Tough new US sanctions against Fidel Castro's regime designed to shore up the Cuban-American vote in the critical electoral state of Florida have rebounded on the Bush Administration.

One senior Republican Cuban American said the new policies appeared to be a return to old ideas of provoking the Cuban population into a revolt.

The timing of the new sanctions was no coincidence, said Dr Dominguez. "It was intended to be before the election, but I think it's going to backfire. The younger generation is very angry. They may not tell their parents, but they are going to vote Democrat over this."

Though ordinary Americans are largely barred from visiting Cuba, Americans of Cuban extraction have enjoyed a little-known exemption for family visits for more than a decade. Each year, about 100,000 exiles have obtained Government licences to go to Cuba on un-publicised special charter flights from the "secret" concourse E of Miami international airport.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/06/30/1088488024354.html?from=top5