Cuba expats in America weigh return to island

Miami (AFP) - Cuban expatriates in America, including many who risked their lives to escape the communist island, are torn about whether to return after Havana and Washington formally reestablish ties next year. US President Barack Obama last week announced the normalization of relations with Cuba, which were severed in 1961. The surprise move, which clears the way for bilateral trade and normal diplomatic relations, also offers unexpected new options for Cuban-American exiles, who once believed that choosing one of the two countries meant forever closing the option of living in the other. Marisol Camarota said she wouldn't think twice about returning to live in her homeland -- provided she can make a living comparable to what she earns in the United States. By contrast, Hector Martinez -- who fled Cuba years ago on a rickety raft -- wouldn't dream of ever setting foot in Cuba again. The historic thaw between Havana and Washington has led to soul-searching among Cubans who abandoned the island for a better life in the United States. Miami is home to the largest population of Cuban emigres and their descendants, numbering some one million people -- about half the entire exile population. - 'My heart is divided' - View galleryPeople wait in line to check luggage at the ABC Charters … People wait in line to check luggage at the ABC Charters American Airlines flight to Havana, Cuba at … Many, like Camarota, say the sudden diplomatic changes have left them torn.