New rules punish Castro's victims.

The following editorial appeared in the Kansas City Star on Wednesday, June 30:

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New rules go into effect Wednesday further restricting travel to Cuba and financial assistance to its residents. The tightened sanctions against Fidel Castro's 45-year-old communist regime are a cynical attempt to curry favor with Castro-hating Cuban-American voters in Florida.

The regulations will have a devastating effect on Cuban families. Cubans in the United States will be allowed to visit relatives in Cuba just once every three years instead of once a year, as is allowed now. That will make it difficult for Cuban refugees to deal with family issues and difficulties, including illness or death.

The regulations also impose a financial hardship. Under the previous rules, visitors on the island could spend $167 a day on food and lodging. That typically went to family members, and many families relied on those funds to supplement their paltry incomes. The new limit will be $50 a day. That will go a long way on the island, but it still reflects a major reduction in the help to families.

Limits on gift packages and remittances also remain in place. Rules that prevent Cubans in the United States from sending remittances to members of their extended family (uncles or cousins) seem unnecessarily harsh.

The rules, as intended, also ...