Kucinich to Bush: Lift Cuban Embargo
By Charles Mahaleris
Talon News
November 18, 2003

Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich and President George W. Bush have taken diametrically opposite positions concerning Cuba. Kucinich has now called for an end to the embargo against that Communist nation.

Rep. Kucinich (D-OH) said from the campaign trail late last week, "The United States' Cuba policy is a failure. The unilateral embargo must be lifted. The persistently hostile and aggressive rhetoric must cease. We must lift not only the trade embargo. We must also lift the travel ban. We must cooperate with Cuba on issues of national security."

"It is time to create a new era in Cuban-American relations," he said.

The administration, however, remains firm that the embargo must remain in place to see positive change in that island nation.

During a speech in the Rose Garden last month, Bush outlined what needs to happen in Cuba to ensure better relations with the United States.

"Last year in Miami, I offered Cuba's government a way forward -- a way forward toward democracy and hope and better relations with the United States," Bush said. "I pledged to work with our Congress to ease bans on trade and travel between our two countries if -- and only if -- the Cuban government held free and fair elections, allowed the Cuban people to organize, assemble and to speak freely, and ease the stranglehold on private enterprise."

Bush continued, "Since I made that offer, we have seen how the [Fidel] Castro regime answers diplomatic initiatives. The dictator has responded with defiance and contempt and a new round of brutal oppression that outraged the world's conscience."

Kucinich took offense with what he sees as the methods used to keep the embargo in place.

He said, "Even though both houses of Congress had passed identical amendments eliminating funding to enforce the ban on traveling to Cuba, the ban remains in place. This is because a conference committee meeting behind closed doors overruled the Congress and took out the language which would have removed the funding that enforces the ban."

In October, Bush announced new initiatives being started to bring about change in Cuba.

"Clearly, the Castro regime will not change by its own choice. But Cuba must change," Bush said. "So today I'm announcing several new initiatives intended to hasten the arrival of a new, free, democratic Cuba."

His steps include:

-- Strengthening re-enforcement of travel restrictions to Cuba which sometimes are not enforced including increased inspection of goods shipped to and from Cuba

-- Assist Cubans who seek to flee Castro's regime by identifying for them safer means of travel and redoubling processing of arriving Cubans

-- Establish a Commission for the Assistance to a Free Cuba to plan for the day when Castro's regime has ended.