has not been significantly fading. In lieu of some change in perceptions, former Democratic Senator Gary Hart criticized the continuing embargo, remarking "second generation Cuban-Americans are finally beginning to change their community's attitudes and make it clear they no longer are interested in holding the mighty U.S.'s foreign policy toward a tiny nearby country hostage to their parents' anger." In June 2011, former Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern spoke out against the travel ban before visiting Cuba, remarking: McGovern blamed "embittered Cuban exiles in Miami" for keeping the embargo alive all these years, because of their dislike for Fidel Castro. Bob Whitley, president of the United States Tour Operators Association, has supported the measures, remarking "if Americans don't like the policies of the government of a country, they can choose not to go. But a lot of people want to see Cuba because they've been denied the right." Opposition For those who support the embargo and are opposed to the liberalization of travel, they state that democracy and human rights in Cuba. Significant opposition to the liberalization of U.S. travel restrictions exists both within the island of Cuba and the Cuban-American exile community. Arguing against the future merits of normalization, José Azel, senior scholar at The Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, University of Miami and author of "Mañana In Cuba," has noted that while the percentage of foreign tourism is already twice as "American intensive" as China's, "neither country has engaged in political reforms." Furthermore, "In theory, at least, this means that the per-capita concentration of American tourists in Cuba is five times greater than that of Americans in China, and yet no democratic reforms are visible in either country." Mr. Azel thus asks: "What percentage of tourists must be American in order to validate the "American tourists will bring democracy" thesis?" See also United States embargo against Cuba References Proposed legislation of the 107th United States Congress Proposed legislation of the 111th United States Congress Proposed legislation of the 114th United States Congress Cuba–United States relations