Close to 30 members of the Southwest Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce travel to Washington DC today for their annual White House Briefing. This is the third year the Southwest Florida Hispanic Chamber has traveled to Washington DC to advocate for its members. They’ll meet with Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, the first Latino Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and deputy assistant to the President – Rubin Borales. Chamber Executive Director Leonardo Garcia, says issues they hope to discuss include social security and CAFTA – the Central American Free Trade Agreement being debated in Congress.

“That trade agreement will be beneficial. Not only to Latin America but here in Florida. We have a lot of members of the chamber and people in the community that want to do business with Latin America. So far what we have has benefited mainly Miami. But even Miami, with the agreement, removing all the barriers, will increase opportunities both ways in the shipping of products both Latin America to Florida and the US and the export of technology equipment and the service industry training companies in Latin America.”

Garcia says the group also wants to know what Attorney General Gonzales’s philosophy and vision are for the country. He says if voting ends in Congress in time on Friday the group will meet with Representative Connie Mack as well. Garcia says such a trip shows people in the nation’s capitol that the Hispanic community is paying attention.