Posted on 03/10/2009 10:21:03 AM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
In the run-up to next month’s Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, the Obama administration has moved to ease travel controls and lift limits on cash remittances that Cuban-Americans can send to the island, notes a report in the U.K.’s Observer.
The ground-breaking provisions are featured in a $410 billion spending bill set to be voted on this week. The bill would allow Americans with immediate family in Cuba to visit annually, instead of once every three years, and broaden the definition of immediate family.
It would also nix a requirement that Havana pay cash in advance for U.S. food imports.
“There is a strong likelihood that Obama will announce policy changes prior to the summit,” said Daniel Erikson, director of Caribbean programs at the Inter-American Dialogue and author of The Cuba Wars. “Loosening travel restrictions would be the easy thing to do and defuse tensions at the summit.”
The sanctions presently on the books include:
# No Cuban products or raw materials may enter the U.S.
# U.S. companies and foreign subsidiaries banned from trade with Cuba.
# Cuba must pay cash up front when importing U.S. food.
# Ships which dock in Cuba may not dock in the U.S. for six months.
# U.S. citizens are banned from spending money or receiving gifts in Cuba without special permission, in effect a travel ban.
# Americans with family on the island limited to one visit every three years.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
Welfare for Cuba while NerObama parties
Depending on how it is done this is one thing with which I can agree. I think that the communism would fall with a more open relationship. The people would provide the tipping point.
Already theObamoron is emulating his mentor, Jimmuh Cahter who never saw a socialist dictator he didn’t love.
Someday, we will recognize these liberal frauds BEFORE they end up in the WH.
ANOTHER 410 BILLION dollar spending bill? How many trillion is this now?
There should be no money for Cuba. Just open trade and watch their economy improve naturally.
Oh oh , there goes the hispanic vote.
Well, the Cubans never did embrace Obama that much, I guess.
BO ought to take a little trek to Miami before he makes this move.
We’re going to abandon Israel and throw them under the bus, but at the same time, cozy up to the murderous Castro government? WTF?
He is looking for that “deep bench” of hardcore commies to replace his present appointees after they quit or are removed.
Raul has dumped the younger “heirs apparent” in favor of his geriatric hard-line buddies. But so what? This is all part of the pattern of BO “diplomacy,” left-wing dictators are fellow “progressives.”
Unfortunately the new generations are less aware thanks to the k-12 and University indoctrination that passes for education in this country.
How's that work'n for the billions of Chinese people?
But there will be. It's congress and NerObama's plan
Cuba is their ally.
Vietnam still has the commies in charge. They drive Jaguars now.
SCUBA CUBA - plenty of Floridians would take some cheap vacations there if it was opened up.
maybe we will impose sanctions against our allies too.
Yeah, communism is awesome!
If we open up Cuba the commies will rake it in and the Cuban people may end up having more stuff, eventually. As always the government reserves the right to run you over with a tank.
Senor’ Obama:
Do you remeeeember the Cubanos thet come to our shores wheeen Senor’ Carter was in orfface? Most, they were creeminalos thet, your compardre’ Senor’ Castor, let loose on us. Well, Senor’ Obama, you not seen nothing yet thees time!
You actually equate Cuba and China in terms of the strength of government? Cuba is a house of cards in my opinion. With their position next to the US, the great poverty that exists there, and the strength of the Cuban community in the US, I beleive that the commies in Cuba could fall. I could of course be wrong. I wanted Bush to do this so as to eliminate another failed commie state. I amy be way off base but Castro just doesn’t seem to be in any great shape these days. Introduce the people there to a much better way of life and I hope that they would tear the palace down. Of course it didn’t work for Kennedy so who knows?
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