| Travel restrictions to Cuban lifted |
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| Saturday, 14 March 2009 02:49 | |||
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In a controversial move, President Barack Obama has approved lifting travel restrictions to Cuba that were enforced five years ago by President George W. Bush. With this approval Cubans will now be able to visit their relatives on the island once a year and stay as long as they want to. The president also approved the $410 billion federal budget for the remainder of 2009. In the new budget, Congress removed the U.S. Department of Treasury's funding for the U.S. enforcement of more restrictive rules that only allowed visits to immediate relatives once every three years. Recently, although such trips were still illegal, the U.S. government did not have the funding to investigate it. On Wednesday night, the Treasury department lifted the restrictions altogether, making annual trips to Cuba legal. Cuban Americans can now follow the regulations that existed prior to Bush's June 2004 toughened rules. Despite the unpopularity of the Castro regime, many Cubans residing in South Florida and elsewhere in the United States have been unhappy with the restrictions that barred them from visiting their relatives on the island. Lourdes Mercardo, says that the news of the lifting on the travel ban has also lifted a heavy weight from her shoulders. The Coral Gables Cuban-American resident said that her parents still live in Cuba, and her father has been ailing, but she was unable to visit him, or assist him in his illness because of the Bush ban. “Now, I can travel home to go see Pappi, spend some time until he gets better. I understood the politics behind the ban, but, truthfully, it was inhumane. Not only was it was not possible to visit Cuba regularly, but it was also a problem to send supplies, like food and medication, and money to our families. Thank God, this is over.” Sarah Stephens, of the Center for Democracy in the Americas, a Washington, D.C. organization, which advocates Cuba travel, says the organization expects more positive actions by the Obama Administration in easing the tension in Cuba/USA relationships. Many Cuban-Americans are also optimistic that the change of administration will signal the beginning of future talks between the two countries. Pedro Solez, a Little Havana, Miami, resident says although it is a much bigger matter, he is praying that the current administration will ease the trade ban with Cuba. “The poor people in Cuba urgently need supplies to rebuild after the bad hurricanes last year. Perhaps Mr. Obama will make some concession to allow supplies to be shipped to Cuba.”
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| Last Updated on Saturday, 14 March 2009 02:49 |
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