Editorial: End ban on travel, exports to Cuba
- Submitted by: admin
- United States
- Politics and Government
- 06 / 12 / 2010
Periodically, there are attempts to lighten the embargo, at least to the extent of allowing Americans to travel there without interference from their own government, but they have always fallen short.
Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., earlier this year introduced a bill that would prohibit the administration from banning or interfering with travel to Cuba and would also allow direct transfers between U.S. and Cuban banks.
The experience in easing the U.S. embargo as far as farm goods is a good indicator of what might happen if the travel ban were lifted.
In 2000, the U.S. allowed the sale of agricultural goods and products to Cuba. Last year, that trade totaled $729 million, and that was a down year because of the recession's impact on Cuba.
That trade would be even greater except the U.S. government demands that it be conducted at arm's length and in cash upfront, hence the importance of allowing direct bank transfers.
Georgia is one of 29 states that sell to Cuba, and its governor, Republican Sonny Perdue, was just there on a trade mission.
He said Georgia was poised to sell Cuba even more poultry, pork, soybeans and sausage "if and when our government and the Cuban government decide on relaxed trade ..."
Perdue told the Associated Press that he did not want to publicly disclose his views on the embargo, but on the question of travel he said, "Anecdotally, I talked to a lot of Georgians who I think would love to come to this beautiful island and explore."
That trade would be even greater except the U.S. government demands that it be conducted at arm's length and in cash upfront, hence the importance of allowing direct bank transfers.
Georgia is one of 29 states that sell to Cuba, and its governor, Republican Sonny Perdue, was just there on a trade mission.
He said Georgia was poised to sell Cuba even more poultry, pork, soybeans and sausage "if and when our government and the Cuban government decide on relaxed trade ..."
Perdue told the Associated Press that he did not want to publicly disclose his views on the embargo, but on the question of travel he said, "Anecdotally, I talked to a lot of Georgians who I think would love to come to this beautiful island and explore."
Let them. Freedom of movement is a basic American right.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
By: Dale Mcfeatters
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