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Oct 21, 2009 11:08 am US/Eastern
Survey: More Cuban Americans Support Cuban Tourism
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
Should all Americans be allowed to visit Cuba whenever they want? A new study by polling firm Bendixen & Associates has found that many Cuban Americans are saying "yes." This is a major shift from a survey seven years ago.
According to our
news partners at the Miami Herald, Executive Vice President Fernand Amandi was surprised by the major swing; only 46 percent of Cuban Americans were in favor in 2002 as opposed to 59 percent in the Sept. 24-26 survey.
Only 29 percent were opposed in the new survey, compared to 47 percent in 2002. The shift was spread across all age groups, including recent arrivals and older exiles. Still, there remains a generational gap. Only 49 percent of Cuban Americans 65 and older favor the change, while around 63 percent of those 18 to 64 years old support the measure.
Right now, only Cuban Americans are allowed nearly unrestricted travel to the island. In fact, Cuba is the only country where American tourists cannot visit.
But the fight to allow Americans to travel to Cuba has been a hot issue in Washington – Congress is facing at least three bills to lift restrictions; Senators are studying one and members of the House are looking at two. Most analysts expect the House to approve the measure, but have little hope for Senate approval.
Cuban American South Florida Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has predicted the ban on American travel will not be lifted; she had a different take on Cuban-American sentiments.
``The majority of Cuban Americans want the Cuban people to have free elections, guaranteed human rights and freedom for political prisoners. That is what constituents in South Florida want,'' she said in a statement to
El Nuevo Herald.
The latest Bendixen poll, conducted via phone, had a sample of 400 Cuban Americans across the United States and a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points. The survey was not commissioned by anyone and Amandi said Bendixen, which has done several other surveys on Cuba issues, conducted the poll on its own.
(© MMIX CBS Television Stations. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report)
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