Councilman to Defend Cuban Trips at Congressional Hearing

A city councilman plans to tell a congressional committee today that his controversial trips to Cuba were to coordinate the shipments of medical supplies and equipment to the embargoed nation.

Councilman William Paparian is expected to discuss his role in a plea to the House trade and ways and means subcommittee in support of lifting a ban on the sale of food and medical supplies to Cuba, according to a copy of his testimony.

In July 1996, when Paparian was mayor, he was thrust into the Cuba debate when he visited the country as a guest of Fidel Castro’s government, drawing the anger of the State Department and some Pasadenans.

Since then, he has visited Cuba five times. But until now he has said little about the purpose of his trips beyond voicing his opposition to the U.S. embargo of the Communist country.

“Most of these trips were for the purpose of coordinating the Cuba Relief Project of Operations USA, an 18-year-old international relief agency which is preparing the first of many shipments to Cuba of medical supplies and equipment,” his written testimony said.

Paparian said he has met extensively with Cuban officials and toured pediatric hospitals in Havana targeted for medical aid.