Carnival in Cuba by kite, morguefile.com
Better late than never.
Not all Bay area Cuban Americans are Obama supporters, but plenty of them are thanking the President today.
That's because he's about to fulfill another campaign promise by lifting a 47-year-old restriction on Cuban travel. Soon, Cuban Americans who'd like to visit or send money to Cuba will be able to do so openly and with fewer barriers.
Under previous administrations, most Cuban Americans could only travel to Cuba once every three years, and travel was tightly controlled, with visits allowed mainly for educational or humanitarian purposes. If you had a sick relative in Cuba, you might be allowed to travel there, but approval was by no means guaranteed. Sending money to Cuba, even to close family members, was also restricted.
Although most local Cuban Americans are excited about the news that Obama will lift the travel ban, not all are applauding the announcement. Some fear that the impending boom in Cuban travel will be used to fund the Cuban government, still bitterly reviled by many Cuban immigrants who fled to Florida to escape Castro's control.
Many in the Cuban American population, however, appeared to be in full celebration mode as the news broke on Tuesday, and local travel agencies have already been inundated with Cuban travel requests.
The new policy change will initially impact only Cuban Americans, but lawmakers are already proposing new legislation that would allow all Americans to visit Cuba in the future.
Related Links:
Judge strikes down Florida Cuba travel law
Obama's relaxed travel rules allow many from Tampa to head to Cuba
Current Cuban travel restrictions
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