As barriers are gradually eased and excitement builds towards the day when free unrestricted travel to Cuba becomes a reality for all, it is easy to forget there are some influential voices dead against such a move.
A House Republican bill seeks to block any new flights and cruise ship travel to Cuba and has been tabled by Cuban-American Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, a fierce critic of the Havana regime.
The ‘backdoor’ amendment has been tacked on to the House Department of Transportation appropriations bill which in its present form could lead to a Presidential veto.
"US law prohibits tourism in Cuba, and U.S. law also allows for those whose properties were confiscated by the Castro regime to sue those who use, or benefit from using, those confiscated properties," Diaz-Balart said in a statement.
The expansion of regularly scheduled flights to Cuba is an obvious attempt to circumvent the tourism ban. Similarly, allowing cruises to dock in Cuba would violate both the spirit and the letter of US law."
Diaz-Balart’s move is a response to new rules in January further easing restrictions on travel which included regular scheduled flights for the first time in over 50 years.
Although the bill proposes a block on new travel options it does not look to stop the import of goods like cigars and rum which were permitted for the first time earlier this year.
