Poll: 7 in 10 Americans favor renewed ties with Cuba

Solid majorities of Americans support the United States’ renewed diplomatic relations with Cuba, as well as ending a trade embargo dating back to the Kennedy administration, according to a new Pew poll released Tuesday.

More than 7 in 10 Americans — 73 percent — said they favor reestablishing relations with Cuba, an increase of 10 percentage points from the last Pew poll in January. Additionally, 72 percent overall favored lifting the trade embargo that has existed between the two nations for more than half a century. In January, 66 percent backed ending the embargo.


Democrats expressed more support for the measures than their Republican counterparts, with 83 percent backing the fresh start and 82 percent in favor of ending the embargo.

But even a majority of Republicans surveyed demonstrated more enthusiasm for the renewed relations. The latest poll shows that 56 percent of Republicans back the easing of Cold War tensions, up 16 points from January’s survey. And 59 percent of Republicans said the trade embargo should end, an increase of 12 points.

Both countries reopened embassies in their respective capitals of Washington and Havana on Monday, with the Cuban flag raised over the 16th Street embassy in D.C. for the first time since 1961.

A separate poll conducted by GfK for The Associated Press, also released Tuesday, found that 71 percent of the 1,004 Americans surveyed favored diplomatic relations with the Communist-ruled island nation.

The Pew poll was conducted July 14-20, surveying 2,002 adults nationwide, carrying an overall margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points. The sample included 462 self-identified Republicans with a margin of error of 5.2 percentage points, 643 Democrats with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points and 796 independents with a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

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