Cuban officials predict tourism 'avalanche'

[Osolomia]

U.S. Senate considers lifting ban on travel to island nation
Friday, October 17, 2003 Posted: 5:45 PM EDT (2145 GMT)

CANCUN, Mexico (AP) -- Although they would welcome the enormous influx of tourism dollars if the U.S. Senate were to lift a travel ban to Cuba, officials on the island nation worry that an "avalanche" of American vacationers would harm the very atmosphere that drew them in the first place.

... The Cancun conference follows passage of a U.S. House appropriations measure that would block the Treasury Department from enforcing a ban on most U.S. citizens spending money in Cuba.

The issue is now before the Senate, where the bill could be modified. If passed, it could be vetoed by President Bush, though that would hold up the budgets for the Treasury and Transportation departments.

Some major travel operators are starting to lobby Congress for an end to the ban on travel to Cuba, just as major Midwestern farm business groups earlier helped relax an embargo on agricultural sales.

"We are a large industry and sometimes we do not use the political power we have in terms of jobs, in terms of votes," said Brad Belt, executive director of the Association of Travel Related Industry Professionals, which organized the conference.

More...
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/americas/10/17/cuba.tourism.ap/index.html

[bilking]

1. Re: "Cuban officials predict tourism 'avalanche'"

Gee, I was kind of hoping that Cuba would remain that quiet place where I wouldn't see any big-mouth Americans.

[Osolomia]

2. U.S. travel industry bucks Bush over Cuba ban

Reuters, 10.17.03, 5:17 PM ET

CANCUN, Mexico (Reuters) - U.S. travel industry executives, eyeing a potential market in communist Cuba, met with Cuban tourism officials in Mexico Friday, one week after President Bush vowed to crack down on Americans visiting the island.

About 100 travel agents and airline charter representatives began three days of meetings with a Cuban delegation headed by Cuba's Ministry of Tourism Ibrahim Ferradaz.

The event includes a visit to Cuba that is unauthorized by the U.S. government. Under a 41-year U.S. trade embargo against the leftist government of President Fidel Castro, Americans can only visit Cuba with special permits from the Treasury.

... "Our president is clamping down on travel to Cuba more or less to appease a small constituency of Cubans in South Florida," said Michael Zuccato, a board member of The Association of Travel Related Industry Professionals (ATRIP), a coalition of travel firms spearheading lobbying efforts against the travel ban.

"As recent congressional votes show, the U.S. public is no longer willing to sit aside and allow a small minority of Cuban-Americans dictate where they can and cannot travel," he told Reuters.

More...
http://www.forbes.com/business/newswire/2003/10/17/rtr1113993.html

[Mika]

4. Oh yeah?!

"As recent congressional votes show, the U.S. public is no longer willing to sit aside and allow a small minority of Cuban-Americans dictate where they can and cannot travel," he told Reuters.

Really? Just watch our Dems* rollover to the Miamicuban wingnuts.


* excluding Braun, Clark & Kucinich - so far

[Osolomia]

6. And therein lies the problem!!!

The problem is the lack of "democracy" in the USA not Cuba!

[Mika]

8. After seeing elections in Florida and Cuba I can say, with confidence..

.. that Cuba has a more representative democracy.

I get flamed for saying this, but I don't care. I've seen both.

[dArKeR]

3. I've got a friend been hanging out in Cuba as much as legally is

possible. Late 40s and retired. He says is about the most wonderful place he's ever visited. Friendly people EVERYWHERE. Nice life style. The government gives citizens most all essentials free. It's not a Enron, Worldcom, Harken, Halliburton... type business atmosphere. He describes it more of a Garden of Enden type place, (People and environment.)

I've never been there but I've seen half a dozen NG, Discovery shows which paint about the same picture.

Let's go there ourselves to see who's painting the truth. The Bush Crime Family or the others.

(My friend has a particular foundness for the friendly women in Cuba.)

[slackmaster]

5. I'm there after I see Costa Rica

I've always wanted to go to both of those countries.

[Osolomia]

7. Not if Bush's Dept. of Homeland Security finds out!

Bush just tightened the ban against Americans travelling to Cuba despite the bipartisan majority that wants it lifted.

[Osolomia]

9. U.S. Official Outlines Measures to Inhibit Illegal Travel to Cuba

17 October 2003

U.S. Official Outlines Measures to Inhibit Illegal Travel to Cuba
Says increased enforcement of restrictions will deny funds to Castro

Although "illegal travel to Cuba -- especially tourist travel -- may seem harmless, it is in fact an important source of revenue" for the regime of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, says R. Richard Newcomb, director of the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

In October 16 testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives, Newcomb said that President Bush's recent decision to strengthen enforcement of U.S. travel restrictions to Cuba will help "ensure that permitted travel to Cuba, such as visits to relatives or humanitarian missions, are not abused for illegal business trips and tourism." The restriction on tourism to Cuba is critical because "a dollar paid to a tourist hotel in Cuba goes mostly to the regime, leaving only pennies in worthless pesos for the workers," he added. "Tourist dollars provide vital hard currency that Castro and his cronies use to continue to oppress Cuba."

Newcomb described the heightened measures that his office will adopt in order to carry out the president's directive. "As we have in the past," OFAC "will work closely with the Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, at all ports, but in particular JFK , LAX , and Miami -- where charter flights operate under OFAC license," he told lawmakers. "We will also coordinate closely with Homeland Security at other locations used by unlicensed travelers and remittance couriers to travel to and from Cuba via third countries. In addition, we will also enhance our investigation and enforcement efforts against individuals and companies that provide travel and remittance services to Cuba without an OFAC license."

He indicated that OFAC will cooperate with other federal agencies to facilitate seizure of unauthorized currency destined for Cuba and to "achieve maximum results in coordination with U.S. attorneys identifying promising cases for criminal prosecution of embargo violators," as well. "In short, we at OFAC are well positioned to implement -- fully and with alacrity -- the new enforcement policy announced by the president," Newcomb said.

Following is a transcript of Newcomb's testimony:

(begin transcript)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Washington, D.C.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 16, 2003

Oral Statement of R. Richard Newcomb,
Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control,
United States Department of the Treasury,
before the
Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness Committee on Government Reform,
U.S. House of Representatives

Mr. Chairman, today's hearing is especially timely. Last Friday, Assistant Secretary Noriega and I joined President Bush in the Rose Garden where he announced a number of important new initiatives to assist the Cuban people in their struggle for democracy and to prepare for the happy day when Fidel Castro's tyrannical regime falls and the Cuban people can at last know freedom. In his speech, the president called for increased enforcement of travel restrictions to ensure that permitted travel to Cuba, such as visits to relatives or humanitarian missions, are not abused for illegal business trips and tourism.

Mr. Chairman, while illegal travel to Cuba -- especially tourist travel -- may seem harmless, it is in fact an important source of revenue for the Castro regime. A dollar paid to a tourist hotel in Cuba goes mostly to the regime, leaving only pennies in worthless pesos for the workers. Tourist dollars provide vital hard currency that Castro and his cronies use to continue to oppress Cuba. President Bush said it best Friday: "Illegal tourism perpetuates the misery of the Cuban people."

OFAC looks forward to working with the Department of Homeland Security to answer the president's call to step up the enforcement of illegal travel to Cuba and to deny Fidel Castro the financial wherewithal to perpetuate the despair he has visited on the Cuban people for more than four decades.

As we have in the past, the Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") will work closely with the Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, at all ports, but in particular JFK, LAX, and Miami -- where charter flights to Cuba operate under OFAC license. We will also coordinate closely with Homeland Security at other locations used by unlicensed travelers and remittance couriers to travel to and from Cuba via third countries. In addition, we will also enhance our investigation and enforcement efforts against individuals and companies that provide travel and remittance services to Cuba without an OFAC license.

Already, in response to the president's announcement, Customs and Border Protection inspectors have stepped up their efforts by examining nearly all of the charter flights departing from Miami. We will work with Homeland Security to have similar levels of scrutiny in other ports of departure to Cuba -- JFK, LAX and other locations used as third-country transit points by Americans for travel to Cuba. In one operation this last weekend, inspectors seized approximately $10,000 in unlicensed currency from a charter flight passenger. I am also pleased to report that today, OFAC hosted an interagency meeting with Homeland Security, State Department, Commerce and U.S. Coast Guard officials to develop an effective enforcement strategy to ensure that this program is implemented fully and effectively on a nation-wide basis. OFAC will provide training, advice and assistance to inspectors at the affected U.S. ports.

We have procedures in place with Homeland Security to receive currency seizure reports and take appropriate penalty action against violators and work with our interagency partners to refine enforcement strategies and operations to achieve maximum results in coordination with U.S. attorneys identifying promising cases for criminal prosecution of embargo violators.

With regard to licensing, we eliminated altogether a category of travel related to non-accredited educational exchanges, where licenses were largely being abused to pursue tourist activities. Following through on a commitment I made at a congressional hearing in 2002, OFAC published the Comprehensive Guidelines for License Applications to Engage in Travel-Related Transactions Involving Cuba (the "Comprehensive Application Guidelines") on its web site on April 29 of this year, providing clearly articulated criteria for applying for licenses pursuant to each of the eleven categories of activities for which specific licenses may be granted. Examples are often included to provide additional guidance to applicants in furtherance of our goal to promote transparency and understanding by the public of OFAC's administrative process.

The criteria set forth in the Comprehensive Application Guidelines seek to more strictly define licensing parameters and criteria and ensure that existing policy is clear and properly carried out through OFAC's licensing process. In particular, the Comprehensive Application Guidelines seek to eliminate the abusive practice of allowing unaffiliated persons to travel under a license issued to another party, and ensure that there exists a sufficient nexus between the qualifications of persons traveling under the authority of a license and the full-time agenda of authorized activities they will engage in while in Cuba. OFAC will continue to monitor activities of licensed travelers to ensure that conduct does not deviate from that which has been authorized. Licenses themselves may also be suspended and revoked if their parameters are not met or are otherwise violated.

OFAC is also in the process of carrying out a statutory mandate involving the initiation of hearings before an administrative law judge ("ALJ") on the imposition of civil penalties for engaging in unauthorized travel-related transactions. I have forwarded more than 50 hearing requests to the Treasury Department's Office of General Counsel for hearings before these ALJs.

In short, we at OFAC are well positioned to implement -- fully and with alacrity -- the new enforcement policy announced by the president.

(end transcript)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2003&m=October&x=20031017154103nesnom0.8373682&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html

[Osolomia]

15. The apathy to what Bush is doing leaves me shocked and appalled

OFAC will continue to monitor activities of licensed travelers to ensure that conduct does not deviate from that which has been authorized. Licenses themselves may also be suspended and revoked if their parameters are not met or are otherwise violated.

So how many agents from OFAC and Homeland Security etc. does it take to “to monitor activities of licensed travelers” in Cuba to ensure that their “conduct does not deviate from that which has been authorized”?!

[Mika]

17. how many agents to “to monitor activities of licensed travelers” in Cuba

Maybe the USNED/USAID/USDHS could pay Cubanet to hire some "independent agents" in Cuba, like they pay "independent journalists" in Cuba. LOL

[Say_What]

18. The latest Miami propaganda piece... Puke Alert!!

I saw this comment in an article earlier today that says that 'Bush has tried repeatedly to improve relations with Fidel Castro'. Supporting the overthrow of a sovereign nation is trying to improve relations?

<clips>

CUBA WILL SOON BE FREE

The United States has tried repeatedly to improve relations with Cuba’s Communist dictator Fidel Castro. The U.S. has offered to ease trade and travel restrictions if the Cuban government enacted political and economic reforms. But as President George W. Bush said, Castro has responded to these offers with “a new round of oppression that outraged the world's conscience."

The April imprisonment of seventy-five pro-democracy dissidents, said Mr. Bush, demonstrates that Castro is not interested in reform:

“Elections in Cuba are still a sham. Opposition groups still organize and meet at their own peril. Private economic activity is still strangled. Non-government trade unions are still oppressed and suppressed. Property rights are still ignored. And most goods and services produced in Cuba are still reserved for the political elites. Clearly, the Castro regime will not change by its own choice. But Cuba must change.”

To help Cubans bring about that change, the U.S. will establish a Commission for the Assistance to a Free Cuba. The commission’s mandate, says Mr. Bush, will be to “plan for the happy day when Castro's regime is no more -- and democracy comes to the island."

<http://www.voanews.com/Editorials/article.cfm?objectID=BFA4E17B-D030-4DD7-989595A2D12FDC75&title=10%2F18%2F03%20%2D%20CUBA%20WILL%20SOON%20BE%20FREE>

---

Here's the earlier article.

... Bush last week announced the U.S. was increasing enforcement of existing restrictions against Cuba, tightening a ban on U.S. tourism to Cuba and allowing more Cubans to emigrate to the U.S.

Bush said he was taking these steps as Cuba hasn't responded to what he called U.S. diplomatic efforts to improve ties between the two nations.

"Already, in response to the president's announcement, Customs and Border Protection inspectors have stepped up their efforts by examining nearly all of the charter flights departing from Miami," Newcomb said.

"We will with work Homeland Security to have similar levels of scrutiny in other ports of departure to Cuba - JFK, LAX and other locations used as third country transit points by Americans for travel to Cuba," Newcomb said.

<http://framehosting.dowjonesnews.com/sample/samplestory.asp?StoryID=2003101619240005&Take=1>

[Mika]

10. Not to mention..

"Bush just tightened the ban against Americans travelling to Cuba despite the bipartisan majority that wants it lifted. "

Not to mention the 38 US states that have signed trade agreements and started shipping to Cuba.


What a f'n joke it is that Americans just sit back and allow their own rights to be eroded like this.

[donotpassgo]

11. we don't NEED democracy in Cuba right?

I guess Bush is weighing his options. Democracy and Free Market Economy in Cuba Vs. Communist Bogieman and The Cuban vote in the 04 elections...hmmm....I think he'll choose...

[Mika]

12. Cuba is already democratic

http://www.gksoft.com/govt/en/cu.html

* Partido Comunista de Cuba (PCC) {Communist Party of Cuba}
* Partido Demócrata Cristiano de Cuba (PDC) {Christian Democratic Party of Cuba} - Oswaldo Paya's Catholic party
* Partido Solidaridad Democrática (PSD) {Democratic Solidarity Party}
* Partido Social Revolucionario Democrático Cubano {Cuban Social Revolutionary Democratic Party}
* Coordinadora Social Demócrata de Cuba (CSDC) {Social Democratic Coordination of Cuba}
* Unión Liberal Cubana {Cuban Liberal Union}

Plenty of info on this long thread,
http://www.democraticunderground.com/cgi-bin/duforum/duboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=6300&forum=DCForumID70


http://www.poptel.org.uk/cuba-solidarity/democracy.htm

This system in Cuba is based upon universal adult suffrage for all those aged 16 and over. Nobody is excluded from voting, except convicted criminals or those who have left the country. Voter turnouts have usually been in the region of 95% of those eligible .

There are direct elections to municipal, provincial and national assemblies, the latter represent Cuba's parliament.

Electoral candidates are not chosen by small committees of political parties. No political party, including the Communist Party, is permitted to nominate or campaign for any given candidates.

--

Representative Fidel Castro was elected to the National Assembly as a representative of District #7 Santiago de Cuba.
He is one of the elected 607 representatives in the Cuban National Assembly. It is from that body that the head of state is nominated and then elected. Raul Castro, Carlos Large, and Ricardo Alarcon and others were among the nominated last year. President Castro has been elected by the National Assembly to that position since 1976.

http://www.bartleby.com/65/do/Dorticos.html

Dorticós Torrado, Osvaldo

1919–83, president of Cuba (1959–76). A prosperous lawyer, he participated in Fidel Castro’s revolutionary movement and was imprisoned (1958). He escaped and fled to Mexico, returning to Cuba after Castro’s triumph (1959). As minister of laws (1959) he helped to formulate Cuban policies. He was appointed president in 1959. Intelligent and competent, he wielded considerable influence. In 1976 the Cuban government was reorganized, and Castro assumed the title of president; Dorticós was named a member of the council of state.

The Cuban government was reorganized (approved by popular vote) into a variant parliamentary system in 1976.

You can read a short version of the Cuban system here,
http://members.attcanada.ca/~dchris/CubaFAQ.html#Democracy

Or a long and detailed version here,
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0968508405/qid=1053879619/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-8821757-1670550?v=glance&s=books




BTW, I was in Cuba (legally) during the 1997-98 elections season.

[Osolomia]

14. You're the one who's travel banned despite the bipartisan majority

in Congress and across the USA who want the sanctions against Cuba lifted now despite Bush's threatened veto and the pandering to the extremist minority by Dem presidential candidates.

[goforit]

13. Whoo hoo!!!..........Go Cuba!!!

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!

[Say_What]

16. Manatee votes in favor of sending trade mission to Cuba

Another group saying F*ck you to the Bushistas

<clips>

Manatee County is ready to explore some new trade options outside of Florida.

On Thursday night, the county commission voted 5-1 to approve sending a trade mission to Cuba. The commissioners agreed to hire a U.S.-Cuba trade consultant to organize and lead the trip.

That trip could happen as soon as mid-November. Port Manatee officials still need the U.S. and Cuban governments to approve the proposed trip.

http://www.baynews9.com/site/NewsStory.cfm?storyid=26273