Challenges to U.S. Cuba Travel Ban Derailed in Senate

Interview with Mavis Anderson, Latin America Working Group, conducted by Denise Manzari

In an Oct. 20th Senate debate over the Treasury Department budget, Sen. Byron Dorgan, a Democrat from North Dakota, reintroduced his amendment to cut funding for enforcement of the U.S. travel ban against Cuba.

However, before members of the Senate engaged in full debate on the issue, Sen. John Ensign, a Republican from Nevada, succeeded in introducing a "second degree amendment" to Sen. Dorgan's proposal. Sen. Ensign's amendment was related to the issue of parental consent for abortions. Given the controversial nature of the abortion issue, Sen. Dorgan ultimately withdrew his proposal and criticized Ensign's maneuver as arbitrary and anti-democratic.

Both U.S. citizens and members of Congress are increasingly supportive of free and open travel to Cuba. However, the Bush administration recently tightened travel restrictions by limiting trips by Cuban-Americans to visit their families in Cuba to once every three years and only with special permission.

Between The Lines' Denise Manzari spoke with Mavis Anderson, senior associate with the Latin American Working Group, who talks about the fate of the Dorgan amendment and what her group will be doing to combat the ongoing travel ban by the United States against Cuba.

For more information contact the Latin American Working Group by calling (202) 546-7010 or visit their website at www.lawg.org.

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