#CUBANOW STATEMENT: NEW NATIONAL POLL CONFIRMS OVERWHELMING BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR NEW COURSE ON CUBA

MIAMI – #CubaNow Executive Director, Ric Herrero today issued the following statement following the release of a national poll conducted by Benenson Strategy Group and SKDKnickerbocker revealing that a strong bipartisan majority of American voters support expanding trade, travel, and diplomatic relations with Havana, believe Congress should end the embargo, and nearly two thirds acknowledge that “trade and diplomacy yield better results than sanctions and isolation»:

“This national poll makes it clear that the trend lines we’ve seen in recent years continue to rise toward strong bipartisan support for our new course on Cuba. It reinforces that the seismic shifts we have witnessed in the Cuban-American community are also increasingly evident amongst Republican and Independent voters across the country. The finding that an overwhelming 71% of registered voters believe that our new policy is in the best interests of the U.S. and Cuban people, and nearly two-thirds want Congress to end the embargo, including 51% of Republicans, shows that the debate over Cuba policy has fundamentally moved on and can no longer return to the 20th century. The poll also found that 72% of registered voters believe that the best way to promote human rights on the island is by expanding travel, trade and diplomatic engagement, confirming that Americans don’t buy into the argument that the embargo helps the cause of political freedom in Cuba. In fact, no national poll in recent memory has shown majority support for isolation. Congress should take note of these findings.»

Highlights from the poll: www.beyondthebeltwayinsights.com/content/us-cuba-policy

Background

A 2014 Atlantic Council Poll Found A Bipartisan Majority Of Americans Favored Engagement With Cuba. According to a February 2014 poll released by the Atlantic Council, 60% of Democrats, 60% of independents and 52% of Republicans surveyed nationwide supported engagement with Cuba. [Atlantic Council, February 2014: http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/images/publications/2014cubapoll/US-CubaPoll.pdf

For The First Time Ever, Florida International University’s Poll Of Miami Cuban-Americans Found Majority Opposition To The Embargo. After years of polls showing ebbing support for U.S. embargo policy towards Cuba, FIU’s 2014 poll found that 52% of Miami-Dade County Cuban-Americans opposed continuing the embargo. This number rose to 62% among Cuban Americans aged 18-20. [Florida International University, June 2014 https://cri.fiu.edu/research/cuba-poll/2014-fiu-cuba-poll.pdf

Washington Post-ABC News Poll: Large Majority OF Americans Supported Establishing Diplomatic Ties With Cuba; Even More Supported Ending Trade And Travel Ban. A Washington Post-ABC News poll released after President Obama’s Dec. 17th announcement of Cuba policy changes found 64% of Americans supported establishing diplomatic relations. The same poll found that 57% of Republicans supported trade with Cuba and 64% of them supported travel between the countries. [Washington Post, 12/23/14: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/12/23/poll-support-increases-for-lifting-cuba-embargo-travel-restrictions/