Sec of State John Kerry is coming to Havana in a day, (90 Cuban protesters have been arrested) and the Florida Cuban population now favor normalizing relations with Cuba as opposing it for decades. (2 million Cuban voters live in Florida, which is a vital state to Presidential hopefuls to win).
Personally, I don't care either way, although I always wanted to visit Cuba before the "change." I almost visited in 2000 when I lived in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and then I almost flew there from Bogata 2 years ago, but chose not to for scheduling reasons
Have any posters been to Cuba? I've heard great reports.
Anyone know any Cubans or any foreigners that have vacationed or lived in Cuba?
Anyone following Cuba at all?
Poll: Cuban-Americans Shift in Favor of Normalizing U.S.-Cuba Relations
A new survey shows a majority of Cuban-Americans supporting President Obama's recent move on Cuba, after opposing it narrowly in December.
BY ZACH C. COHEN
Just over half, 51 percent, of Cuban-Americans polled by Bendixen & Amandi International in late March said they were in favor of normalized relations between the U.S. and Cuba, while 40 percent disagreed. That marks a shift toward normalization over the past few months. The same polling group found that 48 percent of Cuban-Americans disagreed with Obama's new Cuba policy in December, compared with 44 percent who approved.
"What is pretty indisputable is there has been, in the three months' interval since the announcement of new policy, a greater degree of support from the Cuban-American community as opposed to increased opposition," said Fernand Amandi, a managing partner at the firm.
What's more, 56 percent support easing travel restrictions between the two countries. The respondents, most of whom were born in Cuba, live in Florida, and speak Spanish, also said they support trade between the U.S. and Cuba and want Cuban-Americans to be able to sell goods there. Yet a majority oppose lifting the American trade embargo.
"It's a political chip that they aren't willing to, in essence, cede to the Castro regime and Communist Cuba," Amandi said.
Entire:
Poll: Cuban-Americans Shift in Favor of Normalizing U.S.-Cuba Relations - NationalJournal.com
These "normalizing" of relations does NOT mean that American can travel to Cuba now (yet) for tourist purposes - only for sanctioned medical and educational reasons.
Also, the Embargo is still in effect and can only be removed by an Act of Congress.
While removal from the list clears another hurdle to normalized diplomatic relations between the U.S. and its communist neighbor to the South, members of Congress have not had their final say on the issue. Congressional lawmakers still have some leverage to prevent much deeper rapprochement: Trade embargos against Cuba, solidified in the Helms-Burton Act of 1996, can’t be permanently lifted without an act of Congress.
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2015/0...d-Anytime-Soon