The door opens for people-to-people exchanges with Cuba

[Scurrilous]

Source: Miami Herald

Since the Obama administration loosened restrictions on Cuba travel, nearly 30 groups have been authorized to offer people-to-people exchanges. The first trips leave in August.

<snip>

"Travel providers and other groups are scrambling to secure licenses and organize people-to-people exchanges in Cuba after the U.S. government relaxed restrictions and decided to allow a wider variety of Americans to visit the Caribbean island for the first time in 7 1/2 years.

So far, the Treasury Department has issued nearly 30 licenses to organizations that say they will provide “purposeful travel,’’ which will allow Americans to reach out to everyday Cubans in “support of their desire to freely determine their country’s future.’’

Although Cuba-Americans can now travel freely to the island if they receive a visa from Cuba and travel is allowed for other Americans who fall into a limited number of categories, the United States has barred people-to-people visits since the end of 2003 when former President George W. Bush reversed a policy begun during the Clinton administration.

Insight Cuba, a company that ran people-to-people exchanges prior to the rollback on such travel, looks like it will be first with the new people-to-people exchanges. It plans to send its first four groups to Cuba on August 11. A clock on its website ticks down the days, hours, minutes and seconds to departure."






Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/07/26/2331971/the-door-opens-for-people-to-people.html

[dipsydoodle]

1. Good.

:hi:

[Judi Lynn]

2. Great! This will drive the right-wingers among us insane. They'll probably have to blow off steam

by carbombing a bunch of Democrats!

If it's O.K. with Congress some day, after the right-wing finally loses its death grip on our foreign policy in Latin America and the Caribbean, how's about allowing us non-Cuban U.S. citizens the LEGAL chance to travel to Cuba, too, just like the Cuban "exiles" and their offspring?

What could be more like a really civilized country, after all, instead of a government controlled by a-holes?

Thank goodness for the loosening of the travel ban, even this much. Makes us yearn for a more human solution.

[No Elephants]

3. Good! The campaign for Florida 2012 is under full swing.

[jerseyjack]

4. The Cuban Emgargo is one of the most assholic ideas developed by our govt.

It is perpetuated only to satisfy right wing Cubans.

[robcon]

5. Unfortunately Cubans in Florida vote as a block in elections on this issue.

For Florida politicians, this is the third rail of electoral politics.