Young Cuban-Americans Favor Diplomatic Relations with Cuba, Older Cuban-Americans Continue to Support Embargo

Young Cuban-Americans Favor Diplomatic Relations with Cuba, Older
Cuban-Americans Continue to Support Embargo
By Nicole Akoukou Thompson (n.thompson@latinpost.com)First Posted: Jul
03, 2014 10:13 AM EDT

Known in Cuba as el bloqueo, the United States placed an embargo against
Cuba on October 19, 1960, nearly two years after the Batista regime was
deposed by the Cuban Revolution. The economic, commercial and financial
embargo placed restrictions on exports to Cuba, with the exception of
food and medicine; on February 7, 1962, the embargo was extended to
include almost all exports.
Fifty years later, polls indicate that half of Cuban-Americans in Miami
would change the United States' standing relations with Cuba, while
still supporting certain elements of the current policy, according to a
survey conducted by Florida International University. Respondents
expressed strong support for increased contact between U.S. citizens,
including Cuban-Americans, and the Cuban people.
Cuba's violation of human rights, their sponsorship of terrorism, and $6
billion held in financial claims against the Cuban government by the
United States fuels the embargo; and the embargo will last "so long as
[Cuba] continues to refuse to move toward democratization and greater
respect for human rights." Nonetheless, the UN General Assembly has,
since 1992, passed annual resolutions condemning the ongoing impact of
the embargo, claiming that it's a violation of the Charter of the United
Nations and international law. Cuba, itself, believes that the embargo
is a violation of human rights.
A large majority (68 percent) of the 2014 FIU Cuba Poll respondents
favor reestablishing diplomatic relations with Cuba, and 69 percent
support the lifting of travel restrictions. The new poll shows that
younger and more recently arrived Cubans favor a change in the policy
toward the island, though Cuban Americans, overall, are just about
equally split on their support for the embargo that's considered to be
the "centerpiece of U.S. policy toward the island nation." Seventy-one
percent believe that the embargo isn't working at all.
Fifty-two percent of total respondents stated they were opposed to the
continuance of the embargo. However, embargo support is strong among
Cuban-American Republican registered voters, many of whom are Cuban
exiles; 51 percent of registered voters are in favor of continuing the
embargo. The Cuban exodus from the island of Cuba to the U.S. occurred
between 1959 and 1980; almost 900,000 Cuban exiles fled to Miami-Dade
County in South Florida (an area that is home to 48 percent of Cubans in
the nation) to flee Fidel Castro's regime.
The earliest waves of exiles traditionally registered as Republicans and
are the strongest supporters of the U.S. embargo. Younger generations of
Cuban-Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 are not only opposed to
the embargo against Cuba, but they are in favor of reestablishing
relations with Havana. Fifty-eight percent of all Cubans who came to
the United States since 1995 agreed with that sentiment.
In 1991, support for the embargo was at 84 percent. Now, 68 percent of
the country's Cuban-Americans want diplomatic relations with Cuba, a
figure that jumps to 90 percent among the youngest Cubans. The general
U.S. population (56 percent) is in favor of normalizing the relations
between the U.S. and Cuba.
President Barack Obama began shedding restrictions on Cuban-Americans
traveling to the island in 2009, also allowing Cuban-Americans to send
remittances and humanitarian packages to their families there. Obama has
asked that Cuba's economic reforms be accompanied by an addressing of
human rights concerns. The president has outlined a series of steps that
could demonstrate a willingness to open its closed society. Those steps
include: the release of political prisoners, allowing the United States'
telecommunications companies to operate in Cuba, and ending government
fees on U.S. dollars sent by relatives from the U.S.
But, even if Cuba takes the steps to have the embargo lifted, it's
likely that pro-embargo Cuban-American exiles, who have terrific
political sway in Florida, will continue to be opposed to the idea that
trading freely between Cuba and the U.S. would be good for both nations.

Source: Young Cuban-Americans Favor Diplomatic Relations with Cuba,
Older Cuban-Americans Continue to Support Embargo : World : Latin Post -
http://www.latinpost.com/articles/16132/20140703/young-cuban-americans-in-favor-of-diplomatic-relations-with-cuba-older-cuban-american-support-the-embargo.htm