Nancy Pelosi Meets With Cuban Vice President Miguel Diaz Canel, Heir To Cuba's Presidency In 2018

U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, along with eight other democrats from the.​S.​ House of Representatives, met on Thursday with Cuban Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who is first in line to be Cuba’s next president when Raul Castro steps down in 2018. Brothers Fidel and Raul Castro have been in power since 1959.

The meeting comes only two months after the U.S. and Cuba announced plans to restore diplomatic relations after more than 50 years of conflicts. This is the first time an heir to Cuba's presidency has received an official American delegation and it was the first time Diaz-Canel has met American officials since becoming vice president two years ago, Cuban officials told Reuters.

Joining Pelosi during the visit to Cuba included democratic representatives Rosa DeLauro, Collin Peterson, David Cicilline, Anna Eshoo, Jim McGovern, Eliot Engel, Rosa DeLauro, Nydia Velazquez and Steve Israel.

"There is strong bipartisan support to lift the embargo in the Congress, however it's not universal and it certainly does not appear to be shared by those in power who have the ability to bring a bill to the floor," Pelosi told reporters Thursday.

The U.S. and Cuba are scheduled to hold a second round of talks on Feb. 27 in Washington, D.C., after the two countries held historic discussions last month aimed at re-establishing diplomatic relations.