U.S. Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart addresses attendees and employees during the official unveiling of Comcast's new Spanish-language Center of Excellence on Monday, Dec. 5, 2011, in Miramar, Fla. The national call center, which has stimulated the economy of South Florida by adding almost 300 jobs, is dedicated to handling sales calls from Spanish-speaking consumers across the country. (Brian Blanco / AP Images for Comcast)

Republicans propose blocking funds for opening U.S. embassy in Cuba

By Efe

U.S. House Republicans on Tuesday (June 2) presented a bill funding the State Department for fiscal year 2016, albeit with a special provision to block financing to open a new U.S. embassy in Cuba.

The measure is an attempt to stymie the recent rapprochement with the communist island launched by President Barack Obama and after the removal of Cuban from the State Department’s list of terrorism-sponsoring nations.

“The bill includes a prohibition on funds for an embassy or other diplomatic facility in Cuba, beyond what was in existence prior to the President’s December announcement proposing changes to the U.S.-Cuba policy,” reads the text of the bill.

Florida Republican Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (shown in photo above), who is of Cuban origin, is one of the sponsors of the bill and one of those most firmly opposed to the government’s diplomatic shift toward Havana.

Besides this measure, Diaz-Balart has supported other provisions in other bills aimed at limiting travel from the United States to Cuba as well as exports to the island.

In addition, the document asks that the State Department refuse to expedite U.S. visas for members of the Cuban Communist Party or the island’s military.

The measure also would restrict funding to facilitate the opening of a U.S. embassy in Havana, but it would provide financing to foster democratic inclusion on the island and make international radio broadcasts to Cuba.

Some members of Congress, headed mainly by Cuban-American lawmakers from the Republican Party, oppose Obama’s decision to normalize relations.

Those detractors feel that, for that to be done, the Cuban government must improve the situation of human rights on the island, as well as extradite fugitives from U.S. justice that may be living there.

When the contents of the bill’s provision became known, the White House issued a statement opposing it and saying that the president would veto the bill if Congress passes it.

(From Fox News Latino)