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The House voted Thursday against permitting Cuban Americans to visit their families in Cuba more frequently and for retaining a trade embargo that has been in place since 1960.
The 211-208 vote reversed a trend in Congress in recent years toward relaxing some travel sanctions on Cuba. A similar vote last year to permit Cubans who have claimed asylum in the United States to visit the island more frequently than every three years produced a 225-174 tally to ease travel rules.
Congressional supporters of maintaining the U.S. government's tough regimen of trade and travel sanctions credit a redoubled lobbying and education effort for their success, as well as continued bad behavior by communist dictator Fidel Castro.
The votes Thursday came on a bill funding the Transportation and Treasury Departments for the budget year beginning Oct. 1. (AP)
*** I can't believe this....I would love to hear their justification for this. Do they think that anything is going to change because they are punishing Cuban nationals in the U.S.?
5 comments:
Out of curiosity, where are you from?
I am originally from Washington State...
It's not about punishing Cuban nationals in the US. It's about doing what is morally and legally correct. First, Cubans are granted political asylum when they get to the US. That means that the reason for their being allowed to stay in the US is because they will suffer repercussions if they are repatriated. Thus, it is perfectly legal to prevent then from traveling to Cuba. Second, the "visits" to Cuba were being exploited by the majority of those returning to the island. They were more like vacations and sex torusim trips, among other ventures where they were making money from and for the Cuban government. the very same cuban government they fled in the first place.
Actually it IS about punishing Cuban nationals in the U.S.
You see, while Val drones on and on in his blogs about those evil Canadian and European tourists, clueless leftists, etc., the fact is few groups have been more helpful to the Castro regime. . . than Cuban-Americans!
Even today, with the tougher rules, there are dozens of ways around them. People make extra trips beyond the once-a-year limit (now once every three) through gateways like Cancun. There are lots of third-party money transfer operations so you can send additional remesas beyond U.S. stipulated limits. The Cubans on the island who get these remittances have it pretty good compared to those with no family in the outside world. I'll bet the political status quo is endurable for them for the most part.
The problem is that Fidel gets his cut from these remesas. . . one way or the other. Whether it's the overpriced goods in the dollar stores, or high taxes on the micro-business, or whatever. So I think it's pretty funny when people complain about the evils of tourism in Cuba.
I could drone on and on about all the hypocrisy and BS when it comes to the embargo and the travel/remittance restrictions. I'd bet you'd be surprised to learn how certain folks and politicians in South Florida have PROFITED from the embargo. But I don't want to get like certain other bloggers. :-)
When it comes to Cuba, I've learned it's a sick, sad world on BOTH sides of the pond. . . and most people don't even know the half of it!
It's about putting Castro in a box which he is right now. He owes avery country he trades with money and his time is running out. He's looking for ways to get American Dollars. And the policy is intended to hit him where it hurts. The pocketbook. Yes everyday Cubans are hurt too because of the lack of food and resources but that's Castro's fault. http://www.babalublog.com/archives/001973.html
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