Republicans Use Back Door Seeking to Keep US Citizens from Traveling to Cuba
HAVANA TIMES – Republican lawmakers on Tuesday introduced a measure to ban flights and cruises to Cuba. U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart drafted the legislation, which was tucked into a fat budget bill, according to the Miami Herald. See pages 69-70 and page 154 of the bill, reported Tracey Eaton on Tuesday.
The law is geared to sabotage the opening spearheaded by the Obama administration in its effort to turn the page on over 55 years of hostility and reestablish diplomatic and trade relations with Havana.
At present US citizens can travel to Cuba on charter flights under a license obtained by certain travel agencies. The twelve categories allowed for such travel, expanded by President Obama, does not include tourism as a valid reason to visit the neighboring island nation.
The measure is expected to face opposition in Congress, where another group (bipartisan) of lawmakers has introduced legislation seeking to repeal all restrictions on travel to Cuba, noted Reuters.
Brother Lewis, you are the one who speaks about freedom. How could you criticize the Cuban Government when you are restricting the free movement or travel of your free people who are living under Democracy and the freest country in the world? The Americans always speak with a forked tongue and no one can hold on to, or respect their mutterings for they bear no truth, they bear no weight, they bear no foundation, they bear no trust: You boast that you are the freest country in the world, but the rest of the world has concluded that this is not so!! The rich are free in your country, but those who are not wealthy, the ODDS are stacked very unfairly against them!!
Talk about Communist dictatorship? In the land of the free, people are forced to obey their Congress as to where and where not they can travel. The Canadians, the Germans, the French, the Spanish, and others from all over Europe have been traveling to Cuba for years and enjoying the humane and genuine hospitality of the Cuban people who are so very friendly, but the so-called freest country in the world is denying its free citizens the right to travel to Cuba. Am I not correct when I say that the Government of America is the Greatest Threat to Peace, Harmonious Relationship and coexistence in the world? One would have believed that the representatives of the people should be the servants of the people, but it has been demonstrated to all and sundry that, in America, the representatives are the dictators of the people. What kind of democracy can America be speaking about? I vote for a man to represent me for four years and, during that four years I do not see him again. He takes my country to war without consulting me; he imposes embargoes upon countries without my consent, he imposes sanctions on countries without my input, he is bent on regime change when I want to establish friendly relationship with those countries because I want to live in peace with all countries, then, after an absence of four years without consulting me on anything, he comes back to tell me that I must pat him on the back and say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant when he has demonstrated that he is my boss and not my servant.” Is this what they refer to as Democracy? I am much freer in Cuba, for, when my representative does not report to me about his stewardship, I can change him at any time. This is real Democracy!
This is just toooooo crazy. I met several Americans in Cuba this month while travelling there. All of the Americans I met loved to be in Cuba and to see the myths that the American government is spreading about the Cuban people. These Americans all said they would return, would encourage their friends to visit Cuba. Loved the Cuban hospitality. YES they see that Cuba needs an influx of money and many building supplies, etc. ENOUGH is ENOUGH – Americans can travel everywhere in the world, Cuba is waiting to embrace their neighbors to the north just a few miles away. Canadians love Cuba and we have been going there for many years in the thousands. We are better people for meeting and being friends with Cuba and with Cubans.
Restricting travel of American’s to Cuba is a mistake. I was just there, let the folks see it. The Cuban’s don’t have the infrastructure to support any meaningful increase in travel and the reality of the place is less than the allure. Let it go.
Instead of ranting about U.S. travel restriction how about telling the Cuban government to let the Cuban people have travel freedom.
Really???? In what world do politicians get to tell the American people where they can and can’t go. This is Bulls#it! How it’s gone on for 50 years is just totally beyond me. Do what you think you need to do as a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, but NEVER restrict the American citizen from traveling ANYWHERE! Even at their own peril. That’s kinda what freedom is about. Wow! What idiots. The decision of an individual US citizen to go or not, should NOT rest the the congress. The US is NOT a communist dictatorship! (No offense…)
The report above left out a very important detail of the legislation:
“Restrictions would be imposed on the Transportation Department and Federal Maritime Administration to block the licensing of new air flights and cruise ship routes to Cuba if the landing fields or docks include property that had been confiscated at one point by the Castro government.”
The regulations are directed against allowing US firms from conducting business in Cuba involving seized US property.
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/house-gop-spending-bill-117417.html?hp=l4_4