Call in Miami
for lifting the blockade
Hundreds of Cubans resident in the south of
Florida have called on the US government to lift –
at least temporarily – the blockade of Cuba in order
to help its inhabitants to recover from the ravages
of Hurricane Dennis.
The call was made through the media and during a
mass in the Caridad del Cobre offered by the former
archbishop of Miami, Monsignor Augustín Román.
"For the love of God, the embargo should be
suspended. Our brothers and sisters in Cuba need our
help," said Elsa Aguirre. In June 2004 the U.S.
intensified the embargo that it has maintained
against Cuba for more than 40 years.
The measures restrict return trips for Cubans
resident in the United States to just one every
three years. Moreover, it prohibits the dispatch of
foodstuffs, clothing and other items of daily use.
"Perhaps it is the moment – even temporarily – to
suspend the restrictions in force," stated El
Nuevo Herald, picking up on the demand of the
majority of the 650,000 exiled Cubans resident in
the south of Florida.
