Cuban official: Amendments approved by US Senate panel are a step forward

HAVANA, Cuba, Jun 18 (acn) An official from the Cuban Foreign Ministry described as a step forward four amendments approved by the Appropriations Committee of the US Senate that would allow the increase of agricultural trade and that citizens of that country to freely travel to Cuba.

The new provisions are a positive step on the path to eliminate the US blocked on Cuba, but it will take a long time for them to become a law, said the official.

When asked by Cuban News Agency, he praised the bipartisan support in the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, which passed by 22 votes in favor and eight against, of an amendment to the bill of fiscal year 2017, presented by John Boozman (R-Arizona) and Jon Tester (D- Montana).

Senators adopted provision on a 22-8 vote that would repeal a requirement that any U.S. vessel entering a port in Cuba must obtain a license to load or unload freight in the U.S. within 180 days. It would also allow American farmers to extend private financing for exporting agricultural commodities to Cuba.

The panel also approved an amendment by voice vote that would permit consumer communication devices or telecommunications services to be exported to Cuba.

One amendment approved by voice vote would prohibit federal funds from being used to restrict air travel to Cuba. The language is backed by Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).

Another amendment, also endorsed by voice vote, would allow international flights traveling to or from Cuba to refuel at Bangor Airport in Maine. Flights currently have to refuel in Canada instead of the U.S. because of restrictions mandated by the trade embargo on Cuba.

However, despite these amendments included in the draft of the fiscal 2017 spending bill for financial services and general government, are an expression of the growing support in the Hill to a change of the Cuba policy, for them to become law will have to go through a complicated legislative process, and it will be difficult for them to be in the final draft President Obama will sign.

The Cuban official said that the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives already approved its 2017 fiscal year project and it doesn't include any positive change towards Cuba.

Therefore, the new provisions are unlikely to stay in the final text to be debated and passed by both the House and Senate.

Though these amendments are on the right track on the path towards the normalization of relations between Cuba and the United States , this process will have to include the full lifting of the economic, financial and commercial blockade of Cuba, the devolution of the illegally occupied territory in Guantanamo Bay, among other issues.