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John Kerry says Cuba, Carnival should not bar Cuban Americans

John Kerry says Cuba, Carnival should not bar Cuban Americans
Cuba should end its policy of not allowing Cuban Americans to visit the island by ship, and Carnival should not discriminate, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday.

During a visit to Miami, Kerry weighed in on the issue of Cuban-born individuals being barred from newly permitted cruises to the island from the US.

Kerry told CNN en Español and the Miami Herald the Cuban government 'should not have the right to enforce on us a policy of discrimination against people who have a right to travel.'

He called on Cuba to change the policy and said if the country wants fully normalized relations with the US, it has to abide by international law.

The secretary of state did not say Carnival Corp.'s Fathom brand should halt its upcoming cruises to Cuba, but only that 'Carnival needs to not discriminate.'

This week two Cuban Americans who were turned away from booking a Fathom cruise filed suit against Carnival, alleging their civil rights were violated.

Carnival has denied it discriminates, saying it must follow the laws of the destinations it visits. The company has asked the Cuban government to reconsider its longstanding regulation. Cuba does not prohibit Cuban Americans from arriving by airplane.

Fathom's first cruise to Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba is scheduled for May 1 from PortMiami.