“Americans now view Cuba more favorably than they have in nearly 20 years,” Gallup’s report said. “Forty-six percent say they have a favorable opinion of Cuba, up eight percentage points from last year, and a far cry from the 10% favorability rating in 1996.”
The survey was the first of its kind published by Gallup since Obama announced in December his intention to normalize bilateral relations with Cuba, and ease travel restrictions between the two countries.
A small majority of US citizens still have an unfavorable view of Cuba, according to the survey, which was conducted earlier this month among 837 adults in all fifty US states and the District of Columbia.
However, 59 percent of US citizens want their government to end its long-running trade embargo against Cuba, compared to 29 percent who want it to continue, according to Gallup.
Most have wanted the US government to normalize diplomatic ties with Cuba for more than 40 years, with a brief exception in the late 1990s when the US Congress passed a law tightening the embargo.
The United States has been hostile toward Cuba’s government since the 1959 communist revolution. The UN general assembly has voted against the US embargo for 23 consecutive years, according to the UN.
