Secretary of State John Kerry won’t head to Havana ahead of President Obama’s trip to Cuba later this month.
The State Department began preparing for Kerry’s trip Friday after he told lawmakers he planned to go during the first weeks of march for a human-rights conversation, but the U.S. and Cuba couldn’t decide on an agenda.
“The secretary is still interested in visiting in the near future, and we are working with our Cuban counterparts and our embassy to determine the best time frame,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said, according to The Wall Street Journal.
According to a different U.S. official, the American Embassy’s small staff was overwhelmed by preparations for both Kerry and Obama’s trip. Kerry’s decision to cancel the trip — which would have been his second — made in part to ease the burden on the staff.
Human rights in the communist nation may also be a reason for Kerry to cancel the trip, and may be a big part of Obama’s.
The White House has said Obama will pick who he meets with while in Cuba later this month, as he is expected to meet with political dissidents.
