The Proposed Lifting of the Cuba Travel Ban

A move is on in Congress to lift the 47 year old  ban on travel to Cuba.  Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota is sponsoring a resolution to end this outdated policy and is being backed by a reputable Republican senator on foreign policy and a good friend of President Obama when he was in the Senate, Richard Lugar of Indiana.

If we can allow travel to China and Vietnam, then what is the reason to continue the ban on Cuban travel, other than the influence of the Cuban American community and the few Cuban American members of Congress?  As it is, the Cuban community is becoming more divided on policy toward that island nation, with the younger generation expressing a desire to open up contact with the homeland of their elders.

Not only should this policy be changed, but also it is time to end the embargo on trade and diplomatic relations with the Raul Castro regime.  It has never worked, and has not undermined that government, and much progress could be made in US-Cuban relations if that five decade failed policy were now to be abandoned.  Let’s hope that President Obama takes steps in that direction very soon!

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