• Submitted by: manso
• Politics and Government
• 06 / 09 / 2011

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Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee -- who's worked for decades to establish academic and economic ties between the U.S. and Cuba -- said Wednesday she's "cautiously optimistic" that new charter flights from Oakland to Cuba represent "one step in the right direction" toward ending the 51-year U.S-Cuba embargo..

And, the Oakland Democrat predicted, the newly-announced international charter flights from Oakland International Airport to Cuba will mean jobs, trade -- and a much-needed economic boost for the East Bay.

"Ending the blockade is part of my work,'' said Lee in a phone interview Wednesday. She said she's travelled to and worked on Cuban issues since 1976, and it's long been clear that "the embargoes didn't make any sense -- for policy reasons, for economic reasons, for trade reasons.''

"Most important, Americans should have a right to travel anywhere they want to travel,'' she said.

In April 2009, Lee lead a historic mission to Cuba, met with former President Fidel Castro, and pushed for more exchanges of medical and biotech equipment between the two countries.

Lee said she understands there are still "political realities" to deal with when it comes to ending the embargo between the U.S. and Cuba, but she said recent moves by the Obama Administration to loosen travel restrictions make "a lot of sense" and represent important shifts that can benefit both sides.

"Oakland is a major international airport and it's increasing its global services,'' she said. "We'll have flights directly into Cuba...and I'm hopeful this may set the stage for even more international flights (out of Oakland) not only to Cuba,'' but to the Carribean, China and Asia.

The latest Oakland-Cuban developments, however, could open up new markets for agricultural products in the Central Valley, for California wine, and other state-produced goods, she said.

And the new charter flights will bring international visitors to the East Bay, a tourism-boosting move that "will create jobs and economic activity. And every chance I get to bring more jobs to Oakland, I'm going to do that."

Lee said with increased academic, scientific and medical exchanges with Cuba, it's now time for the U.S. to take the next step. She said polls show that "the American people want the embargo ended. We're talking about a few members of Congress who have their own reasons for trying to maintain it..but it doesn't make any sense,'' she said, especially with younger generations of Cuban-Americans eager to see their ancestral homeland.

"I do know the president can lift most of the embargo through the executive order...15 or 16 provisions.''

And lifting the embargo, she said is "the right thing to do."

Source: //www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov05election/detail?entry_id=90621