New Lobby Kills Threats to Cuba Embargo

Today's Miami Herald credits "a young Cuban-American lobbyist and a first-term congresswoman from Florida" as being instrumental in the recent defeat of five measures in the U.S. Congress that would ease U.S. travel and trade sanctions on Cuba.

The article discusses the lobbying efforts made by Mauricio Claver-Carone, a director of the U.S.-Cuba Democracy Political Action Committee, and first-term Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL). The article explains:

"The lobbying seems to have worked. Reversing a five-year trend in which supporters of easing U.S. sanctions against Cuba were gaining strength in Congress, the House in late June rejected four initiatives relaxing restrictions, including one amendment lifting a ban on sending soap and toothpaste in gift parcels to the island and another letting Cuban Americans travel more to Cuba. The Senate rejected a measure allowing more humanitarian visits to Cuba."

The entire article can be found at the following link:
www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12111491.htm (free registration required)