Cuba Eases Travel Restrictions For First Time Since 1961
![Picture](/uploads/1/4/6/9/14699074/3593768.jpg?338)
A woman shows her passport as she leaves an immigration office in Havana, Cuba. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/cuba-scraps-exit-visa-requirement
BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY
Cuban President Raúl Castro is making good on his promise to ease some travel restrictions on its citizens. Starting January 14, Cubans will be able to leave the country with just their passports and destination visas as a new policy drops the requirement for a letter of invitation and travel permits. Cubans have been required to pay and apply for those permits since 1961. What’s more —Cubans would be able to stay abroad for up to 24 months without losing their residency and rights such as to free healthcare and property ownership.
Under the current rules, they stand to lose those rights after 11 months abroad. On Al Jazeera, the vice president of the Council of the Americas explains the changes’ significance to Cubans -- who he says revile the restrictions.
“It’s an important symbolic step if nothing else … And it’s part of the Raul Castro effort to try to liberalize very slowly, very episodically … the aspects of Cuba’s economy.”
But limits are still in place for some Cubans. As the country’s Communist Party’s official newspaper says: “... measures aimed at preserving the human capital created by the Revolution from the theft of talents practiced by the powerful nations shall remain in force.”
Media reports say that basically means Cuba’s doctors, scientists and military officers would most likely still face travel
restrictions.
Still, according to The New York Times, the policy changes could create immigration surge to nearby countries. Says one expert: “‘When the Soviets finally lowered the iron curtain, the West responded not with open arms but by quickly constructing a steel ring around their countries,’ … It’s easy to condemn Cuba …, but when [it] removes its own restrictions, will we redouble our own?” (Helmy)
In the end, Cuban Americans had a difficulty time during the mid 1950's. Cuban-Americans have risked their lives on rickety rafts to cross from Cuba to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream. Cuba was then ruled by Fidel Castro who would not allow them to leave. If they did try to leave, the Cuban Coast Guard would not actively prevent any boat from attempting to reach the United States. Currently, they can just show a passport and they leave their country to travel any where . Although their issues have been improved over the years, the American Dream has become reality for Cuban Americans.