Tampa Citizens ask Trump to Revert Travel Restrictions on Cuba

The city of Tampa has called on the administration of Donald Trump to reverse the recent restrictions on travel to Cuba, the ambassador of the Caribbean country, José Ramón Cabañas, who visits that American city, said today.

The diplomat posted on his Twitter account that during his stay in that city in the southern state of Florida,the City Council passed a resolution on June 13 asking the federal government to reverse these measures.

Such document defended the freedom of Americans to visit the neighboring nation, and referred to the historical relationship with Cuba 'as longer and richer' than that of any other American city with the island.

The text recalled that the National Hero of Cuba, José Martí, spent time in Tampa in the 1890s, when he obtained support for the independence struggle of his country against Spain and gave some of his most famous speeches.

He also stressed that the city has a historic opportunity to restore commercial, family and cultural ties with Cuba, and stressed that direct flights and cruises to that territory created hundreds of jobs in Tampa.

The resolution mentioned as positive the way in which the visits of North Americans boosted the growth of the private sector in Cuba, and regretted that the new travel restrictions can harm local companies, cause the loss of jobs in the city and make entrepreneurs Cubans lose their savings.

That document adopted by the local council was a reaction to the measures adopted by the administration of Donald Trump on June 5 that prevent Americans from going to the island on group educational trips known as people to people.

So far that was the most used route for Americans to go to the neighboring nation, since they are prohibited from visiting it as tourists and to go to that territory must be included in any of the 12 categories of travel authorized by the federal government.

At the same time, the Trump executive vetoed the departure to Cuba of some aircraft and boats, including cruises, the means of transport of more expansion among the citizens of this country to address the West Indian.

During the visit to Tampa, which will continue tomorrow, the Cuban ambassador spoke with Councilman Bill Carlson, with whom he said he had held a conversation about the historical ties between the city and Cuba, and about how to strengthen bilateral ties.

In addition, the diplomat reviewed with the president and executive director of the Florida Aquarium, Roger Germann, the progress made in the collaboration between that institution and the National Aquarium of Cuba during the last three years, after the signing of a joint memorandum.

Cabañas also paid tribute to the National Hero of Cuba in the Friends Park of José Martí, located in the Ybor City neighborhood.