Congreso Latino approves resolution to eliminate Cuba family travel restrictions
By Alvaro F. Fernandez
“The
cruelty of family separation is not acceptable,” seemed to say a
roomful of Latino activists and heads of numerous national
organizations as they cast their vote in favor of the resolution
presented by the Cuban American Commission for Family Rights (CACFR)
at the 2nd
Annual National Latino Congreso held in Los Angeles, California,
during the Columbus Day weekend. With one person abstaining, the vote
was unanimous.
Presented
on the afternoon of Saturday, October 6, the resolution demands the
revocation of the unconstitutional family travel restrictions to
Cuba. The restrictions, imposed by the Bush Administration in June
2004 and considered by many an electoral ploy to please hard-line
Cubans in Miami, limit visits to family members living on the island
nation to once every three years. There are no exceptions for family
emergencies or humanitarian reasons — not even the death or grave
sickness of a family member living in Cuba. The 2004 regulations went
as far as defining family and removing members such as aunts, uncles,
cousins and surrogate parents from the family equation.
“We
will stand with you in your fight for justice,” said Juan
Maldonado…
Al’s Lupe Read Spanish Version
Congreso
Latino approves resolution to eliminate Cuba family travel
restrictions
More
than 200 organizations representing millions vote in support of the
Cuban family
By
Alvaro F. Fernandez
“The
cruelty of family separation is not acceptable,” seemed to say a
roomful of Latino activists and heads of numerous national
organizations as they cast their vote in favor of the resolution
presented by the Cuban American Commission for Family Rights (CACFR)
at the 2nd
Annual National Latino Congreso held in Los Angeles, California,
during the Columbus Day weekend. With one person abstaining, the vote
was unanimous.
Presented
on the afternoon of Saturday, October 6, the resolution demands the
revocation of the unconstitutional family travel restrictions to
Cuba. The restrictions, imposed by the Bush Administration in June
2004 and considered by many an electoral ploy to please hard-line
Cubans in Miami, limit visits to family members living on the island
nation to once every three years. There are no exceptions for family
emergencies or humanitarian reasons — not even the death or grave
sickness of a family member living in Cuba. The 2004 regulations went
as far as defining family and removing members such as aunts, uncles,
cousins and surrogate parents from the family equation.
“We
will stand with you in your fight for justice,” said Juan
Maldonado, chairman of the board of the Southwest Voter Registration
Education Project (SVREP), a national Latino civil rights and voting
rights empowerment organization. SVREP was one of the Congreso
convening groups. “We are many organizations present here today and
represent millions of other Latinos from around the country,” added
Maldonado.
During
the five day period, nearly 2,000 leaders and activists, many
belonging to the more than 200 organizations present, many national
in scope, held workshops, discussed and debated issues ranging from
immigration, the war in Iraq, to health care, education and many
other issues including several dealing with Cuba and Latin America.
To
many of us names like SVREP, Hispanic Federation of New York, Mexican
American Legal and Education Fund, League of United Latin American
Citizens (LULAC), Labor Council of Latin America (LCLAA), National
Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities (NALACC) may not
mean much. But all are national organizations representing, in one
way or another, many of the nearly 50 million Latinos who live in the
United States. These organizations and many others were present
during the Congreso and unanimously voted against the cruelty
represented by the Bush anti-Cuba family measures.
Leading
to the vote was a Cuba workshop held on Saturday, October 6, which
dealt with the lunacy of U.S. policy towards Cuba. Emphasis of the
discussion was the travel restrictions and the role hard-right Miami
Cubans have played in dictating U.S. policy. On the panel were Silvia
Wilhelm, executive director of CACFR; Aidil Oscariz, Fordham
University law student who has studied the legalities of the
regulations and who wrote the resolution; Carlos Lazo, a citizen
activist who lives in Seattle, WA.; and Francisco Aruca, Radio
Progreso radio show host.
At
the end of the day, the Congreso resolved to support:
-
That
the organizations of the National Latino Congreso urge the United
States Congress to immediately pass legislation that eliminates
restrictions on family travel to Cuba. -
That
that the organizations of the National Latino Congreso urge the
United States Congress to immediately overturn the regulations by
enacting legislation that specifically holds that such infringements
on family associational rights clearly violate the U.S. Constitution
and contravene international law. -
That
that the organizations of the National Latino Congreso urge the
United States Congress to remove the power of regulating family
relations from OFAC under the authority granted through the Trading
with the Enemy Act.
To
read the complete resolution, click here:
http://www.latinocongreso.org/resolutions07approved.php?id=17
