July 01--Two-thirds of Americans favor lifting the trade embargo on Cuba, according to a survey released Wednesday by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
The idea received bipartisan support -- 79 percent of Democrats, 59 percent of Republicans and 63 percent of Independents -- according to the council, which interviewed 2,034 adults nationwide between May 25 and June 17.
On Wednesday, President Barack Obama said the two countries will reopen their embassies in Washington and Havana. The move is expected July 20.
Obama's announcement comes more than six months after he ordered the opening of relations, ending more than half a century of Cold War standoff as he promised to "cut loose the shackles of the past."
The majority of survey respondents also felt confident that lifting the embargo would help the Cuban economy and U.S. businesses and improve living standards on the island. They were less confident, however, that it will improve political freedoms in Cuba or weaken the Cuban government.
acancino@tribpub.com
