By Gina Jordan

The Florida Roundup looks at Carnival’s Cuba controversy, management trouble at Broward Health, and modified mosquitoes in the Keys.

Cruise giant Carnival faces a lawsuit and protests over its plans to sail from Miami to Cuba starting May 1st – and its willingness to follow Cuban law by not allowing Cuban-born Americans to cruise.

Carnival’s cruise brand Fathom got the okay by Cuban authorities last month to start cruising from Miami. The controversy came when it was learned Cuban-born Americans can’t legally arrive in Cuba by sea (taking a plane is okay), so Carnival won’t sell them tickets.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez was born in Cuba, and he thinks Carnival is violating a county ordinance banning discrimination based on national origin.  

“People that were born in Cuba that are American citizens like I am cannot purchase a ticket from Carnival for a cruise (to Cuba), and that’s discrimination,” Gimenez told reporters. He wouldn’t say that he would block Carnival from using the county-run PortMiami for its Cuba cruise, but he’s looking into whether he can take action based on Miami-Dade’s human rights code.

Lawyer Tucker Ronzetti represents the two people who filed a lawsuit against Carnival when they were denied tickets. “A company like Carnival, a company like Fathom, cannot look to another nation and say because they’re willing to discriminate, we’ll be willing to discriminate.”

Carnival issued a statement saying it’s abiding by the Cuban law while working with Cuban officials in hopes of changing the policy.

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