Travel from U.S. to Cuba drops sharply

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Mon, Dec. 20, 2004


Travel from U.S. to Cuba drops sharply

By RAFAEL LORENTE
South Florida Sun-Sentinel


WASHINGTON - The number of passengers flying to Cuba from the United States has plummeted since last year, according to figures compiled by the State Department. The trend suggests tougher travel restrictions put in place last summer by the Bush administration are having their intended effect.

Since July, when the new regulations took effect, 50,558 seats have been reserved on charter flights to Cuba, most originating in South Florida. During the same period last year, the number was more than twice as high: 118,938 seats.

President Bush's new travel restrictions allow Cuban-Americans to visit relatives in Cuba only once every three years. Until this year, such trips could be made every year.

The new regulations also limit visits to immediate family members, defined as spouses, parents, children, siblings, grandchildren and grandparents.
(snip/...)

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_Bush actually started hacking away at the ability of Cuban-Americans to return to Cuba as soon as he was not elected in 2000.

Many DU'ers have seen "exiles" and their offspring getting off planes in Havana on tv shows, like "60 Minutes."

I'll bet they long for the days when tv shows did programs on them as they came and went to Cuba, carrying computers, tvs, etc. to their relatives. The toughest question asked by "60 Minutes" was "Do you support the embargo against Cuba?"

It's a little different now, thanks to the help from _{George W. Bush,} who made over 25 trips to Miami from Washington to court their votes and contributions.

[IndianaGreen]

1. Why don't we put Jenna and Barbara on some island in the Caribbean

and then we bar the entire Bush family from visiting or communicating with them for the next 50 years. Let's see how the Bushes find themselves on the receiving end of the policy they advocate for Cuba.

The only consolation is that the Cuban-Americans are now tasting the embargo that they had so strongly supported in the past.

[Vogon_Glory]

2. To Be A Little Unfair to Double-Thinking Exiles.

To be a bit unfair, I wonder how many of the exiles I shared my flights with to and from Cuba in 2003 thought that Generalissimo Gee Dubya's tightening of travel restrictions for Americans wishing to travel to Cuba wouldn't affect THEM.

One of the other reasons I oppose the travel restrictions for US citizens wishing to visit Cuba is because I believe that such restrictions are an unnecessary and unwarranted infringement on the liberties of American citizens by a capricious US federal government.

[Sara Beverley]

3. Family vales Republican style. Only see your family once every three yrs.

How can we get away with that? If I had to fly to another country and then fly to Cuba you couldn't keep me away from my family if I really loved them and wanted to see them.