WOLA: Advocacy for Human Rights in the Americas
25 Apr 2009 | News

Travel for All: Statements of Support

The following contains statements from a broad spectrum of supporters for current legislation in the House and the Senate (H.R. 874 and S. 428) that will allow for full travel for all Americans. Momentum is building for a change in U.S.-Cuba policy.

President Obama won the election on a platform promising to loosen restrictions on Cuban American travel and remittances.  Congress followed through in March with provisions on the Omnibus appropriation that reversed restrictions from the Bush era on family travel and remittances and sales of U.S. agriculture products.  Now, both Houses of Congress are moving on a bi-partisan basis to end the ban on travel to Cuba for all Americans. 

This week, the sponsors of S.428 and H.R. 874, “The Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act,” held press conferences and in which they unveiled strong and growing lists of cosponsors from both sides of the political aisle.  The Senators who have sponsored the bill were joined by representatives of the human rights, agriculture, and business communities.  House sponsors were joined by Cuban-Americans who made the principled argument that the right to travel to Cuba belongs to all Americans. 

Please find enclosed the following statements of support for, “The Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act”.

Cuban-Americans

Business/Agricultural Community

Human Rights and Policy Organizations

Religious and Ecumenical Organizations

Cultural  Organizations

 

News Articles/Op-eds

Poll after poll has proved that the majority of Americans want an end to the travel ban. An October 2008 Zogby/Inter-American Dialogue poll found that 68% of likely voters believe all U.S. citizens should be allowed to travel to Cuba.

Similarly, this legislation is supported by a broad spectrum of constituencies including Cuban-Americans, the business and agriculture community, prominent U.S. human rights organizations, religious groups and others, united in their belief that after 50-years of failure, it is time for a new approach to U.S.-Cuba policy.