CUBA TRAVEL U.S.

Fund for Reconciliation and Development Statement on George Bush vs. John Kerry on Cuba

NEW YORK, Oct. 29 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following is a statement by John McAuliff, executive director, Fund for Reconciliation and Development, contrasting the positions of George Bush (news - web sites) and John Kerry (news - web sites) on Cuba:

Few issues offer a more stark contrast between the Presidential candidates than their positions on the right of Americans to travel to Cuba and of Cuban Americans to visit and assist their families.

This contrast has potential impact on the votes of Cuban Americans in the swing state of Florida, of former and prospective participants in educational and cultural exchange programs, and of sectors of the US travel industry wishing to gain access to the potentially lucrative Cuba market.

The issue is not a high priority for the general public, although opinion polls show two-thirds of Americans oppose travel restrictions.

During his term in office, George Bush has eliminated virtually all people to people and educational exchange travel that was allowed during the Clinton administration -- and drastically reduced traditional opportunities for Cuban Americans to visit and send money to their relatives on the island.

Ironically, by adopting a position on Cuban American travel and remittances to satisfy the people who helped him win the election in 2000 (the mob that stopped the recount was generated by a radio appeal to the Miami community), Bush may have lost Florida in 2004 by alienating likely supporters whose first priority is their family on the island.

Bush's view is embodied by his personal endorsement and implementation of the tighter travel and remittance restrictions recommended by the Powell-Martinez Commission in May 2004.

"It is a strategy that will prevent the regime from exploiting hard currency of tourists and of remittances to Cubans to prop up their repressive regime." (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/05/20040506-4.html)

He emphasized his differences with Kerry on travel in a speech in Miami on Aug. 27:

"My opponent has a different approach. Last year, after Castro launched a brutal crackdown on dissidents, my opponent responded by voting to reward the dictator by lifting the tourism travel ban." (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/ 20040827-15.html)

While Cuba has not emerged in national debate, John Kerry has campaigned aggressively with Cuban Americans against the Bush restrictions on family travel and remittances. His Spanish language radio ads can be heard at http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/ pr_2004_0920c.html and http://www.johnkerry.com/ pressroom/releases/pr_2004_1021b.html

Kerry's official statements favor for all Americans "a policy of principled travel to Cuba that promotes family unity and people-to-people contacts through educational and cultural exchanges." (http://www.johnkerry.com/pdf/ our_plan_for_america.pdf)

Kerry's Web site link to Cuba issues gives priority to his June 5 Statement of Principles where he said,

"I have consistently joined my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in votes with bipartisan majorities to end the travel ban and to permit the sale of food and medicine, while voting to censure Cuba for human rights violations. Last year, both houses of Congress voted in favor of lifting the travel ban -- and only Bush Administration opposition prevented the bipartisan will of Congress from becoming law." (http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/ pr_2004_0605a.html)

If Bush is reelected, legal visits by Americans to Cuba will remain extremely limited. Should Kerry win, at the very least he can quickly use his executive authority to restore the people-to- people, educational and family travel permitted by the Clinton Administration that allowed some 200,000 legal visitors annually.

Because the vote of bipartisan majorities in both Houses of Congress to end all restrictions on travel has previously been blocked by Bush veto threats, it is reasonable to anticipate that were Kerry President legislation will be passed that by next summer will allow Cuba to become a normal destination for American tour groups, individuals and cruises.