Bush Administration Calls for Harsh Measures
Against Cuba and Curtails Travel to Cuba
On May 1, the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba
issued the following recommendations, which President
Bush then endorsed in a speech on May 6.
We call your attention here to the measures affecting
travel to Cuba, but you can read a summary of all of
the Commission's extensive recommendations.
 Click
to read
On travel to Cuba, the Commission for Assistance to
a Free Cuba recommends:
Family Visits
- Limiting family visits to one trip every three years
under specific license, eliminating the General License
category
- Limiting the definition of family visits to those
visiting grandparents, grandchildren, parents, siblings,
spouses, and children
- Limiting the family visits to 14 days
- Limiting baggage to no more than 44 lbs; only exception
for specifically licensed humanitarian donations
- Reducing the amount from $167 to $50 per person
per day for all family visits to Cuba
Academic & Other Licenses
- Academic educational licenses to be granted for
one year
- Limiting academic programs to semester long programs
with shorter programs permitted only if such programs
'directly support US foreign policy goals
- Eliminating provision permitting $100 worth of Cuban
goods to be brought back (other than educational materials
which are not affected)
- Eliminating the specific license provision for clinics
and workshops
General License
- Eliminating the General License provision for amateur
athletic teams, with all such travel requiring application
for a specific license
- Continuing General license for professional research
and to attend international meetings
Fully Hosted Travel
- Eliminating the 'concept' of fully-hosted travel
and require that all Cuba travel-related transactions
be licensed under general or specific license regardless
of who pays for it
Other Measures
- Limit gift parcels to medicines, medical supplies,
and receive-only radios not to exceed $200 in value
(there were 14 categories of such gifts: now only
three). Limit gift parcels to one household per month.
- Commission also called for increasing inspections
of travelers and shipments to and from Cuba and continuing
training of all inspectors at all points of entry.
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Dear Mr. President,
As a Cuban American and human being I was
appalled to learn that you plan on implementing
the changes to the Travel Regulations to Cuba
recommended by the Commission for Assistance
for a Free Cuba. |
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Moderate Cuban American Groups
Call for All Americans to Respond to Commission Report.
A number of moderate Cuban American groups in Florida,
California and Washington have called for Cuban Americans
and others to respond rapidly to the report of the Commission
on Cuba before the new regulations can be implemented.
Among their suggestions are:
- Send an email to Kevin Whitaker, head of the Cuba
Desk at the U.S. State Department WhitakerKM@State.gov.
You can also call him at 202-647-9273.
- Send a message to the White House. President@WhiteHouse.gov
- Contact the Kerry Campaign and urge Senator Kerry
to take a strong stand against the Bush policy http://www.johnkerry.com/contact/contact.php
- Contact your Congressional representatives. If you
know they are a member of the House or Senate Working
Group on Cuba, ask them how you can help. If they
have not yet joined the Working Group, urge them to
join. Let the leadership of the House and Senate know
that the Commission recommendations are unacceptable.
To look up the contact information for the House,
the website is http://www.house.gov/writerep/
and for the Senate: www.senate.gov
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