“We believe the goals of improving the lot of the Cuban people and encouraging the democratization of the governance of Cuba are best accomplished through more rather than less contact between the Cuban and American peoples,” said Bishop John Ricard, who chairs the bishops’ International Policy committee.
Earlier this year, the Bush administration announced more-stringent restrictions on the amount of baggage licensed travelers to Cuba may carry and on the types of items that can be sent in gift parcels to Cuba.
Bishop Ricard on Tuesday thanked members of the U.S. House of Representatives for their support of an amendment offered by congressman Jeff Flake of Arizona to a Commerce-Justice-State appropriations bill which would bar the Commerce Department from enforcing the new restrictions.
“The Flake amendment addresses a small part of the larger structure of travel limitations, sanctions and the embargo imposed by the U.S. government against Cuba,” said Bishop Ricard. “We encourage you to revisit the more significant Treasury Department’s Cuba travel regulations later this year with a view toward softening their unnecessarily restrictive aspects.”
