http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7975663.stm
(http://www.destination360.com/caribbean/cuba/images/s/havana.jpg)
Americans may be seeing more of Havanna
The first step may be a lifting of the travel ban a second could be doing business in Cuba. That would be huge for Jax as we shipped over 95% of the U.S. goods that went to Cuba before the ban.
QuoteA bipartisan group of US senators has introduced a bill that would allow US citizens to travel freely to Cuba.
The US has imposed trade and travel bans on Cuba since 1962, but Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan said this policy had "failed for 50 years".
Mr Dorgan, one of the bill's sponsors, said he believed it would win enough votes in the US Congress to pass.
But Republican Mel Martinez said the US should support pro-democracy activists, not "the Castro regime".
Mr Dorgan's bill is co-sponsored by senior Republican Senator Richard Lugar.
A similar bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives - also with support from members of both parties.
Call for change
At present, the US only allows its citizens to go to Cuba if they are journalists or on a humanitarian mission.
But the BBC's Kim Ghattas in Washington says calls have been growing for a change in policy.
Business and farm groups, in particular, want to sell into the Cuban market.
And the Obama administration has already supported changes making it easier for Cuban-Americans to visit or send money.
The US began imposing restrictions on Cuba after Fidel Castro took power in 1959, making it the only Communist state in the Americas - and a Cold War flashpoint.
His younger brother, Raul, formally took over the presidency from him in February last year.
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Fidel Castro may be seeing more Americans in Cuba in future
IMO, free trade and free travel will make both Cuba and the USA better.
There's the rub. How much free trade and travel do you believe Cuba will allow it's citizens? The Cuban regime knows that if it opens it's doors to unrestricted trade and travel they are done. Until the "free" qualifier applies to the Cuban themselves nothing should change.
Ok so it only help the US still good.
Aren't China and the USA both better off now after Nixon opened things up?
I would say "Absolutely!"
Even a unilateral relaxation on our part would be an improvement.
QuoteDemocratic Senator Byron Dorgan said this policy had "failed for 50 years".
Another over dramatic remark... While the policy was certainly not a failure it has most definately outlived its usefulness. Time to build hotels and casinos for our cruise ships... the bahamas are getting old... :)
Besides... it would be great if Fidel could live long enough to see what might have been... :D
:D :D I agree, the Bahamas are getting a little boring and one trip to Jamaica should be enough for anyone.
What you're going to get is a small restricted area for foreigners and their resorts. The dollars will have a tiny effect on some of the locals lucky enough to find work at the resorts but most of the money will go to the coffers of the dictators succession. Maybe after they take their cut and funnel some to South American leftists they can supply some more Cuban families with a rice cooker.