Obama allows travel, money transfers to Cuba… iMuy Bueno!

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama directed his administration Monday to allow unlimited travel and money transfers by Cuban Americans to family in Cuba, and to take other steps to ease U.S. restrictions on the island. The formal announcement was being made at the White House Monday afternoon, during presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs’ daily briefing with reporters. With the changes, Obama aims to create new space for the Cuban people in their quest for political freedom and a democratic government, in part by making them less dependent on the Castro regime, the official said. Other steps taken Monday include allowing gift parcels to be send to Cuba, and issuing licenses to increase communications among and to the Cuban people. About 1.5 million Americans have relatives in Cuba.

As I’m sure you Berezophiles know, I laid down this gauntlet just a few days ago in an earlier post and the White House responded. Wisely. This has been a long time coming and a good sign for the future. Now if we can only get then to turn their attention to our ridiculous “war on drugs”. And ya heard it here first.–BEREZ

If at first you don’t succeed… keep failing

A pair of Republican congressmen ripped Congressional Black Caucus members for ignoring Cuba’s “myriad gross human rights abuses” Thursday, saying this week’s caucus trip to the island nation ignored the plight of political prisoners under the Castro regime.
They also urged the Obama administration to refrain from easing trade embargo or travel restrictions until the Cuban government releases all “prisoners of conscience,” shows greater respect for freedom of religion and speech, and holds “free and fair” elections.
The call from Reps. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, and Frank Wolf, R-Virginia, came three days after the administration signaled that new rules on family travel and remittances to Cuba may be announced before President Obama goes to the Summit of the Americas on April 17.
It also followed statements from several Black Caucus members Tuesday arguing for consideration of an end to the trade embargo and other diplomatic restrictions placed on Cuba for five decades.

You want to talk about “myriad gross human rights abuses?” The worst human rights abuse since the revolution has been the suffering  the cuban people have endured as a result of our embargo. An embargo that has literally accomplished nothing. With the exception of keeping cuban families apart for the last half century. Exactly the type of hypocrisy we’ve come to expect from the “Family Values” party. A bunch of rabid anti-communist blowhards and demagogues who seemed to think that a corrupt, fascist dictator was preferable to the communist dictator who succeeded him. I mean seriously, enough is enough.–BEREZ