A group of Democratic lawmakers has wrapped up a visit to Cuba. The five-day trip included meetings with Cuban President Raul Castro and former president Fidel Castro. Congress member Barbara Lee of California said the Castros renewed calls for direct talks with the United States.

Rep. Barbara Lee: “All of us are convinced that President Castro would like normal relations with Cuba and would see normalization, ending the embargo, as beneficial to both countries. And we were very proud and humbled by the fact that we were one of the first United States delegations to meet with President Castro.”

The Obama administration is expected to announce plans to abolish limits on family travel and cash remittances to Cuba at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad later this month. The move would allow Cubans living in the United States to travel freely to the island, instead of once a year as at present. But Obama has still rejected calls to lift the embargo.