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HAVANA – Don't start packing those suitcases to Cuba just yet.
Although a congressional committee voted Wednesday to repeal the law that prohibits American tourists from traveling to the communist-run island, the real fight to change the decades-old ban – which will take place in the full House of Representatives later this month – is likely to be a real humdinger.
HR4645, titled the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, was passed by the House Agriculture Committee in a 25 to 20 vote. In addition to lifting the travel ban and opening a long sought-after market to the U.S. airline industry, the legislation is designed to let U.S. food producers sell directly to Cuba. (That's why it went through the Agriculture Committee.)
Ten years ago Congress exempted food sales from the trade embargo. But Cuban importers must pay up front, in cash, and conduct the transaction through a third-country bank. The new law would permit Havana to deal directly with American banks, which would lower costs for the Cubans and make sales easier for the Americans.
And that's what is likely to create some post-July 4 fireworks.
Passionate arguments for and against
On one side of the aisle you'll hear arguments from farm, travel and business groups keenly eyeing the Cuban market. On the other side Cuban American legislators and others linked to the pro-embargo lobby will oppose any easing until western-style democracy supplants Cuba's one-party state.
Neither side will be short of passion.
Influential groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce think HR4645 would generate income for American industries and ports at a time when the economy could use the help. Chamber leaders say that the legislation is all about "advocating for free enterprise."
They point to a recent Texas A&M University study which suggests that the embargo may be costing the American economy more than $1 billion a year in lost commerce and jobs. The report, released in March 2010, argues that an open trade policy with Cuba would generate $365 million in direct sales and create 6,000 new jobs inside the U.S.
But opponents not only argue that those estimates are bloated but that there's also much more than capital and jobs at stake.
Cuba's human rights record, they argue, is reason enough to keep the 50-year-old embargo in place. They say the regime should not be rewarded with new revenue sources at the same moment that organizations like Amnesty International are condemning what they call Cuba's "climate of fear."
In a report released just hours before HR4645 passed the Agriculture Committee, Amnesty International blasted the Cuban legal system, describing how the island's "vague" laws allow the state to detain and prosecute hundreds of government critics.
The report declared an "urgent need for reform to make all human rights a reality for all Cubans." The group urged changes to allow "freedom of expression, end harassment of dissidents, release all prisoners of conscience and allow free exchange of information through the internet and other media."
Cuban take on it
There's an irony, though, in Amnesty's position, because the democracy-seeking political opposition in Cuba has generally stood for ending the embargo. They argue that the policy not only causes hardship for ordinary people but also gives the regime something to blame for its own failures.
In fact, Cuba's most prominent activists recently sent an open letter to the U.S. Congress backing HR4645, contending that the new law would "alleviate food shortages" and give Americans back the "right to travel freely."
Letter signers included Yoani Sanchez, an activist blogger, Guillermo Farinas, who is on a prolonged hunger strike demanding freedom for Cuba's political prisoners (and is said to be close to death), Padre Jose Conrado, a Catholic priest who has been long known as a harsh critic of the Cuban system, and dozens of others who have been jailed for opposing the government.
The opposition, however, is not totally in accord over the issue. Ariel Sigler, a former prisoner of conscience, put his name on a second letter that came out a week later against the reforms. His name was among 492 signatures by mostly unknown persons purporting to also be members of Cuba's small opposition community.
"To be benevolent with the dictatorship would mean solidarity with the oppressors of the Cuban nation," stated the letter.
Just paroled from prison due to poor health, Sigler served seven years of a 25-year sentence for treason. The former boxer went to prison a healthy man but left paralyzed from the waist down. His family blames the malnutrition he suffered while behind bars and is petitioning Cuban authorities to allow him to travel to Miami for medical attention.
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This bill is about Americans' right to freedom of travel and trade. That's it.
There's nothing in the bill that says this will affect any change in Cuba nor does it outline any "Plan B" strategy to counter the 50 year old failed "Plan A" Embargo.
Fight for your freedom. You can travel to any country in the world except for Cuba.
Those who oppose opening up trade to Cuba are a bunch of idiots and are being disingenuous. We trade with Russia, China, and N. Korea. Those nations are much more of a threat to us than Cuba ever was. Lift the embargo and embrace common sense.
Amen to that!!!!!!!!!
The US trade with North Korea? Since when? The North Korean government has refused to open up their own avenues trade because they see the US as a dire threat.
I have never understood our multiple standards in dealing with communist countries and non-communist dictatorships. But they have nothing to do with principles or ideals. It is pure politics. If the Tibetan lobby were as powerful in this country as is the Jewish lobby, we would still be vilifying communist China as we did the former Soviet Union. If the Vietnamese exile lobby were as powerful as the Cuban exile lobby, and they didn't want trade or travel with Vietnam, it wouldn't have happened. If we can be good buddys with dictatorships like Saudi Arabia, we can normalize trade and travel with Cuba.
Good point jber, just go through this article and replace Cuba with China and the article would be plausible except for the fact there's no embargo against China.
Let's see here...The USA not only has open trade relations, but has several military bases in Colombia, the nation with the worst human-rights conditions in the Western world. Maybe if Raul would allow the US to set up a few more military bases in his country, the Chamber of Commerce could have all they want. Here's hoping Cuba holds out for the best deal for their country -- not the best deal for American corporations!
youre a fool. columbia is an open democracy. don't say something unless you can back it up. cuba detains people daily for speaking against the government's party, and practically anything that you do that is in the name of opposition is an arrestable offense. it is what they call "anti-revolutionary activity." i dont know of any (muchless hundreds and even thousands through the years) of journalists being held for 20 plus years for speaking to foreigners in columbia. the two don't even begin to compare. this coming from a 24 yr old cuban american who has family members who have served extended sentences for just that.. and yes we should lift the travel ban for the exact reasons that the opposition within cuba states..
I'm Canadian and married a Colombian woman from Barranquilla. We had our honeymoon in Cartagena. Colombia is a pro-western democracy and its people are wonderful. There are no drugs on the streets down there and I felt safe pretty much everywhere, in fact, a hell of a lot safer than when I have travelled in the U.S.A. According to statistics, it is much more dangerous to travel in the USA than any other country on earth( omitting hellholes like afghanistan, I would imagine.) Mexico comes in 2nd with less than half the numbers of murders, rapes,robberies and assaults(per capita) against tourists as what you can find in your fair country. That said, I love much of what the USA has to offer and visit regularly. I just take exception to your horribly uninformed 'opinion' of Colombia. The drugs being manufactured in Colombia are a direct result of western greed and demand.... yet somehow we blame the Colombians for the cocaine problem and we get their military men and policemen horribly maimed and killed by demanding that the Colombian government send their people after these drugdealers.... A problem created for them by the self-indulgent people from our countries.
Actually...no, for parity, the United States has a far worse record on humans rights. How quickly we forget our own histories. Manifest Destiny also extended to include South America in the long run. Do you not recall the numerous military actions that took place during the 1980's to usurp "leftist" (so-called communists) groups in various countries? Or if you're a kid who grew up in the 90's that excusable because maybe you're just ignorant.
But don't be stupid - the US essentially runs the world, but don't want to take proper responsibility for it.
The biggest losers of ending the embargo will be the port of Miami, the cruise ship companies will jump down there very quickly and most likely have plans to do that already, less taxes, lower pay wage for vessel supply companies, and overall lower operating costs meaning more money in there accounts
The quickest way to uproot a stubborn communist regime such as in Cuba is to open trade with them, both economic, travel and cultural, as Reagan did with Russia. Once information begins to pour into the country that the entire population has been deceived these many decades, the revolution will come from within to change to a democratic society and open, free economy.
Meh, Soviet Russia went into sharp, irreversible decline starting around 1980. And nobody really saw it coming, or so the story goes. There have been a few prominent Cold War historians who have gone as far as to speculate there was talk of governmental change as far as back as 1978, but with such an entrenched military being so prominent to the Party, Afghanistan was a convenient way for the hardliners in the USSR to maintain hold. Who really knows?
Great point!!!
So the free world leader that used to demonize (in other words bomb and kill) the communists, now all of a sudden has no problem supporting them.Why? Because now they're strong enough to realize that when both manipulative hoaxes clash = democrazy vs communism = capitalism will stand anyway. What am I trying to do? this is useless. Corporate sam does not care about you, nore your thoughts and ideals. look at the symptoms = we only move if there's money to be made....
Well...got to give you credit for realizing the Leninist/Marxist dream of communism is a sham, even China just used the term out of tradition.
Our embargo just fuels the Cuban govts paranoid excuses for not giving people their deserved freedoms. As long as they have us as an enemy, their 'revolution' (which is kind of tired now) has a reason to repress opposition.
I would love to go to Cuba. I hear it's beautiful. And why not? People go to China all the time. Just saying...
US and UN power hungery for comunisim, but they are not the only ones farmers, controling more land than is needed for them to get an abundent suply of food, much like other greedy people chasing the evil that has lead this people from the will of GOD prusue the will of GOD and you will some see the peace that awaits us
God had a will over the country? Since when? From all I've seen, it's been corporatism from the very beginning. God was merely provided as a divine excuse.
jack from miami, you are the smartest along with Ronald Reagan. I hope the embargo is lifted during the Obama administration because it would add to his list of achievements, but the Republicans would not like that. Like Reagan's slogan  " Tear down that wall" Obama, " Cross the ocean to Cuba and let Demacracy work"
jack from miami, you are the smartest along with Ronald Reagan. I hope the embargo is lifted during the Obama administration because it would add to his list of achievements, but the Republicans would not like that. Like Reagan's slogan  " Tear down that wall" Obama, " Cross the ocean to Cuba and let Demacracy work"
jack from miami, you are the smartest along with Ronald Reagan. I hope the embargo is lifted during the Obama administration because it would add to his list of achievements, but the Republicans would not like that. Like Reagan's slogan  " Tear down that wall" Obama, " Cross the ocean to Cuba and let Demacracy work"
The US trades and even owes large amounts of money to China (the biggest communist nation), it also trades with Vietnam, both countries had wars that killed thousands of American soldiers and both violate human rights and keep dissidents in prison, we also traded in the past with the Soviet Union, so I don't understand why a little group of Cuban-Americans prevent the US from having normal relations with communist Cuba.
if Cuba human right record is the problem why is it OK to trade with China,Saudia Arabia. Egypt etc?
It is RIDICULOUS to retain an embargo simply because a few Cuban Americans are still angry because they could no longer LOOT THE ISLAND COUNTRY as they had in the past. The Cuban Revolution was about HUMAN RIGHTS over EXPLOITATION! They LOST and Castro shut the BROTHELS and GAMBLING CASINOS which were corrupting his country and exploiting his people! Now these CAPATALIST EXPLOITERS want to hide behind the false story of "HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS"! Let human rights standards be universally recognized in ALL OF THE NATIONS which we deal with,or DROP THIS PSEUDO CLAIM! If ISRAEL demonstrates HUMAN RIGHTS,then CUBA has a HIGHER STANDARD than Israel!
The embargo against Cuba out lived it's usefulness long ago. Cuba and it's government presents no threat to the United States.
I'm 70 and long to go to Cuba. Sit on the sidewalks of Boulevard El Presidents under a wobbly fan on the overhang of the cafes, have a good Cuban rum drink, listen to titilating and exciting Cuban music, watch the Cuban couples dancing in their colorful skirts and shirts, smoke a Cuban, hand rolled cigar (not inhale), take in the smells of Bogenvilla, eat some authentic Cuban cusine, and just enjoy the country we have treated so badly in the past.
Castro beat the exploiters of the country, which, by the way, were supported by our government and gave Cubans "freedom from their chains". Had we not emposed the inhuman embargo against Cuba, Castro's dream would have become an economic reality despite Castro's political tendencies.
My take onlyl!!!!!
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