Congress considers dropping Cuba travel ban

The 46-year-old ban on travel to Cuba may soon be a relic of the past.

The Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act was introduced in the House of Representatives last week and would overturn the prohibition on traveling to the Caribbean island. The proposal would remove limits for Cuban exiles who wish to travel to their homeland and would also permit for unrestricted travel to the island. The bill- which was introduced by Representatives on both sides of the aisle- would also prohibit the president from regulating travel to the island except in the case of armed conflict.

As The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported, the proposal has met with strong opposition from leaders of the Cuban exile community:

The bill has gone too far, said Francisco "Pepe" Hernandez, president of the Cuban American National Foundation. Cuban exiles should visit their families whenever they want, but tourists shouldn't spend money in resorts that Cubans are barred from. "It's improper and should not be allowed until the Cuban government makes some reforms," he said.

That's not the case for Jose Lopez, president of the Broward County Latin Chamber of Commerce and a staunch supporter of the trade embargo.

"It's a betrayal and it's not going to resolve anything," said Lopez, who left Cuba in 1961.
Tourism dollars spent in Cuba will inject more oxygen into the dying Castro regime, he said. Lopez also thinks Cuban exiles who want to return to the island whenever they please are abusing their refugee privilege.

It remains to be seen if the bill will be backed by President Barack Obama. As a presidential candidate he called for easing, not eliminating, restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba.

Image- afropop.org
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, Sun-Sentinel.com, UPI