Obama Administration to Spend Millions on Cuba

Poder 360
February 3, 2010

The president officially loosened Cuba travel and money remittance policies in 2009, and now plans to spend millions on programs designed to bring about Democratic change in Cuba.

The Obama administration is proposing spending $20 million on programs designed to bring about Democratic change in Cuba, but the funds are under attack from those who say its wasteful in hard economic times, besides being a demonstrable failure after Cuba recently celebrated the 52nd anniversary of its communist revolution.

Sarah Stephens, executive director of the Center for Democracy in the Americas, issued a statement about the Foreign Aid budget request for 2011: “Unless it’s okay for the United States government to waste money on foreign aid programs that don’t work, the Obama administration should remove the $20 million in spending it has proposed on ‘regime change’ on Cuba.”

The CDA’s report, “9 Ways for US to Talk to Cuba and for Cuba to Talk to US,” published in 2009, recommended ending counter-productive ‘regime change’ programs and relying instead on policies of engagement to advance America’s interests and lead to normal relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

source: http://www.poder360.com/dailynews_detail.php?blurbid=5241

Freedom To Travel

U.S. Travel Ban on Cuba

For more than four decades, the United States has tried to isolate Cuba, economically and diplomatically.

When we look at Cuba news, we see an increasingly public and vigorous debate about the economy. We see the nations of the region conducting ordinary and even extraordinary relations with Cuba. What we don't see is a story line involving the United States, the effectiveness of U.S. policy, or even much of a presence or a role as the possibilities of change unfold.

Top 10 List

"This top ten list is a powerful reminder to Congress and all Americans that sanctions against Cuba do nothing but violate American values, cost American jobs, stain our image overseas, and breach our basic rights," said Sarah Stephens of the Center for Democracy in the Americas. "As Cuba enters a new era, so should America, and replace our policy of isolating Cuba with one favoring engagement, travel and trade."