Interesting rumblings....
As reported in the news, a few organizations of the Cuban exile are asking the US government to ease the travel restrictions to Cuban Americans and to allow the assistance to Cubans in the island. Frankly, I would ask the Government to allow all Americans to be able to travel to Cuba.
Lincoln Diaz Balart, our fave politico, misses the point and forgets that the Cuban exiles can't pressure the government of Cuba to liberate the political prisoners and to conduct multiparty elections, things which by the way, he hasn't been able to do with all his political clout. He fails to realize that the exiles can call on the US Government (they are American citizens Lincoln, some of them even voted for you) to implement change of policies and politely ask for some reforms from the Cuban government, the ones that can be rapidly achieved.
The release of the political prisoners will come soon. It's been asked already within the Island, but what does Lincoln know about this?
The multiparty elections could bring a nasty surprise to Lincoln, since certain members of his family could get elected and he would have a conniption over it, or maybe not. Tio raul could be secured in power, for example, and all the kasstro progeny (fidelito y sus primas) could ascend to office, just to mention a few of them.
He fails to realize, even when we all saw what happened over the weekend in Venezuela, that elections can put in power some unsavory individuals and that any commie who ascend to power through an electoral process would be de facto legitimazed.
Exiles urge U.S. to OK travel to Cuba
By LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ, Associated Press WriterTue Dec 5, 9:25 AM ET
Twenty organizations representing Cuban exiles called on the U.S. government Monday to relax travel restrictions for Cuban-Americans who want to visit family on the island nation and to permit Americans to send humanitarian aid.
The request by the coalition Cuban Consensus comes weeks after top Cuban dissidents made similar requests and highlights the changing political views among the exile community over how to respond to the communist government's restrictions on freedom of expression and movement.
Among those demanding the changes are The Cuba Study Group, a nonpartisan Washington-based organization of business and community leaders, the Miami-based Cuban American National Foundation, and the association of Independent Libraries of Cuba.
"I came from the hard-line position," Cuba Study Group Co-Chairman Carlos Saladrigas said. "But isolating a people has not brought us change in 47 years. Isolating a people only helps to support the dictatorship."
The move comes at a time of great political uncertainty in Cuba. Fidel Castro, 80, temporarily ceded power to his brother Defense Minister Raul Castro more than four months ago following intestinal surgery. Many believe Raul Castro will be the Cuban leader the U.S. deals with in the future.
The coalition is taking aim in particular at U.S. restrictions implemented in 2004 that made it more difficult for academic and humanitarian groups to travel to the island and limited the number of times Cubans can visit their families there from once a year to once every three years.
The coalition said the restrictions implemented by the U.S., as well as those of the Cuban government, which severely restricts the travel of its citizens, violate fundamental human rights.
Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart a longtime supporter of the U.S. embargo on Cuba, said he was glad to see growing consensus among Cuban organizations but that the coalition was missing the larger issue.
"The genuine consensus that needs to be emphasized at this critical moment must be focused on the immediate liberation of all political prisoners without exceptions and in the scheduling of free, multiparty elections in Cuba, not in unilateral concessions to the dictatorship," the Republican said.
The coalition also is calling on the Cuban government to make it easier for Cubans to visit family members abroad and to reduce the costs of obtaining permission to leave the country. They are also asking the Cuban government to cut the country's high long-distance telephone taxes and provide citizens access to the Internet.
Associated Press Writer Anita Snow in Havana contributed to this report.
Lincoln Diaz Balart, our fave politico, misses the point and forgets that the Cuban exiles can't pressure the government of Cuba to liberate the political prisoners and to conduct multiparty elections, things which by the way, he hasn't been able to do with all his political clout. He fails to realize that the exiles can call on the US Government (they are American citizens Lincoln, some of them even voted for you) to implement change of policies and politely ask for some reforms from the Cuban government, the ones that can be rapidly achieved.
The release of the political prisoners will come soon. It's been asked already within the Island, but what does Lincoln know about this?
The multiparty elections could bring a nasty surprise to Lincoln, since certain members of his family could get elected and he would have a conniption over it, or maybe not. Tio raul could be secured in power, for example, and all the kasstro progeny (fidelito y sus primas) could ascend to office, just to mention a few of them.
He fails to realize, even when we all saw what happened over the weekend in Venezuela, that elections can put in power some unsavory individuals and that any commie who ascend to power through an electoral process would be de facto legitimazed.
Exiles urge U.S. to OK travel to Cuba
By LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ, Associated Press WriterTue Dec 5, 9:25 AM ET
Twenty organizations representing Cuban exiles called on the U.S. government Monday to relax travel restrictions for Cuban-Americans who want to visit family on the island nation and to permit Americans to send humanitarian aid.
The request by the coalition Cuban Consensus comes weeks after top Cuban dissidents made similar requests and highlights the changing political views among the exile community over how to respond to the communist government's restrictions on freedom of expression and movement.
Among those demanding the changes are The Cuba Study Group, a nonpartisan Washington-based organization of business and community leaders, the Miami-based Cuban American National Foundation, and the association of Independent Libraries of Cuba.
"I came from the hard-line position," Cuba Study Group Co-Chairman Carlos Saladrigas said. "But isolating a people has not brought us change in 47 years. Isolating a people only helps to support the dictatorship."
The move comes at a time of great political uncertainty in Cuba. Fidel Castro, 80, temporarily ceded power to his brother Defense Minister Raul Castro more than four months ago following intestinal surgery. Many believe Raul Castro will be the Cuban leader the U.S. deals with in the future.
The coalition is taking aim in particular at U.S. restrictions implemented in 2004 that made it more difficult for academic and humanitarian groups to travel to the island and limited the number of times Cubans can visit their families there from once a year to once every three years.
The coalition said the restrictions implemented by the U.S., as well as those of the Cuban government, which severely restricts the travel of its citizens, violate fundamental human rights.
Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart a longtime supporter of the U.S. embargo on Cuba, said he was glad to see growing consensus among Cuban organizations but that the coalition was missing the larger issue.
"The genuine consensus that needs to be emphasized at this critical moment must be focused on the immediate liberation of all political prisoners without exceptions and in the scheduling of free, multiparty elections in Cuba, not in unilateral concessions to the dictatorship," the Republican said.
The coalition also is calling on the Cuban government to make it easier for Cubans to visit family members abroad and to reduce the costs of obtaining permission to leave the country. They are also asking the Cuban government to cut the country's high long-distance telephone taxes and provide citizens access to the Internet.
Associated Press Writer Anita Snow in Havana contributed to this report.
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