U.S. rules expected to cause huge drop in trips to Cuba

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Fri, Jun. 04, 2004

U.S. rules expected to cause huge drop in trips to Cuba

ANDREA RODRIGUEZ
Associated Press


HAVANA - New U.S. travel restrictions could cut travel by Cuban Americans to the island by as much as 40 percent - despite new Cuban rules making it easier for them to visit relatives here, a Foreign Ministry official said.

Under new U.S. rules taking effect June 30, Cubans living in the United States will be able to legally travel to the island only once every three years, rather than annually.
(snip)

The rules also limit which relatives Cuban Americans can send financial assistance to. Now, Cuban Americans will only be able to help their children, parents, grandparents and siblings on the impoverished island - but not their cousins, aunts and uncles.

The tougher new rules, aimed at forcing a change in Cuba's socialist system, are seen here as a move aimed at gaining electoral support for U.S. President George W. Bush among Cuban emigres who oppose Cuban President Fidel Castro.
(snip/...)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/8838840.htm

[Beaker]

1. how exactly does it help bushco?

New U.S. travel restrictions could cut travel by Cuban Americans to the island by as much as 40 percent - despite new Cuban rules making it easier for them to visit relatives here, a Foreign Ministry official said.

Under new U.S. rules taking effect June 30, Cubans living in the United States will be able to legally travel to the island only once every three years, rather than annually.


The tougher new rules, aimed at forcing a change in Cuba's socialist system, are seen here as a move aimed at gaining electoral support for U.S. President George W. Bush among Cuban emigres who oppose Cuban President Fidel Castro...

that does not compute...
how is keeping them from seeing their families supposed to make them happier?

[Judi Lynn]

3. It appeals to the hardline "exiles" who comprised the first wave

in the early "60's" who fled, many of them connected with the previous government of the U.S.-supported and armed Fulgencio Batista. Many of the former politicians and business owners and plantation owners fled to South Florida. A great deal of the Cuban Treasury was emptied as they all fled to Florida, New Jersey, mostly, then Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Spain.

This core of extremists continued to launch violent raids and assaults on Cuba and Cubans for the next 40+ years, after 1959. They whole-heartedly endorse both a total embargo and a total travel ban. They believe it's right to apply whatever pressure is needed to bring the people to such desperation they launch their own counter-Revolution to nullify the effects of their original Revolution, after which time the South Florida people intend to get right back in the driver's seat.

Florida Congresswoman, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has said, on tv, that she and her family (parents) came to South Florida fully expecting to return within the year. Apparently that was the belief of a lot of the first wave. They imagined the U.S. government supported them fully, and would grab back their island, by force, and return them to power.

The people of Cuba didn't share that view, and fended off the Bay of Pigs invasion easily, with gusto.

_Bush is going over the heads of the majority of Florida Cubans and trying to speak directly to those he imagines are in power. It seems he believes they will keep the others in line, as they used to do.

The successive waves of Cubans to Florida have been less political, coming for economic reasons, and a lot of them tend to be Democrats.

_Bush doesn't seem to recognize the community is going through important shifts currently, and that the younger Cuban-American generations are less obsessed about getting revenge in Cuba, and are not as capable of being manipulated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We must impose a harsh blockade so that hunger and its constant companion, disease, undermine the peaceful population and decimate the Cuban army.

John C. Breckenridge
Department of War
Office of the Undersecretary
Washington D.C.
December 24, 1897


http://www.historyofcuba.com/history/bmemo.htm


"El Quijote de la Lampara",
crowds after the fall of Batista,
taken by Alberto Korda

[ima_sinnic]

2. telling them which relatives they can send money to?

wtf is up with that?
when they go into Western Union, they now have to present a geneology to show exactly how the person is related to them?
of all the cornball DUMB short-sighted misguided unenforceable regulations--this has to be it.
hello, idiot "in charge"? limiting people's freedoms is NOT going to win their votes. your obsession with our tiny island NEIGHBOR (you know, like the people to whom we should be extending good will) is going to backfire--DUMBASS.

[Racenut20]

4. It also picks up votes from

The chest thumping anti-communist crowd that is still out there. I think we call them Reagan Democrats.

[Mika]

5. Or Clinton repugs

eom

ex:

CANF founder and Clinton fundraiser Jorge Mas Canosa & Bill Clinton