(6 Nov 1995) Span/Eng/Nat
Scores of Cuban exiles met with government officials in Havana on the last day of a three day conference which they hope will improve relations between the island and the exile community.
At today's closed-door sessions Cuban government officials announced a new law that would allow exiles to travel to Cuba without a visa. It will also open education opportunities for the children of those living abroad.
Around 335 members of the Cuban exile communities attended the conference.
Most say it has been a chance to speak freely about their status.
SOUNDBITE: (In Spanish)
"Well the conference it's been a little longer than the last one, much more relaxed, more informal. I think everyone has had a chance to talk, not only once but in different occasions. We've shown that at this conference there has been full freedom of expression. All kinds of ideas have been freely accepted. No one has been chided or harassed. We differ among ourselves but it's been healthy for all of us, not only because of what has happened but also because you feel supported. One of the philosophies of McCarthyism is to make you feel isolated, that you're a stranger, a monster, something out of the ordinary and the time comes when you wonder why you feel different. And so the contact with other 300 people like you, that makes you feel like them, you get support, warmth and more strength to keep fighting."
SUPER CAPTION: Magda Mundiel, Cuban exile in the United States
Cuban officials announced a law that would ease travel restrictions for most Cubans living abroad.
SOUNDBITE: (In English)
"We realised that the majority of Cuban living abroad are not enemies of the Cubans and we open for all of them the possibility of having a new rule. Beginning from now all those who apply and receive the "vigencia", traveling documents, can go and out of the country without any other legal restrictions with the sole exception of those people who may be denied that right, those who are actively oppose to Cuba, or working against us, or there may be individuals who have committed crimes in the countries where they're staying at."
SUPER CAPTION: Ricardo Alarcon, President of Cuban Parliament
Members of the exile community in the U-S are satisfied with the travel law.
SOUNDBITE: (In Spanish)
"In general terms I value this meeting as very positive, and the measures they have announced contribute to what we wanted to call this meeting: Cubans and their nation. The fact that Cubans could now travel to Cuba without a visa brings them closer to their nation."
SUPER CAPTION: Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo, President of Cambio Cubano
For the Cuban government the meeting has been an effort to find allies in the exile communities, whose leaders have promoted the U-S embargo against the island.
Many Cuban-Americans are backing efforts in Congress to tighten the embargo and they oppose any dialogue with President Fidel Castro.
But there are still many others who hope that as Cuba's attitude softens, so will that of most emigres.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
