4 ms·

Cuba? I'm not a North American, but isn't all the trouble with Cuba over now? I recall a few months back that Nelson Mandela was on the terrorist watch list in

Cuba? I'm not a North American, but isn't all the trouble with Cuba over now? I recall a few months back that Nelson Mandela was on the terrorist watch list in the USA - And as such he wouldn't / couldn't enter the country. Perhaps this is one of those "laws" that was forgotten?

akeefer 16y ago
Unfortunately there's a large, politically-influential group of Cuban exiles in Florida. In pretty much every recent presidential election cycle, Florida has been a crucial swing state that could go to either side, so neither party has wanted to upset that group by normalizing relations with Cuba. From a political standpoint there's a lot to lose and nothing to gain from it, unfortunately.
- jemfinch 16y ago
  Why would Cuban exiles want to embargo their former home?
  - akeefer 16y ago
    My understanding is that many of them fled following the Cuban Revolution and subsequent nationalization of property; the ones who were in Cuba at the time are likely either very old or dead by now, but presumably their descendants still harbor resentment over it. From the associated Wikipedia article: "Cuba began expropriating land and private property under the auspices of the Agrarian Reform law of May 1959. Cuban lawyer Mario Lazo writes that farms of any size could be and were seized by the government. Land, businesses, and companies owned by upper and middle class Cubans were also nationalized, including the plantations owned by Fidel Castro's family. By the end of 1960, the revolutionary government had nationalized more than 25 billion dollars worth of private property owned by Cubans." The angry Cuban ex-patriots are generally from that middle or upper class that had their property nationalized.
    - cdr 16y ago
      From what I recall, later immigrants and second-generation Cuban-Americans tend to be significantly less supportive of the hard-line stance towards Cuba. The original generation of immigrants dying off over time is likely what will lead to normalization with Cuba.
  - isleyaardvark 16y ago
    Because they hate Castro and they think, rightly or wrongly, the embargo helps. The idea that the Cubans in Florida are mostly immigrants from 50 years ago isn't supported by data, there's a constant flow of Cubans fleeing Cuba. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_American#Demographics http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_American#Demographics)
michaelfairley 16y ago
US citizens are still forbidden from travelling to Cuba, and an embargo forbidding US companies from trading with Cuba is still in effect.
- mturmon 16y ago
  Passed in 1996, not that long ago: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helms–Burton_Act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helms–Burton_Act
sp332 16y ago
A lot of restrictions have been lifted, but not all of them. http://www.america.gov/st/texttrans-english/2009/April/20090413170610eaifas0.2033502.html http://www.america.gov/st/texttrans-english/2009/April/20090...

akeefer 16y ago

Unfortunately there's a large, politically-influential group of Cuban exiles in Florida. In pretty much every recent presidential election cycle, Florida has been a crucial swing state that could go to either side, so neither party has wanted to upset that group by normalizing relations with Cuba. From a political standpoint there's a lot to lose and nothing to gain from it, unfortunately.

jemfinch 16y ago
Why would Cuban exiles want to embargo their former home?
- akeefer 16y ago
  My understanding is that many of them fled following the Cuban Revolution and subsequent nationalization of property; the ones who were in Cuba at the time are likely either very old or dead by now, but presumably their descendants still harbor resentment over it. From the associated Wikipedia article: "Cuba began expropriating land and private property under the auspices of the Agrarian Reform law of May 1959. Cuban lawyer Mario Lazo writes that farms of any size could be and were seized by the government. Land, businesses, and companies owned by upper and middle class Cubans were also nationalized, including the plantations owned by Fidel Castro's family. By the end of 1960, the revolutionary government had nationalized more than 25 billion dollars worth of private property owned by Cubans." The angry Cuban ex-patriots are generally from that middle or upper class that had their property nationalized.
  - cdr 16y ago
    From what I recall, later immigrants and second-generation Cuban-Americans tend to be significantly less supportive of the hard-line stance towards Cuba. The original generation of immigrants dying off over time is likely what will lead to normalization with Cuba.
- isleyaardvark 16y ago
  Because they hate Castro and they think, rightly or wrongly, the embargo helps. The idea that the Cubans in Florida are mostly immigrants from 50 years ago isn't supported by data, there's a constant flow of Cubans fleeing Cuba. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_American#Demographics http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_American#Demographics)

michaelfairley 16y ago

US citizens are still forbidden from travelling to Cuba, and an embargo forbidding US companies from trading with Cuba is still in effect.

mturmon 16y ago
Passed in 1996, not that long ago: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helms–Burton_Act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helms–Burton_Act

sp332 16y ago

A lot of restrictions have been lifted, but not all of them. http://www.america.gov/st/texttrans-english/2009/April/20090413170610eaifas0.2033502.html http://www.america.gov/st/texttrans-english/2009/April/20090...