New Trump Rules on Cuba Travel Leaves Winners and Losers
The Trump administration's new policy on travel by Americans to Cuba is
creating winners and losers.
June 27, 2017, at 11:01 a.m.
By ANDREA RODRIGUEZ and BETH J. HARPAZ, Associated Press
President Donald Trump's new policy on travel to Cuba has winners and
losers: Group tour operators could sell more trips, but
bed-and-breakfast owners in Cuba say they're losing business.
Lodging owners say they started getting cancellations after Trump's June
16 announcement. Tony Lopez, who rents out an apartment in Havana's
trendy Vedado (vay-dah-doe) neighborhood, says the new policy is hurting
Cuban entrepreneurs.
Under the new rules, only licensed tour operators can take Americans to
Cuba on people-to-people trips. So some Americans who planned to go on
their own are canceling trips.
On the other hand, organized tour groups are now the only game in town
for people-to-people trips. One expert says tour companies should be
"opening Champagne" because the new rules could increase their business.
Source: New Trump Rules on Cuba Travel Leaves Winners and Losers |
Business News | US News -
https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2017-06-27/new-trump-rules-on-cuba-travel-leaves-winners-and-losers
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Ken Hall: US travelers can still bring good will to Cuba
Ken Hall: US travelers can still bring good will to Cuba
Posted Jun 26, 2017 at 5:17 PM
When we went to Cuba this winter, we flew from Miami on American
Airlines to join a group tour, see some performances, meet some Cubans,
stay at two very nice hotels and eat at a variety of restaurants.
Even though President Trump says he is imposing limitations on travel,
if we decided to do it again, we could.
We might need to substitute one restaurant or hotel for another, but the
kind of trip we took, the kind that accounted for the vast majority of
American tourists we ran into, will continue with only minor changes.
So what was this all about?
It was the president's sad attempt to do what he does best - increase
hostility.
You could join another march in protest. Better yet, you could schedule
a trip soon, meet some Cuban people and explain in person that we would
much rather get to know our neighbors than fight with them.
When President Obama re-established diplomatic relations — better known
as "normalization," as opposed to Trump's attempt at "abnormalization" —
he made it possible for the cautiously adventurous traveler, people like
us and a lot of others we know, to dip a toe into the Cuban experience.
A group tour of Cuba provides the same kind of comfort as a group tour
of France or China or anywhere else.
The operator makes sure you get where you are going, reserves the rooms,
arranges some of the meals and gives you a bit of free time to explore.
For all of the bluster about cracking down, those tours will not be
affected, and any need to swap one forbidden location for a new approved
one will be the responsibility of the tour organizer. We tourists will
not be affected.
Those who find such tours with their schedules and bus trips stifling
will still be able to do it on their own in Cuba, but it will take more
work.
As the initial explanations put it, they will be asked more questions
and have to "self-certify" that they did not stray.
I don't know about you, but I'm always ready to self-certify that I have
followed the rules.
If you go, no matter how, you will find that traveling in Cuba has
limitations because of some things that did not change under the Obama
approach and will not change now.
Our banks are not allowed to operate there, making your credit card
worthless. Our phones do not work there, and the Internet will remind
you of dial-up days.
A more open relationship between our two countries has not quickly
improved communications or human rights in Cuba.
That does not surprise me, because it's only been a few months, and
changes take years.
But it also does not surprise me, because anyone who travels widely will
learn that commerce and communication do not automatically bring more
freedom.
In the past few years, I've been able to freely use my phone, my laptop
and my ATM card in some countries around the world that are either near
or below Cuba on those lists ranking nations by how much freedom their
residents enjoy.
The difference when it comes to Cuba is the embargo, a failed 50-year
attempt to impose democracy.
Today, all it does is impose restrictions on American travelers.
thrkenhall@gmail.com
Source: Ken Hall: US travelers can still bring good will to Cuba -
http://www.recordonline.com/news/20170626/ken-hall-us-travelers-can-still-bring-good-will-to-cuba
Posted Jun 26, 2017 at 5:17 PM
When we went to Cuba this winter, we flew from Miami on American
Airlines to join a group tour, see some performances, meet some Cubans,
stay at two very nice hotels and eat at a variety of restaurants.
Even though President Trump says he is imposing limitations on travel,
if we decided to do it again, we could.
We might need to substitute one restaurant or hotel for another, but the
kind of trip we took, the kind that accounted for the vast majority of
American tourists we ran into, will continue with only minor changes.
So what was this all about?
It was the president's sad attempt to do what he does best - increase
hostility.
You could join another march in protest. Better yet, you could schedule
a trip soon, meet some Cuban people and explain in person that we would
much rather get to know our neighbors than fight with them.
When President Obama re-established diplomatic relations — better known
as "normalization," as opposed to Trump's attempt at "abnormalization" —
he made it possible for the cautiously adventurous traveler, people like
us and a lot of others we know, to dip a toe into the Cuban experience.
A group tour of Cuba provides the same kind of comfort as a group tour
of France or China or anywhere else.
The operator makes sure you get where you are going, reserves the rooms,
arranges some of the meals and gives you a bit of free time to explore.
For all of the bluster about cracking down, those tours will not be
affected, and any need to swap one forbidden location for a new approved
one will be the responsibility of the tour organizer. We tourists will
not be affected.
Those who find such tours with their schedules and bus trips stifling
will still be able to do it on their own in Cuba, but it will take more
work.
As the initial explanations put it, they will be asked more questions
and have to "self-certify" that they did not stray.
I don't know about you, but I'm always ready to self-certify that I have
followed the rules.
If you go, no matter how, you will find that traveling in Cuba has
limitations because of some things that did not change under the Obama
approach and will not change now.
Our banks are not allowed to operate there, making your credit card
worthless. Our phones do not work there, and the Internet will remind
you of dial-up days.
A more open relationship between our two countries has not quickly
improved communications or human rights in Cuba.
That does not surprise me, because it's only been a few months, and
changes take years.
But it also does not surprise me, because anyone who travels widely will
learn that commerce and communication do not automatically bring more
freedom.
In the past few years, I've been able to freely use my phone, my laptop
and my ATM card in some countries around the world that are either near
or below Cuba on those lists ranking nations by how much freedom their
residents enjoy.
The difference when it comes to Cuba is the embargo, a failed 50-year
attempt to impose democracy.
Today, all it does is impose restrictions on American travelers.
thrkenhall@gmail.com
Source: Ken Hall: US travelers can still bring good will to Cuba -
http://www.recordonline.com/news/20170626/ken-hall-us-travelers-can-still-bring-good-will-to-cuba
Cuba should return its terrorists to US, terror victim's son says
Cuba should return its terrorists to US, terror victim's son says
By Eric Shawn Published June 26, 2017 Fox News
They sought safety on the shores of Cuba from American justice.
Now Joe Connor wants them back.
"Get these guys back, as a starting point for any further opening up of
Cuba," Connor insists.
An estimated 70 fugitives, including terrorists, murderers, bank robbers
and hijackers, sought refuge in Cuba and remain protected to this day by
the government. The notorious F.A.L.N. Puerto Rican terrorist group bomb
maker Willie Morales, and convicted New Jersey State Trooper killer
Joanne Chesimard, are among the most infamous who have enjoyed the
benefits of decades of Cuban protection and generosity.
Connor, whose father was killed in a New York City F.A.L.N. terrorist
bombing, says President Trump needs to add the return of the fugitives
to any new agreement with the President Raul Castro's regime.
Morales, whose hands were blown off when a bomb accidently exploded,
escaped from jail and found haven in Cuba in 1988. He is on the F.B.I.'s
Most Wanted List and charged with "Unlawful flight to avoid
prosecution/escape."
Joanne Chesimard, a member of the extremist Black Liberation Army, was
convicted of murder in 1977 and received political asylum in Cuba in
1984. She is also on the F.B.I's Most Wanted Terrorist List, wanted
for "act of terrorism, domestic terrorism and unlawful flight to avoid
confinement/murder."
Joe's father, Frank, was killed in the terrorist bombing of Fraunces
Tavern, the historic restaurant and museum in Lower Manhattan that
served as a headquarters for George Washington and where on December
4th,1783, he bid farewell to his troops. The attack, carried out by the
F.A.L.N., killed four people and wounded 44 on January 24, 1975. Frank
Connor was only 33 years old, Joe was 9. The attack was one of more than
100 bombings in the United States that the F.A.L.N. claimed
responsibility for during a wave of terror in the 1970s and 80s. Connor
has since dedicated his life to fighting for justice for his father and
other victims of terrorism.
When President Trump announced the rolling back of some of his
predecessor's Cuban policies on June 16th, he called on the Castro
regime to return the fugitives.
"To the Cuban government, I say, put an end to the abuse of dissidents,
release the political prisoners, stop jailing innocent people, open
yourselves to political and economic freedoms, return the fugitives from
American justice, including the return of the cop killer Joanne Chesimard."
Connor says he is "encouraged" by the president naming Chesimard and
raising the issue, but says: "I wish he would mention Morales' name, he
is no less a terrorist than Chesimard."
When President Obama announced the new U.S. Cuban policy in 2014, and
restored diplomatic ties with the hardline Communist island nation, the
State Department said that it would "discuss" the issue of the fugitives
with the Castro government. But the status of the wanted criminals was
not made a part of the agreement, which Connor says is a glaring and
insulting oversight.
"It was a capitulation by the Obama administration, they didn't get
anything in return," Connor said. "As a matter of fact, they took Cuba
off the state sponsor of terror list, and that is one of the points I
think Mr. Trump needs to add Cuba back to the state sponsor of terror
list, because clearly they are sponsoring terrorists by having them in
their country and that would be a big economic hit to Cuba."
Connor said that he doesn't think officials in the Obama administration
"were trying to get them back, I don't think they had any intention of
getting them back. The only way to get people back is having leverage.
Obama gave away all of our leverage."
He said the U.S. now has leverage, and can correct the oversight that
has left several dozens of wanted criminals living without consequence,
just 90 miles from our shores.
Follow Eric Shawn on Twitter: @EricShawnTV
Source: Cuba should return its terrorists to US, terror victim's son
says | Fox News -
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/06/26/cuba-should-return-its-terrorists-to-us-terror-victims-son-says.html
By Eric Shawn Published June 26, 2017 Fox News
They sought safety on the shores of Cuba from American justice.
Now Joe Connor wants them back.
"Get these guys back, as a starting point for any further opening up of
Cuba," Connor insists.
An estimated 70 fugitives, including terrorists, murderers, bank robbers
and hijackers, sought refuge in Cuba and remain protected to this day by
the government. The notorious F.A.L.N. Puerto Rican terrorist group bomb
maker Willie Morales, and convicted New Jersey State Trooper killer
Joanne Chesimard, are among the most infamous who have enjoyed the
benefits of decades of Cuban protection and generosity.
Connor, whose father was killed in a New York City F.A.L.N. terrorist
bombing, says President Trump needs to add the return of the fugitives
to any new agreement with the President Raul Castro's regime.
Morales, whose hands were blown off when a bomb accidently exploded,
escaped from jail and found haven in Cuba in 1988. He is on the F.B.I.'s
Most Wanted List and charged with "Unlawful flight to avoid
prosecution/escape."
Joanne Chesimard, a member of the extremist Black Liberation Army, was
convicted of murder in 1977 and received political asylum in Cuba in
1984. She is also on the F.B.I's Most Wanted Terrorist List, wanted
for "act of terrorism, domestic terrorism and unlawful flight to avoid
confinement/murder."
Joe's father, Frank, was killed in the terrorist bombing of Fraunces
Tavern, the historic restaurant and museum in Lower Manhattan that
served as a headquarters for George Washington and where on December
4th,1783, he bid farewell to his troops. The attack, carried out by the
F.A.L.N., killed four people and wounded 44 on January 24, 1975. Frank
Connor was only 33 years old, Joe was 9. The attack was one of more than
100 bombings in the United States that the F.A.L.N. claimed
responsibility for during a wave of terror in the 1970s and 80s. Connor
has since dedicated his life to fighting for justice for his father and
other victims of terrorism.
When President Trump announced the rolling back of some of his
predecessor's Cuban policies on June 16th, he called on the Castro
regime to return the fugitives.
"To the Cuban government, I say, put an end to the abuse of dissidents,
release the political prisoners, stop jailing innocent people, open
yourselves to political and economic freedoms, return the fugitives from
American justice, including the return of the cop killer Joanne Chesimard."
Connor says he is "encouraged" by the president naming Chesimard and
raising the issue, but says: "I wish he would mention Morales' name, he
is no less a terrorist than Chesimard."
When President Obama announced the new U.S. Cuban policy in 2014, and
restored diplomatic ties with the hardline Communist island nation, the
State Department said that it would "discuss" the issue of the fugitives
with the Castro government. But the status of the wanted criminals was
not made a part of the agreement, which Connor says is a glaring and
insulting oversight.
"It was a capitulation by the Obama administration, they didn't get
anything in return," Connor said. "As a matter of fact, they took Cuba
off the state sponsor of terror list, and that is one of the points I
think Mr. Trump needs to add Cuba back to the state sponsor of terror
list, because clearly they are sponsoring terrorists by having them in
their country and that would be a big economic hit to Cuba."
Connor said that he doesn't think officials in the Obama administration
"were trying to get them back, I don't think they had any intention of
getting them back. The only way to get people back is having leverage.
Obama gave away all of our leverage."
He said the U.S. now has leverage, and can correct the oversight that
has left several dozens of wanted criminals living without consequence,
just 90 miles from our shores.
Follow Eric Shawn on Twitter: @EricShawnTV
Source: Cuba should return its terrorists to US, terror victim's son
says | Fox News -
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/06/26/cuba-should-return-its-terrorists-to-us-terror-victims-son-says.html
Caribbean hotel association criticizes Cuba rollback
Caribbean hotel association criticizes Cuba rollback
By Gay Nagle Myers / June 27, 2017
The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) joined the chorus of
industry critics denouncing Trump's Cuba policy, saying that the
re-imposed restrictions could stall or reverse the progress made in
recent years.
The Trump administration has banned individual people-to-people travel
to Cuba, only allowing such visits with licensed groups.
"If restrictions are indeed reimposed, CHTA expects adverse effects for
U.S. businesses -- not only for import-export companies but also for the
U.S.-based travel businesses that have made considerable investments in
Cuba since normalization began -- and lost opportunities for those U.S.
companies considering doing business there," CHTA said in a statement.
CHTA pointed to the growth of the hospitality industry in Cuba, which
has outpaced the rest of the region. "Major global hotel chains from
outside the U.S. have been investing in Cuba and today manage tens of
thousands of rooms. As latecomers, U.S. firms already are at a
competitive disadvantage in Cuba."
CHTA continues to support the ending of the embargo and urged that new
regulations continue to encourage small and medium enterprise
opportunities, both Cuban and U.S.-sourced.
Source: Caribbean hotel association criticizes Cuba rollback: Travel
Weekly -
http://www.travelweekly.com/Caribbean-Travel/Caribbean-hotel-association-criticizes-Cuba-rollback
By Gay Nagle Myers / June 27, 2017
The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) joined the chorus of
industry critics denouncing Trump's Cuba policy, saying that the
re-imposed restrictions could stall or reverse the progress made in
recent years.
The Trump administration has banned individual people-to-people travel
to Cuba, only allowing such visits with licensed groups.
"If restrictions are indeed reimposed, CHTA expects adverse effects for
U.S. businesses -- not only for import-export companies but also for the
U.S.-based travel businesses that have made considerable investments in
Cuba since normalization began -- and lost opportunities for those U.S.
companies considering doing business there," CHTA said in a statement.
CHTA pointed to the growth of the hospitality industry in Cuba, which
has outpaced the rest of the region. "Major global hotel chains from
outside the U.S. have been investing in Cuba and today manage tens of
thousands of rooms. As latecomers, U.S. firms already are at a
competitive disadvantage in Cuba."
CHTA continues to support the ending of the embargo and urged that new
regulations continue to encourage small and medium enterprise
opportunities, both Cuban and U.S.-sourced.
Source: Caribbean hotel association criticizes Cuba rollback: Travel
Weekly -
http://www.travelweekly.com/Caribbean-Travel/Caribbean-hotel-association-criticizes-Cuba-rollback
Violent Weekend in Cuba: 30 Ladies in White Arrested Again Trying to Attend Mass
Violent Weekend in Cuba: 30 Ladies in White Arrested Again Trying to
Attend Mass
by FRANCES MARTEL26 Jun 2017
Over thirty members of the Ladies in White, a peaceful Catholic
dissident group in Cuba, were violently arrested over the weekend for
attempting to attend Sunday Mass, including leader Berta Soler.
The Cuban government recently banned Soler from leaving the country
after the White House invited her to attend President Donald Trump's
speech announcing the repeal of Obama-era concessions to the communist
Castro regime. She was arrested eight times during President Obama's
short visit to the island in March 2016.
This weekend, the group had planned to attend the weekly Mass at their
local Havana church but, according to a Diario de Cuba note denouncing
the arrests, most were arrested on their way out of their homes. In
Soler's case, according to Lady in White Daisy Artiles, five uniformed
Cuban police officers apprehended her while leaving the house "holding a
sign demanding freedom for political prisoners."
"They took her sign away violently and dragged her into a car," Artiles
said. "Then a mob began to yell obscenities at us, calling us
'counterrevolutionaries,' 'maggots,' and shouting 'this street belongs
to Fidel.'" "Maggot" is a slur communists use for Cuban exiles.
This mob activity against peaceful pro-democracy dissidents is
state-mandated and so common that it has an official name in Cuba: actos
de repudio, or "acts of rejection." Actos de repudio may include
beatings, burnings of international human rights documents, stoning, and
tarring of dissidents, among other violent acts.
Diario de Cuba notes that reports from the island suggest that at least
fifteen Ladies in White in Havana did not get as far as Soler, being
arrested in their homes in Havana. Another fourteen women were arrested
throughout the country in Guantánamo, Bayamo, and eastern Santiago de Cuba.
The arrests follow the publication of a petition on behalf of the Ladies
in White group requesting that Pope Francis, who has a working
relationship with dictator Raúl Castro and has visited the island, to
intervene on their behalf to allow them to attend Mass. They note that
they have never interrupted a Mass nor has any Catholic clergymen
complained that their presence was disruptive to a service, but that
they have for several weeks been unable to attend Mass at the Santa Rita
church they call their spiritual home in Havana.
The Ladies in White are a group of mothers, daughters, sisters, and
wives of political prisoners. The group was founded following the "Black
Spring" of 2003, when the Castro regime arrested dozens of journalists
and anti-communist activists to prevent them spreading pro-freedom
sentiments. Some of these political prisoners have been freed and now
form part of the greater Ladies in White community.
The Ladies in White protest the government in the same way every Sunday,
by dressing in white and silently carrying gladiolas and a photo of
their imprisoned loved ones from their homes to Santa Rita church, where
they attend Mass. The group has only missed two Sundays since 2003
for the government's mandatory mourning period for late dictator Fidel
Castro.
The Cuban government regularly uses violence and actos de repudio to
attempt to silence the group. Government violence against the Ladies in
White has grown worse since President Obama announced concessions to
the Castro regime in late 2014, leading to protests against Obama
himself. In one incident in 2015, ninety Ladies in White and supporters
were arrested wearing Obama masks protesting his policies towards Cuba.
The Ladies in White's opposition to President Obama made his visit to
Cuba particularly taxing for them. Berta Soler, their leader, was
arrested eight times during his visit.
Raúl Castro's dictatorship has become increasingly repressive against
religious Cubans since the policies the Ladies in White protested took
effect. Among them is the unaffiliated dissident Daniel Llorente, who
was arrested on May 1–International Workers' Day–for interrupting the
government's Marxist rally by waving an American flag. Llorente was
beaten publicly and whisked away to a mental institution for, according
to his son, "believing in God."
This week, Llorente sent a letter to the Trump administration through
his son requesting political asylum in "the world's greatest defender of
human rights, hope, liberty, justice, brotherhood, and the pursuit of
happiness, the United States." Llorente has begun a hunger strike
demanding his release, noting that there is no medical evidence that he
is suffering from mental illness and instead is being kept in a mental
hospital to prevent international human rights organizations from being
able to formally brand him a prisoner of conscience.
The hospital in question, known by Cubans as "Mazorra," is known for
using "electroshock therapy" on patients that has been widely rejected
by international mental health experts.
Source: Violent Weekend in Cuba: 30 Ladies in White Arrested Again
Trying to Attend Mass -
http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/06/26/violent-weekend-in-cuba-30-ladies-in-white-arrested-for-trying-to-go-to-church/
Attend Mass
by FRANCES MARTEL26 Jun 2017
Over thirty members of the Ladies in White, a peaceful Catholic
dissident group in Cuba, were violently arrested over the weekend for
attempting to attend Sunday Mass, including leader Berta Soler.
The Cuban government recently banned Soler from leaving the country
after the White House invited her to attend President Donald Trump's
speech announcing the repeal of Obama-era concessions to the communist
Castro regime. She was arrested eight times during President Obama's
short visit to the island in March 2016.
This weekend, the group had planned to attend the weekly Mass at their
local Havana church but, according to a Diario de Cuba note denouncing
the arrests, most were arrested on their way out of their homes. In
Soler's case, according to Lady in White Daisy Artiles, five uniformed
Cuban police officers apprehended her while leaving the house "holding a
sign demanding freedom for political prisoners."
"They took her sign away violently and dragged her into a car," Artiles
said. "Then a mob began to yell obscenities at us, calling us
'counterrevolutionaries,' 'maggots,' and shouting 'this street belongs
to Fidel.'" "Maggot" is a slur communists use for Cuban exiles.
This mob activity against peaceful pro-democracy dissidents is
state-mandated and so common that it has an official name in Cuba: actos
de repudio, or "acts of rejection." Actos de repudio may include
beatings, burnings of international human rights documents, stoning, and
tarring of dissidents, among other violent acts.
Diario de Cuba notes that reports from the island suggest that at least
fifteen Ladies in White in Havana did not get as far as Soler, being
arrested in their homes in Havana. Another fourteen women were arrested
throughout the country in Guantánamo, Bayamo, and eastern Santiago de Cuba.
The arrests follow the publication of a petition on behalf of the Ladies
in White group requesting that Pope Francis, who has a working
relationship with dictator Raúl Castro and has visited the island, to
intervene on their behalf to allow them to attend Mass. They note that
they have never interrupted a Mass nor has any Catholic clergymen
complained that their presence was disruptive to a service, but that
they have for several weeks been unable to attend Mass at the Santa Rita
church they call their spiritual home in Havana.
The Ladies in White are a group of mothers, daughters, sisters, and
wives of political prisoners. The group was founded following the "Black
Spring" of 2003, when the Castro regime arrested dozens of journalists
and anti-communist activists to prevent them spreading pro-freedom
sentiments. Some of these political prisoners have been freed and now
form part of the greater Ladies in White community.
The Ladies in White protest the government in the same way every Sunday,
by dressing in white and silently carrying gladiolas and a photo of
their imprisoned loved ones from their homes to Santa Rita church, where
they attend Mass. The group has only missed two Sundays since 2003
for the government's mandatory mourning period for late dictator Fidel
Castro.
The Cuban government regularly uses violence and actos de repudio to
attempt to silence the group. Government violence against the Ladies in
White has grown worse since President Obama announced concessions to
the Castro regime in late 2014, leading to protests against Obama
himself. In one incident in 2015, ninety Ladies in White and supporters
were arrested wearing Obama masks protesting his policies towards Cuba.
The Ladies in White's opposition to President Obama made his visit to
Cuba particularly taxing for them. Berta Soler, their leader, was
arrested eight times during his visit.
Raúl Castro's dictatorship has become increasingly repressive against
religious Cubans since the policies the Ladies in White protested took
effect. Among them is the unaffiliated dissident Daniel Llorente, who
was arrested on May 1–International Workers' Day–for interrupting the
government's Marxist rally by waving an American flag. Llorente was
beaten publicly and whisked away to a mental institution for, according
to his son, "believing in God."
This week, Llorente sent a letter to the Trump administration through
his son requesting political asylum in "the world's greatest defender of
human rights, hope, liberty, justice, brotherhood, and the pursuit of
happiness, the United States." Llorente has begun a hunger strike
demanding his release, noting that there is no medical evidence that he
is suffering from mental illness and instead is being kept in a mental
hospital to prevent international human rights organizations from being
able to formally brand him a prisoner of conscience.
The hospital in question, known by Cubans as "Mazorra," is known for
using "electroshock therapy" on patients that has been widely rejected
by international mental health experts.
Source: Violent Weekend in Cuba: 30 Ladies in White Arrested Again
Trying to Attend Mass -
http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/06/26/violent-weekend-in-cuba-30-ladies-in-white-arrested-for-trying-to-go-to-church/
Monday, June 26, 2017
We Exist Between Illusions And Fears
"We Exist Between Illusions And Fears"
14ymedio, Mario Penton, David (Panama), 23 June 2017 — The green seems
to fill everything in Chiriquí, in the western Panamanian province where
the government hosts 126 undocumented Cubans in a camp in the region of
Gualaca. The stillness of the morning in the middle of the huge pines
that grow in the foothills of the mountains is only interrupted by the
bites of insects, a true torture at dawn and dusk.
"This place is beautiful, but everything gets tiring, being in limbo is
exhausting," says Yosvani López, a 30-year-old Cuban who arrived in
Gualaca in April after spending three months in the hostel set up by
Caritas for Cuban migrants in Panama City.
"Sometimes we sit down and talk about what we would do if we could get
out of here and get to another country. Some relatives tell us that they
are preparing a camp in Canada to welcome us, others tell us that they
have everything prepared to deport us. Illusions and fears," he laments.
The camp that houses the Cubans was built by the Swiss brigades which,
in the 1970's, built the La Fortuna dam. It is 104 acres, occupied
mostly by forests and a stream. One hour from the nearest city, the
humidity is such that mushrooms and plants establish themselves even in
the fibrocement roof tiles.
Along with the wooden buildings, deteriorated by the passage of time,
there are still satellite antennas, electric heaters and, according to
the migrants, from time to time they find foreign currencies buried in
the vacant land.
López was born in Caibarién, a city on the north coast of Cuba. Although
he had the opportunity to emigrate using a speed boat to cross the
Florida Straits, he preferred the jungle route to avoid the seven years
moratorium on being able to return to Cuba that the government imposes
on those who leave Cuba illegally.
"I wanted to go back before 7 years was up. I have my mother and my
sisters in Cuba," he explains.
He worked as a chef specializing in seafood at the Meliá hotel in the
cays north of Villa Clara, earning the equivalent of $25 US a
month. With the money from the sale of his mother's house he traveled
via Guyana and in Panama he was taken by surprise by the end of the wet
foot/dry foot policy that allowed Cubans who reached American soil to stay.
"Here we pass the hours between chats with our relatives in Cuba and the
United States, and searching the news for clues that will tell us what
is going to happen to us," he says.
The migrants in Gualaca not only do not have permission to work, but
they can only leave the camp one day a week to go to Western Union, with
prior notice and accompanied by presidential police officers, who are
guarding the site.
Some, however, have improvised coffee sales and even a barbershop. The
locals also set up a small shop to supply the undocumented immigrants
with the personal care products and treats, which they pay for with
remittances sent by relatives from the United States.
The authorities gave themselves 90 days to decide what they would do
with the 126 Cubans who accepted the proposal to go to Gualaca. Two
months later, the patience of the migrants is beginning to wear thin. At
least six escapes have been reported since they were moved there. The
last one, on Monday, was led by four Cubans, two of whom have already
returned to the camp while two crossed the border into Costa Rica.
Since dawn, Alejandro Larrinaga, 13, and his parents have been waiting
for some news about their fate. Surrounded by adults, Alejandro has only
one other child to play in the hostel, Christian Estrada, 11. Neither
has attended school for a year and a half, when they left Havana.
Alejandro spent more than 50 days in the jungle and, as a result of
severe dehydration, he suffered epilepsy and convulsed several
times. "It was difficult to go through it. It's not easy to explain: it
is one thing to tell it and another to live it," he says with an
intonation that makes him seem much more adult.
"We had to see dead people, lots of skulls. I was afraid of losing my
mom and dad," he recalls. But, although tears appear in the eyes of his
mother while he recalls those moments, now he says he feels safe in
Gualaca and spends his days playing chess.
"I want to be a chess master, which is more than a champion. Someday I
will achieve it," he says.
His mother, Addis Torres, does not want to return to the Island where
she has nothing left because she sold their few belongings to be able to
reunite with Alejandro's grandfather, who lives in the United
States. Although they have a process of family reunification pending at
the US Embassy in Havana, the family does not want to hear about
returning to Cuba.
They eat three times a day and even have a health program financed by
the Panamanian government, but for Torres "that's not life."
"Detained, without a future, afraid to return to Cuba. We need someone
to feel sorry for us and, in the worst case, to let us stay here," she says.
Liuber Pérez Expósito is a guajiro from Velasco, a town in Holguín where
he grew garlic and corn. After the legalization of self-employment by
the Cuban government, Pérez began to engage in trade and intended to
improve things by going to the US.
In Gualaca he feels "desperate" to return to his homeland, but he has
faith that, at least, he will get the help promised by the Panamanian
Deputy Minister of Security, and leave a door open to engage in trade.
"I am here against what my family's thinking. There (in Cuba) I have my
wife, my nine-year-old son and my parents, they want me to come back and
pressure me but I am waiting for the opportunity to at least recover
some of the 5,000 dollars I spent," he says.
His mother-in-law, an ophthalmologist who worked in Venezuela, lent him
part of the money for the trip. Indebted, without money and without
hope, he only thinks of the moment he can return.
"During the day we have nothing to do. Sometimes we play a little
dominoes, we walk or we go to the stream, but we have 24 hours to think
about how difficult this situation is and the failure we are
experiencing," he says.
Liuber communicates with his family through Imo, a popular videochat
application for smartphones. "They recently installed Wi-Fi in Velasco
and they call me whenever they can," he adds.
"Hopefully, this nightmare we are living will end soon. Whatever
happens, just let it end," he says bitterly.
——
This article is a part of the series "A New Era in Cuban Migration"
produced by this newspaper, 14ymedio, el Nuevo Herald and Radio
Ambulante under the auspices of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.
Source: "We Exist Between Illusions And Fears" – Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/we-exist-between-illusions-and-fears/
14ymedio, Mario Penton, David (Panama), 23 June 2017 — The green seems
to fill everything in Chiriquí, in the western Panamanian province where
the government hosts 126 undocumented Cubans in a camp in the region of
Gualaca. The stillness of the morning in the middle of the huge pines
that grow in the foothills of the mountains is only interrupted by the
bites of insects, a true torture at dawn and dusk.
"This place is beautiful, but everything gets tiring, being in limbo is
exhausting," says Yosvani López, a 30-year-old Cuban who arrived in
Gualaca in April after spending three months in the hostel set up by
Caritas for Cuban migrants in Panama City.
"Sometimes we sit down and talk about what we would do if we could get
out of here and get to another country. Some relatives tell us that they
are preparing a camp in Canada to welcome us, others tell us that they
have everything prepared to deport us. Illusions and fears," he laments.
The camp that houses the Cubans was built by the Swiss brigades which,
in the 1970's, built the La Fortuna dam. It is 104 acres, occupied
mostly by forests and a stream. One hour from the nearest city, the
humidity is such that mushrooms and plants establish themselves even in
the fibrocement roof tiles.
Along with the wooden buildings, deteriorated by the passage of time,
there are still satellite antennas, electric heaters and, according to
the migrants, from time to time they find foreign currencies buried in
the vacant land.
López was born in Caibarién, a city on the north coast of Cuba. Although
he had the opportunity to emigrate using a speed boat to cross the
Florida Straits, he preferred the jungle route to avoid the seven years
moratorium on being able to return to Cuba that the government imposes
on those who leave Cuba illegally.
"I wanted to go back before 7 years was up. I have my mother and my
sisters in Cuba," he explains.
He worked as a chef specializing in seafood at the Meliá hotel in the
cays north of Villa Clara, earning the equivalent of $25 US a
month. With the money from the sale of his mother's house he traveled
via Guyana and in Panama he was taken by surprise by the end of the wet
foot/dry foot policy that allowed Cubans who reached American soil to stay.
"Here we pass the hours between chats with our relatives in Cuba and the
United States, and searching the news for clues that will tell us what
is going to happen to us," he says.
The migrants in Gualaca not only do not have permission to work, but
they can only leave the camp one day a week to go to Western Union, with
prior notice and accompanied by presidential police officers, who are
guarding the site.
Some, however, have improvised coffee sales and even a barbershop. The
locals also set up a small shop to supply the undocumented immigrants
with the personal care products and treats, which they pay for with
remittances sent by relatives from the United States.
The authorities gave themselves 90 days to decide what they would do
with the 126 Cubans who accepted the proposal to go to Gualaca. Two
months later, the patience of the migrants is beginning to wear thin. At
least six escapes have been reported since they were moved there. The
last one, on Monday, was led by four Cubans, two of whom have already
returned to the camp while two crossed the border into Costa Rica.
Since dawn, Alejandro Larrinaga, 13, and his parents have been waiting
for some news about their fate. Surrounded by adults, Alejandro has only
one other child to play in the hostel, Christian Estrada, 11. Neither
has attended school for a year and a half, when they left Havana.
Alejandro spent more than 50 days in the jungle and, as a result of
severe dehydration, he suffered epilepsy and convulsed several
times. "It was difficult to go through it. It's not easy to explain: it
is one thing to tell it and another to live it," he says with an
intonation that makes him seem much more adult.
"We had to see dead people, lots of skulls. I was afraid of losing my
mom and dad," he recalls. But, although tears appear in the eyes of his
mother while he recalls those moments, now he says he feels safe in
Gualaca and spends his days playing chess.
"I want to be a chess master, which is more than a champion. Someday I
will achieve it," he says.
His mother, Addis Torres, does not want to return to the Island where
she has nothing left because she sold their few belongings to be able to
reunite with Alejandro's grandfather, who lives in the United
States. Although they have a process of family reunification pending at
the US Embassy in Havana, the family does not want to hear about
returning to Cuba.
They eat three times a day and even have a health program financed by
the Panamanian government, but for Torres "that's not life."
"Detained, without a future, afraid to return to Cuba. We need someone
to feel sorry for us and, in the worst case, to let us stay here," she says.
Liuber Pérez Expósito is a guajiro from Velasco, a town in Holguín where
he grew garlic and corn. After the legalization of self-employment by
the Cuban government, Pérez began to engage in trade and intended to
improve things by going to the US.
In Gualaca he feels "desperate" to return to his homeland, but he has
faith that, at least, he will get the help promised by the Panamanian
Deputy Minister of Security, and leave a door open to engage in trade.
"I am here against what my family's thinking. There (in Cuba) I have my
wife, my nine-year-old son and my parents, they want me to come back and
pressure me but I am waiting for the opportunity to at least recover
some of the 5,000 dollars I spent," he says.
His mother-in-law, an ophthalmologist who worked in Venezuela, lent him
part of the money for the trip. Indebted, without money and without
hope, he only thinks of the moment he can return.
"During the day we have nothing to do. Sometimes we play a little
dominoes, we walk or we go to the stream, but we have 24 hours to think
about how difficult this situation is and the failure we are
experiencing," he says.
Liuber communicates with his family through Imo, a popular videochat
application for smartphones. "They recently installed Wi-Fi in Velasco
and they call me whenever they can," he adds.
"Hopefully, this nightmare we are living will end soon. Whatever
happens, just let it end," he says bitterly.
——
This article is a part of the series "A New Era in Cuban Migration"
produced by this newspaper, 14ymedio, el Nuevo Herald and Radio
Ambulante under the auspices of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.
Source: "We Exist Between Illusions And Fears" – Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/we-exist-between-illusions-and-fears/
The Lethargy Of A Coastal Town In Camagüey
The Lethargy Of A Coastal Town In Camagüey
14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, Florida, Cuba, 26 June 2017 — "The sea water
cleans everything," Agustin reflects as he calls out his
merchandise. This 74-year-old forensic assistant now works renting
inflatable boats for the fishermen of Playa Florida, in Camagüey, a
coastal strip where tourists rarely come and the economic crisis is
strongly felt.
"I came here to escape the odor of death, and I did," jokes the worker,
one of the few residents in the unpopulated streets on Friday. On every
side many of the few houses that do not seem vacant exhibit a "for sale"
sign. "All of Playa Florida is for sale but no one wants to buy it," a
resident jokes.
Lacking the natural beauty of the north coast, with no functioning
industries and no important crops, the area is experiencing times of
hardship that have worsened in recent years. On the entrance road, a
rusted out anchor gives visitors a preview of the lethargy they will
find here.
Only 24 miles separate the fishermen's village from the municipal
center, but it takes between four and six hours to cover the route due
to the poor state of the road and the lack of public transport. On both
sides of the road, the invasive marabou weed rises defiantly.
Lack communication characterizes the village. Nowhere among its crowded
streets has a public telephone been installed and cell phones only
manage to pick up a signal near the medical clinic, due to the poor
coverage of the area.
The lack of mobility also sinks the area's small businesses. The private
restaurant Comida Criollo barely survives after being opened five
years. Alfredo, the paladar's chef, says that "from time to time a
foreign tourist arrives." People who "explore every corner with a map in
hand," but they are fewer and fewer.
Of the 4 million visitors who arrived in Cuba last year, only a few
dozen came to this coast without white sands or crystal clear water,
where to take a dip the bather must wear shoes to avoid the mud, stones
and mangrove roots.
"Without tourists there is no money," Bururu, an informal realtor,
tells 14ymedio. The high number of homes for sale has caused a collapse
of prices in the area. "A two-room house with a covered porch, cistern
and garden can cost less than 1,000 CUC (roughly $1,000 US)," he says.
"They put a jacuzzi in the bathroom and all the furniture inside is from
the mall," says Bururú while pointing to a newly painted building. The
dealer takes his time to describe the characteristics of each house,
hoping to make at least one sale.
"People do not want to stay because there is nothing to do here," he
explains to the 14ymedio. The man blames the stampede on the fact that
"there are no recreational options and also nowhere to work". "[The
fishing] is not as good as in other places, so it gives you something to
eat but not enough to make a living," he emphasizes.
Near the coastline, a fisherman removes the scales from a sea bass he
caught that morning. "I promised it to a family that wants to celebrate
the birthday of their youngest son," he tells a woman who inquires about
the price of fish.
"The fishing is very affected since they built the embankment," says the
fisherman. "This area used to get a lot of oysters, but that has
decreased a lot," he adds.
The narrow and rugged access road divides the wetland in two and it has
lost a part of the mangroves in its southern area. "Experts came here to
research it and said that cutting the flow of water had increased the
salinity and that is killing the mangroves."
In 2009 the United Nations Small Grants Program provided more than
$40,000 in funding for ecosystem recovery, but eight years later the
damage has hardly been reversed. "The sea water has entered the river
Mala Fama inland," says the fisherman.
The coast has also been affected by rising sea levels, to the extent
that rumors of relocating the village have increased in recent
years. Wooden palisades are trying to slow down the push of the waves
during hurricanes, but they seem like ridiculous chopsticks in the face
of the immensity of the Caribbean.
The picture of deterioration is completed by the Argentina Campsite.
where for months there has been neither electricity nor water. Julia,
the guard who watches the entrance of the abandoned place, is
categorical. "Here in Florida Beach, the only thing that is abundant is
gnats and mosquitoes."
Source: The Lethargy Of A Coastal Town In Camagüey – Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/the-lethargy-of-a-coastal-town-in-camaguey/
14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, Florida, Cuba, 26 June 2017 — "The sea water
cleans everything," Agustin reflects as he calls out his
merchandise. This 74-year-old forensic assistant now works renting
inflatable boats for the fishermen of Playa Florida, in Camagüey, a
coastal strip where tourists rarely come and the economic crisis is
strongly felt.
"I came here to escape the odor of death, and I did," jokes the worker,
one of the few residents in the unpopulated streets on Friday. On every
side many of the few houses that do not seem vacant exhibit a "for sale"
sign. "All of Playa Florida is for sale but no one wants to buy it," a
resident jokes.
Lacking the natural beauty of the north coast, with no functioning
industries and no important crops, the area is experiencing times of
hardship that have worsened in recent years. On the entrance road, a
rusted out anchor gives visitors a preview of the lethargy they will
find here.
Only 24 miles separate the fishermen's village from the municipal
center, but it takes between four and six hours to cover the route due
to the poor state of the road and the lack of public transport. On both
sides of the road, the invasive marabou weed rises defiantly.
Lack communication characterizes the village. Nowhere among its crowded
streets has a public telephone been installed and cell phones only
manage to pick up a signal near the medical clinic, due to the poor
coverage of the area.
The lack of mobility also sinks the area's small businesses. The private
restaurant Comida Criollo barely survives after being opened five
years. Alfredo, the paladar's chef, says that "from time to time a
foreign tourist arrives." People who "explore every corner with a map in
hand," but they are fewer and fewer.
Of the 4 million visitors who arrived in Cuba last year, only a few
dozen came to this coast without white sands or crystal clear water,
where to take a dip the bather must wear shoes to avoid the mud, stones
and mangrove roots.
"Without tourists there is no money," Bururu, an informal realtor,
tells 14ymedio. The high number of homes for sale has caused a collapse
of prices in the area. "A two-room house with a covered porch, cistern
and garden can cost less than 1,000 CUC (roughly $1,000 US)," he says.
"They put a jacuzzi in the bathroom and all the furniture inside is from
the mall," says Bururú while pointing to a newly painted building. The
dealer takes his time to describe the characteristics of each house,
hoping to make at least one sale.
"People do not want to stay because there is nothing to do here," he
explains to the 14ymedio. The man blames the stampede on the fact that
"there are no recreational options and also nowhere to work". "[The
fishing] is not as good as in other places, so it gives you something to
eat but not enough to make a living," he emphasizes.
Near the coastline, a fisherman removes the scales from a sea bass he
caught that morning. "I promised it to a family that wants to celebrate
the birthday of their youngest son," he tells a woman who inquires about
the price of fish.
"The fishing is very affected since they built the embankment," says the
fisherman. "This area used to get a lot of oysters, but that has
decreased a lot," he adds.
The narrow and rugged access road divides the wetland in two and it has
lost a part of the mangroves in its southern area. "Experts came here to
research it and said that cutting the flow of water had increased the
salinity and that is killing the mangroves."
In 2009 the United Nations Small Grants Program provided more than
$40,000 in funding for ecosystem recovery, but eight years later the
damage has hardly been reversed. "The sea water has entered the river
Mala Fama inland," says the fisherman.
The coast has also been affected by rising sea levels, to the extent
that rumors of relocating the village have increased in recent
years. Wooden palisades are trying to slow down the push of the waves
during hurricanes, but they seem like ridiculous chopsticks in the face
of the immensity of the Caribbean.
The picture of deterioration is completed by the Argentina Campsite.
where for months there has been neither electricity nor water. Julia,
the guard who watches the entrance of the abandoned place, is
categorical. "Here in Florida Beach, the only thing that is abundant is
gnats and mosquitoes."
Source: The Lethargy Of A Coastal Town In Camagüey – Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/the-lethargy-of-a-coastal-town-in-camaguey/
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