Senator Richard Lugar, a Republican Senator, is urging the United States to reconsider its relations with Cuba.
The Indiana lawmaker says restrictive U.S. policies have failed to achieve their stated goal of promoting democracy in Cuba.
Lugar's views were expressed in a letter accompanying a report set for release Monday.
The report was prepared by Republican staff members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who recently traveled to Cuba. The document calls for lifting Bush administration restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba. The report does not ask for an end to the 47-year-old U.S. trade embargo.
During his presidential campaign, Barack Obama said he would end the ban on travel to Cuba and on the transmission of remittances.
Senator Lugar said the election of President Obama and the replacement of Fidel Castro by his brother Raul have created an opportunity for the U.S. to reevaluate a complex relationship.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has ordered a review of U.S. policies toward Cuba.
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