74 of Cuba's Leading Dissidents Urge Congress to End Travel Ban and Increase Food Sales to Cuba

WASHINGTON, June 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sarah Stephens of the Center for Democracy in the Americas released the following statement regarding a letter urging passage of legislation to lift travel and export restrictions to Cuba signed by blogger Yoani Sanchez, hunger striker Guillermo Farinas, and more than seventy other prominent political dissidents in Cuba:

"74 of Cuba's most prominent political dissidents have endorsed the Peterson-Moran legislation to end the travel ban and expand food exports to Cuba because in their words it is good for human rights, good for alleviating hunger, and good for spreading information and showing solidarity with the Cuban people.

"Their letter answers every argument the pro-embargo forces use to oppose this legislation.  This, itself, answers the question 'who is speaking for the Cuban people in this debate?' - those who want to send food and Americans to visit the island and stand with ordinary Cubans, or those who don't.

"If Cuba's best known bloggers, dissidents, hunger strikers, and other activists for human rights want this legislation enacted, what else needs be said?"

The Center for Democracy in the Americas (CDA) runs the Freedom to Travel Campaign, a public education project whose goal is to end the travel ban to Cuba for all Americans.

SOURCE The Center for Democracy in the Americas