Letter to the Editor, New York Times"Relations with Cuba" |
| To the Editor: Re "U.S. Halts Cuban Immigration Talks; Worsening of Ties Seen" (news article, Jan. 8): Reunifying fragmented families on both sides of the Florida Straits requires that the governments of the United States and Cuba maintain a constructive approach toward discussing issues like migration. The Bush administration's decision to suspend semiannual talks jeopardizes reunification efforts and introduces a conditionality that threatens to asphyxiate the already limited avenue for humanitarian and cultural activity between the two countries. Last fall, the Cuban government announced that starting in early 2004, Cuban-Americans wishing to visit the island would no longer be required to have visas. This act, however limited in its actual positive impact, is a significant symbolic step forward and should be met by the Bush administration as a legitimate reason for salvaging the few remaining channels of communication with Cuba. LULY DUKE East Hampton, N.Y., Jan. 12, 2004 The writer is president and chairwoman, Fundación Amistad, a group promoting U.S.-Cuban relations. |