear how the US-Cuba relationship could evolve as we look ahead to this pivotal election year and explore if California-Cuba collaborations could ignite. We’ll set aside time for the audience to submit questions for this very rare opportunity to speak directly with Cuba’s highest official in the US.
The program will be held in person and is open to the public. Tickets and additional information are available at https://worldaffairs.org/programs/embargo-engagement/.
Members of the press who would like to attend or receive a link to the post-program recording should contact CCWA’s Director of Communications and Marketing Justin Seiter at jseiter@worldaffairs.org.
About CCWA
Commonwealth Club World Affairs—formed by the 2023 merger of The Commonwealth Club of California and World Affairs—brings people together to learn, discuss and create local and global solutions to issues that impact our community. The Bay Area’s single, leading public forum destination, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories. Learn more at commonwealthclub.org and worldaffairs.org.
Ambassador Torres Rivera will share a perspective from Havana: What is the story behind record-breaking recent Cuban migration to the US? Is there any hope for moving beyond the US embargo of Cuba, now in its seventh decade and controversially expanded in the 1990s to sanction worldwide companies trading with the island? More than 30 years on since the fall of the Soviet Union—but in an era of rising geopolitical tensions—what can a relationship between the leader of the free world and our closest Communist neighbor look like?
As ambassador to the US and a key negotiator in the bilateral discussions on bolstering US engagement with Cuba during the Obama administration, Ambassador Torres Rivera will offer insight into the process of renewing relations, the backsliding that followed and where we stand now. Attendees will hear how the US-Cuba relationship could evolve as we look ahead to this pivotal election year and explore if California-Cuba collaborations could ignite. We’ll set aside time for the audience to submit questions for this very rare opportunity to speak directly with Cuba’s highest official in the US.
The program will be held in person and is open to the public. Tickets and additional information are available at https://worldaffairs.org/programs/embargo-engagement/.
Members of the press who would like to attend or receive a link to the post-program recording should contact CCWA’s Director of Communications and Marketing Justin Seiter at jseiter@worldaffairs.org.
About CCWA
Commonwealth Club World Affairs—formed by the 2023 merger of The Commonwealth Club of California and World Affairs—brings people together to learn, discuss and create local and global solutions to issues that impact our community. The Bay Area’s single, leading public forum destination, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories. Learn more at commonwealthclub.org and worldaffairs.org.
