Exile Groups: Let Cubans Travel and Send Cash

An umbrella group of influential Cuban exile organizations has joined the growing chorus of Cubans on both sides of the Florida Straits calling for the United States to ease restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba.

About two dozen exile organizations, speaking in unison under the umbrella group Consenso Cubano, or Cuban Consensus, will release a report today calling for the Bush administration to ease travel restrictions. The groups say U.S. policies that restrict Cubans from visiting family members and that limit remittances and other humanitarian aid ``violate fundamental rights of Cubans, damage the Cuban family, and constitute ethical contradictions.''

The announcement underscores a growing rift between hard-line exile leaders who want to preserve the sanctions, and more moderate Cuban Americans in Miami and dissidents in Cuba who feel that increasing interaction can help promote a peaceful transition to democracy.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16157915.htm

Comments

[Tu Abuela]

Intere$ting to see who the signatories to this namby pamby statement are.

[usamcuba]

Its about time common sense prevailed over emotional madness. But the restrictions should be lifted to include ALL Americans.

[roberto e]

Lifting restrictions on Cubans visiting Relatives mean a smaller percentage goes to castro or to mules or anybody else plus the contact is kept to families.

As for other US residents, that $$$ is all business and tourism $$$ going right to
the pockets of the castro regime,not any Cuban families.
Much the way the Euro trash cash and Canadian/Latin money goes now.

As for assuming that American tourists visitng resort spots/rest. bars,marinas,hotels that are closed to Cuban Citizens will breed openess and democratic change
its as ludicrous as David Rivera and others
thinking that putting a stop to family visits will weaken the regime

Especially when their mostly fellow republicans in the Agri/medical business sell to Cuba all that Fidel needs and then some of those companies thru Pacs donate $$$ to the politicians that restrict travel by family members but the politicians pocket the Agri,Medical,Energy PACS $$$ regardless.
Cynical Bastards!!!

[edwardo]

At the same time it might be time to call a halt to the thoroughly unsuccessful US attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro.

A programme aired in the UK last week called '638 ways to kill Castro' showed just how long this has been going on.

See clips at http://www.youtube.com/v/mavqdJrYcbs

and a very frank confession from the programme at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MunPrYJWy0

[usambcuba]

Roberto - you are misguided by the belief that the regime will be buttressed if restrictions are lifted. When restrictions are lifted, the regime will still have to deal and face its own oppressive nature to the people and no more to blame anyone or policies in the U.S. Freedom to travel and engage unleashes the full power of three million Cuban Americans here and Americans in general who not only come with dollars, but with ideas and services too. I have greater faith in that than fear.

[roberto e]

i said to lift the restrictions on cuban -americans with family on the island

Cubans are not allowed to visit the resorts Americans would be staying at. therefore contact would be minimal and there are not 3 million Cuban Americans anyway

And when you do your research you will find plenty of business being done by Americans already

why should i as a taxpayer pay for corrupt,oppresive regimes, so a handful with corporate/political contacts can make money
like the US Chamber of Commerce members.. to hell with them and all corporate welfare parasites!
Go for what can be done first, lift the travel restrictions on family visits then later worry about the rest!

The Berlin Wall fell in part because the West German Govt refused to bail out Dictator Honnecher any longer like it had been doing since Willy Brandt's
"Real Politik" days
Kudos to Chancellor Kohl that he resisted
the political/corporate welfare bailout lobby; until the East German Dictatorship fell..
Visits by family yes
aid to families and other needy people yes but not thru the Government.
Until they address their repression with their own people!

[usambcuba]

Roberto - you do pay for repressive regimes. Anytime you buy anything from China or fill your gas tank with gasoline from Middle East oil. So don't be naive or a hypocrite.

Cuba policy and the embargo is only in place because it gets money and votes, no common sense or logic.

[roberto e]

actually i try as hard as i can not to buy from repressive regimes and
sometimes like gasoline it cannot be helped
just reduced
i will not buy what you are selling either,

its too similar to the corporate appeaser's daily diatribe of any repressive regime

[Manuel A. Tellechea]

Edwardo:

Your heart is grieving because 638 attempts were made on the life of Fidel Castro? My heart is grieving because none was successful.

I am sure that you have never worried about the fate of the Cuban people, which Fidel Castro has used, abused and killed at his pleasure.