XX Factor: the blog

Fight Gerontocracy: Vacation in Cuba

The ban on travel to Cuba was as pointless seven years ago as it is today, but somewhere in the interim, a significant number of Cuban-Americans turned against it. In a 2002 poll, 46 percent of Cuban-Americans said they wanted the restriction lifted. According to a September survey, 59 percent said the same. This is especially striking because in April of 2009, Cuban-Americans won the right to visit family members with relatively few restrictions; it's the rest of us who still have to deal with a blanket ban.* The poll's sample size is not large, and the margin of error is a full five points, so the swing may not be as great as it appears. Still, the future belongs to the would-be tourist; when you exclude the 65-and-over set, the percentage of people who support a change of policy shoots up to 62.

Two bills circulating in the House and one in the Senate would end the ban for everyone, which in effect means allowing Americans to fly directly to Havana instead of stopping in Mexico first. Joe Lieberman, meanwhile, continues his proud tradition of being wrong about everything.

*changed from orginal with thanks to commenter ChelseaBridge.

 

 

 

Tags: Cuba

Kerry Howley is a contributing editor at Reason Magazine and an Arts Fellow at the University of Iowa's literary nonfiction program.

Comments

Travel to Cuba

By: Connergo | Tue, 11/17/2009 - 10:43

Great advice I always give people: come to Cuba and see/experience it for yourself.

The travel ban is complicated and has been in place for many decades and has gone through tweaks over the years. Until 2004, Cuban americans could come to cuba as often as they could afford under a "general license" (a piece of paper you sign saying you have family in Cuba). Then Bush did a smack down on many Cuban-related policies that the world didn't take much notice of - except these new regs made it HELL for people with family in Cuba.

they said you had to get a "specific license" (paperwork hell that is slow, expensive and not guaranteed you'll get permission from US to travel), and could only travel once every three years - even if your mother wazs on her death bed! No exceptions. Check out Love and Longing by the Latin American Working Group for all kinds of details. You can also get involved here: http://www.cubago.info/home

Actually...

By: ChelseaBridge | Wed, 10/28/2009 - 13:58

You are incorrect stating that Cuban-Americans have only been able to travel to Cuba since 2009. They have long been able to travel to the island to visit family members. However, previous to 2009 they were only allowed to go once every three years, visit parents, grandparents, children, and siblings, stay for a maximum of two weeks, and they were not permitted to spend any money there. Now they can go once a year, stay as long as they want, visit extended family, and spend up to $179 per day.