A new poll of Cuban Americans shows a strong majority favor allowing all Americans to travel to the island, a major shift from a 2002 survey that showed only a minority supporting the change, the Bendixen & Associates polling firm reported.

Executive Vice President Fernand Amandi said Tuesday he was surprised by the magnitude of the swing -- from 46 percent in favor in 2002 to 59 percent in the Sept. 24-26 survey. Only 29 percent were opposed in the new survey, compared to 47 percent in 2002.

``The significant thing is how quickly they have moved in a short period of time,'' Amandi said, adding that the shift took place across all age groups, from older exiles to recent arrivals.

A campaign to allow all Americans to travel to Cuba has become a key Washington battle this year for those who favor and oppose easing U.S. sanctions on the island. Permitting such travel would allow U.S. tourists to visit Cuba. Only Cuban Americans are now allowed virtually unrestricted travel to the island.

At least three bills lifting all restrictions are before Congress -- two in the House and one in the Senate. While most analysts believe the House may well approve some version of the measure, they say it will have little chance of gaining Senate approval because of opposition from Sen. Bob Menendez, a powerful Democrat.

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Miami, a Cuban American and the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, predicted the ban would not be lifted.

``The majority of Cuban Americans want the Cuban people to have free elections, guaranteed human rights and freedom for political prisoners. That is what constituents in South Florida want,'' she said.

Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass., a key sponsor of one of the House bills, said the new poll shows Cuban Americans support a more open approach to Havana.

The latest Bendixen survey, conducted by phone, had a sample of 400 Cuban Americans across the United States and a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points. The poll was not commissioned by anyone, Amandi said.

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