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Iraq war veteran reunited with his sons from Cuba
Associated Press
Published October 22, 2005
MIAMI - A Cuban-American who won a Bronze Star in Iraq but was denied permission to return to his homeland to care for a sick son, was reunited with his two sons on Friday after they landed in Miami.
Under an agreement with the U.S. State Department and the Cuban government, Sgt. Carlos Lazo's two sons, 17-year-old Carlos Rafael Lazo and 19-year-old Carlos Manuel Lazo, will visit for three months.
The 40-year-old Lazo is a U.S. citizen living in Seattle. He flew to Miami to be reunited with his children. He is a sergeant in the Washington state National Guard.
"This is the biggest thing in my life," Carlos Rafael Lazo told the South Florida-Sun Sentinel. "I am very happy."
Lazo's plight drew national media attention and prompted lawmakers from both parties to complain about the strict limits imposed on travel to Cuba by the Bush administration.
The rules, meant to punish the Communist government of Fidel Castro, limit family visits to once every three years.
The rules even block family members from returning to Cuba for a funeral if a spouse, parent or other family member dies, Lazo said.
His younger son remains sick with some kind of immunodeficiency, Lazo said, adding that he hopes to get improved treatment for his son during the visit.
[Last modified October 22, 2005, 01:13:18]
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