Today meets half a century the United States to Cuba embargo

The total US embargo on Cuba is today half a century no sign that President Barack Obama provides for their elimination and supported by Republicans, while activists and experts still claiming that it is an "outdated" policy which damages mainly to the population of the island.

"Our policy towards Cuba remains the same," said Monday the spokesman of the State Department of the United States.UU., Victoria Nuland, at his daily press with a question of Efe.

In early 2011 Obama used an executive order to loosen the restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba, taken by his predecessor, George w. Bush, but it left standing the unilateral blockade against the island officially imposed on February 7, 1962 by then-President John f. Kennedy.

Is the U.S. Congress that has the power to repeal the embargo, strengthened in 1996 with the known as the Helms-Burton Act, but the Government of Obama conditions u000aits support for the Elimination of this measure to the regime of President Raúl Castro undertaken "changes" which, in his opinion, had not yet been given.

To the Washington Office for American Affairs (WOLA), a non-governmental organization for human rights, Cuba, however, "yes is changing" and is undergoing "deep economic and political transformations" to which EE.UU. may not be unrelated.

"The embargo is a relic, a remnant of the cold war," argued in a statement the director of programs of WOLA, Geoff Thale, who added that this is a measured "outdated that only harms the Cuban people, to their families in United States and American interests".

Thale, who just in Cuba on a "journey of investigation", reminded the Government of Raúl Castro-driven reforms involving a shy and controlled opening to the private economy and a massive reduction of u000aState templates.

In addition, highlighted the release of more than 100 political prisoners since 2010, thanks to a process of dialogue between the Government of the island and the Catholic Church.

"Rather than adjust the policy of the United States."UU. "towards Cuba to adapt to a changing world, advocates of the embargo have focused on adjusting their arguments to preserve an outdated policy", lamented this expert.

The Congress "will not withdraw the blockade of the overnight", but "sensible" politicians should work for the dialogue between Cuba and United States, recommended Thale.

The task is not easy, given that attempts of rapprochement between the two countries were virtually frozen following the conviction in Cuba to 15 years in prison to the American contractor Alan Gross, which Havana accused of participating in "subversive plans" against the island.

Also does not help against the Cuban regime's heavy-handed policy u000adefended by prominent Republican leaders in Congress and, in recent times, applicants to the presidential candidacy of the party with a view to the elections of November.

The favorite to be that candidate, former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney, has said that if he wins the Presidency, you will use "all possible resources" to make sure help the Cuban people to achieve their freedom "When Fidel Castro dies".

Other aspirants, the former President of the House of representatives Newt Gingrich, has vowed to end the "dictatorship" of the Castro brothers in four years if he reaches the White House.

According to a recent survey of the Florida International University, 46 per cent of the cubanoestadounidenses oppose the embargo.

Despite that measure, whose direct economic damage between 1962 and December 2010 Cuba figure at $ 104,000 billion, the flow of people and remittances is increasing.

It is estimated that in 2011 u000aabout 300,000 cubanoestadounidenses traveled to the island, and that figure could reach half a million this year.

In 2010 the remittances received the island, most of them from United States.UU., exceeded 1,000 billion $.

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