U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor released the following statement today regarding the Florida Orchestra’s approval by the U.S. Department of Treasury for its cultural exchange with Cuba.  Castor urged expeditious approval of the license over the past weeks.

“The Florida Orchestra’s cultural exchange with Cuba is a remarkable new milestone for the Tampa Bay community and travel and trade with island nation. The new exchange is another meaningful step that follows the easing of travel restrictions and the designation of Tampa International Airport as entry/exit point to Cuba.  I am confident Floridians will have more opportunities to visit Cuba and share traditions across borders.”

“Jose Valiente and the Florida Orchestra understand the significant connection Tampa has with Cuba. The Florida Orchestra will perform in Havana, give concerts and lead classes. Our community will welcome the music director of the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba in his U.S. conducting debut in the Florida Orchestra’s Masterworks series. Sharing music is a wonderful way to foster an understanding of different cultures. Music unites us.”

Castor worked for years to broaden economic opportunities and ease the ability of Cuban-American families to travel to Cuba. She first urged President-elect Obama in December 2008 to take a fresh look at U.S.-Cuban relations and lift travel restrictions for families. In 2009, President Obama issued an executive order to lift travel restrictions on family travel to Cuba and to increase the amount of monetary remittance that families could send to relatives in Cuba. She continued putting pressure on the administration to ensure that Tampa International Airport was first in line for new flights to Cuba, which came this year along with expanded opportunities for travel for educational and cultural groups.

In 2010, Castor cosponsored a bill that would open travel to Cuba to all Americans and was the first member of Congress from Florida to call for modernization of the longstanding ban on traveling to Cuba.