Last night on “Strategy Session with Antonio Gonzalez” on 90.7 KPFK, LAWG’s Senior Associate, Mavis Anderson, discussed the current political reality of U.S. policy towards Cuba. While there are some who will criticize President Obama’s slow movement in changing our outdated Cuba policy, “kudos should be given where kudos are due,” says Anderson. Obama has made some of the changes available to him under executive authority in permitting Cuban Americans to travel freely back and forth to the island, liberalizing the travel licensing process, and also issuing a veto threat if any legislation is proposed in Congress that aims at repealing his positive changes.
Unfortunately the dark cloud looming over a drastic improvement of relations is the imprisonment of USAID subcontractor, Alan Gross, who was arrested last year for illegally distributing satellite equipment on the island. His detainment has stopped further engagement with Cuba. But while U.S.-Cuba policy languishes, we’re encouraging everyone interested in traveling to Cuba to take advantage of the hundreds of opportunities that now exist, because “when the people take over the policy, it’s going to change.”
Click here to listen to the full show. The discussion on Cuba is the first segment.
