NYT: Limits on Trips to Cuba Cause Split in Florida

[kskiska]

MIAMI, June 23 — Miriam Verdura could hardly wait to visit family in her native Cuba next month, her second trip since immigrating to southern Florida in 1999. But the Bush administration has dashed her plans with restrictions that start next Wednesday.

(snip)

The rules, published over the last week, have been promoted by President Bush as a way to hasten the end of the Castro government and were formulated at the urging of Republican Cuban-American lawmakers and others here. They limit Cuban-Americans to one trip home every three years and make it nearly impossible for most other Americans to visit the Communist island. They also restrict cash transfers and gift packages to Cubans.

"The only way to get rid of Fidel is to get tight on him," said Mario Guzman, 75, who immigrated here in 1973 and was waiting to play dominoes in a park in the Little Havana section. "The main reason why he's still in power is because the very Cubans he forced out are bringing him dollars back."

But if supporters of a hard-line position toward Havana are applauding the measures, other Cuban-Americans are not. The regulations have sent travel agents and many travelers spinning as they try to rearrange plans by next Wednesday, when the government-issued licenses that Cuban immigrants have used will become invalid, and violators of the rules will face up to $4,000 in fines.

more…
http://nytimes.com/2004/06/24/national/24CUBA.final.html?hp

[struggle4progress]

1. kick for family values

:kick:

[Zhade]

2. Fucking assholes!

They just want to keep Americans ignorant to what's really going on in Cuba by preventing us from traveling there.

[Vogon_Glory]

3. Family Values, Eh?

Has anyone else besides me noticed that the Far Right and the Republican Party has been waging an undeclared war on the family?

I'm not talking about the so-called "nuclear" family which, despite right-wing political and religious propaganda, is a comparatively recent phenomena. I'm talking about the extended family--the family with aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents.

This undeclared war has been going on for well over a decade. One of the earliest right-wing salvoes launched against it were the immigration restrictions limiting relatives who could immigrate to the United States from abroad. More recent efforts have included measures promoted by anti-abortion activists to criminalize relatives other than biological parents from assisting a minor to obtain an abortion or from taking that minor across state lines.

And now we have more of this anti-extended family thinking codified in the latest set of Cuban travel restrictions.

I'm not saying that extended families are always perfect or even healthy (I could speak volumes about my cousins!). But what I am saying is that in pre-industrialized times, extended families could and did provide many of the protections which even a good welfare state provides at best imperfectly. In a post-industrialized America where jobs are scarce, cross-country migration is touted as an employment tool by shameless political touts and what little social-welfare protections are becoming increasingly frayed, families should remember who their real enemies are.

I hope right-wing Cuban American citizen/voters shake themselves free of right-wing razzle-dazzle and vote against their families' enemies.

[OldCurmudgeon]

4. there's some opportunity here...

for a more "nuanced" policy from Kerry.

Something on the order of "Castro, no! Cubanos, si!"

Relistically, exactly what kind of a threat is Castro any more? What's he going to do, shake his cigar at us? If we wanted to bring Castro down, the most effective way would be to open up full trade and travel channels, and offer the cubans a major-league baseball team as soon as Castro leaves office.

[Mika]

5. Kerry's Cuba policy isn't much different from current policy

Kerry doesn't seem to support the cut off of Cuban-American family visits, but he does support a continuation of 45+ years of failed and cruel policies against Cubans and Americans.


Kerry's stated policy on Cuba:
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/8848574.htm

Under Kerry Cuba will remain under US sanctions

Under Kerry we will still be travel banned unless our travel is deemed politically worthy by US gov jackboots



Mr Kerry, Tear down the wall!

[kerrycrat2k4]

6. Every communist is different

[Vogon_Glory]

7. Kerry's Likely To Change Cuba Policies

John F. Kerry is likely to change the Cuba policies, even if his changes aren't to knee-jerk Fidelistas' liking. Even a return to ca. 2001 Cuba policies are far better than the stuff Bush, Noriega, and Reich are implementing.

Personally, I feel that continuing a Soviet-style state socialism in Cuba. While I would hardly recommend replacing it with Texas-style crony capitalism or worse, typical Third World kleptocracy, Cuba would do well to implement genuine market reforms, repeal the 1968 "intensification" legislation and give serious thought to priavatizing those state businesses providing neither employment nor income for their workers nor profit for the Cuban commonwealth. As currently cosntituted, Fidel Castro's economic policies resemble those of a Comrade Micawber still hoping against the overwhelming evidence that political and economic developments of the last quarter-century will roll back and state socialism will once again be in vogue. While I strongly favor easing the embargo for Cuban families, such foolishness does not deserve to be rewarded.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Pastors for Peace head for Cuba:Group to defy U.S. embargo to deliver aid

Pastors for Peace head for Cuba

By THERESA HOGUE
Gazette-Times reporter


Group to defy U.S. embargo to deliver aid

The bus is headed to Havana, Cuba, where the supplies it carries will be distributed to Cubans in need, in defiance of a U.S. embargo against Cuba. The bus itself will be put on a boat and shipped to Havana, where it will be used for public transportation.
(snip)

The journey is symbolic as much as it is a way to provide a few needed goods to the Cuban people. Since 1992, the organization has sent caravans of people and supplies to Cuba, directly flying in the face of U.S. policy on Cuba by refusing to obtain licenses to travel there, the only legal way Americans can visit the country.
"It's a civil act of disobedience," said Juanita Rodriguez, a Pastors for Peace member who has traveled to Cuba several times with the organization.

The operation is always risky, as it is possible the groups could be stopped at the Mexico border, or that their supplies, which this time include bicycles, psychology textbooks and computers, could be seized by the U.S. government. In the history of the operation, the caravans have been prevented several times from making the trip, but hunger strikes and media attention garnered public support, and the caravans were eventually able to proceed.

Alicia Jrapko, a San Francisco member of Pastors for Peace as well as a member of the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five, traveled to Corvallis to see the bus off. She got involved with a 1995 caravan after hearing reports on her local radio news station about the work of Pastors for Peace.
Jrapko believes the blockade against Cuba is immoral and harmful to the Cuban people, and said Americans should be able to travel there freely.
(snip/...)

http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2004/06/24/news/community/thu05.txt

From previous years:








Vedado, Cuba

[pinerow]

9. Great Pics...keep up the good work!!!

nt

[Judi Lynn]

11. Hi, pinerow. Thanks! Good to see your name again. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

10. This is the 15th straight IFCO Pastors for Peace caravan to Cuba

carrying supplies which have been unavailable due to the embargo. They do not ask for a special license, inviting attention to be paid, if they are stopped, to a national dialogue on our Cuba policy. _Bush had them stopped at the Canadian border in 2001, and all their medical supplies, computers, ect. confiscated.

In 1969, a coalition of young people formed the Venceremos (We Shall Overcome) Brigade, as a means of showing solidarity with the Cuban Revolution by working side by side with Cuban workers and challenging U.S. policies towards Cuba, including the economic blockade and our governments ban on travel to the island. The first Brigades participated in sugar harvests and subsequent Brigades have done agricultural and construction work in many parts of the island. Now, in 2004, the VB is celebrating its 35th Anniversary. Over the last 35 years, the VB has given over 8,000 people from U.S. the opportunity for a life-changing experience. While the trip has evolved over time, the Venceremos Brigade has always kept its format of work, educational activities, and travel. In addition, we remain committed to organizing the most diverse contingents possible; Brigadistas are young and older, of many races, nationalities, socioeconomic classes, and sexual orientations. The oldest Cuba solidarity organization in the world, the VB has never requested permission from the U.S. government to go to Cuba â•" and we never will! We believe it is our right as U.S. citizens to travel free of U.S. government obstacles. We also believe that we have much to learn from Cuba and the best way to do that is to travel there and see for ourselves.

Last summer, the VB joined with the IFCO-Pastors for Peace Caravan in declaring our most public and open challenge to the travel restrictions yet. We decided to organize a large and visible Travel Challenge because of the unique political climate of the times. Bush was increasing harassment of both â•?licensedâ• and non-licensed travelers. He eliminated the second largest category of so-called legal travel â•" the â•?people to people educational exchanges -- and tightened the travel categories still allowed. Yet, polls showed that over 75% of the U.S. public, and over 50% of the Cuban American community, support an end to the travel ban. We knew it was time for people of conscience to make our challenge in a powerful and public way.

Our Travel Challenge was extremely successful. After spending 2 weeks in Cuba (during which we painted a neighborhood health clinic and celebrated the 50th anniversary of the attack on the Moncada Garrison), 80 Brigadistas and many supporters walked over the International Peace Bridge from Canada into Buffalo, New York. Customs officials were expecting usâ•"as was a large rally of supporters who welcomed us on the U.S. side of the border. When faced with this organized political resistance, the U.S. government backed down. The Bush Administration is well aware that there is little support among the U.S. people for its policies towards Cuba. Not one Brigadista was harassed while crossing and to date no one from the last contingent has been fined or threatened by the U.S. government.

However, since our return to the U.S., the Bush administration has increased its attacks on travel to Cuba. After both Houses of Congress voted overwhelmingly against the enforcement of the travel restrictions in November, a special joint congressional committee stripped the Cuba provision from the bill and left the travel restrictions in place! For the first time in history, judges have now begun to hold hearings in order to fine people who have allegedly made â•?illegalâ• trips to Cuba ! The Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control, charged with the responsibility of enforcing the travel restrictions, has already scheduled many hearings and has several thousand cases pending.
(snip/...)

http://www.globalexchange.org/countries/cuba/1774.html