[ Oh America! Land of the free!! (Except to travel) ]
from:"Karen Lee Wald" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >
Subject:travel ban hasn't slowed travel -- another view
Date:Tue, 19 Mar 2002 07:54:36 -0800
www.dallasnews.com/world/cuba/stories/031902dnintcubatravel.cfc4b.htm l
U.S. ban hasn't slowed Americans' trips
to Cuba Recent crackdown on illegal visits
does little to end traffic
The Dallas Morning News
03/19/2002
By TRACEY EATON / The Dallas Morning News
HAVANA – Austin resident Dan Snow can't
vote. Can't own a gun. Can't even go fishing
where he wants to.
His crime?
He hopped on a plane and went to Cuba, the
His crime?
He hopped on a plane and went to Cuba, the
forbidden island, l and of Fidel Castro and
rumbling '59 Chevys.
"I'm a travel felon," said Mr. Snow, 63, the only
"I'm a travel felon," said Mr. Snow, 63, the only
American to have served jail time for going to
Cuba.
He's the most extreme example of a trend
He's the most extreme example of a trend
– people thumbing their noses at Uncle Sam
and going to Cuba despite a decades-long
ban and a recent Bush administration
crackdown on travel to the island.
Most travel to Cuba from the United States
Most travel to Cuba from the United States
is prohibited, although the U.S. government
does allow some visits for business,
educational and cultural purposes. Travelers
range from musicians and artists to lawmakers
and students.
Despite the ban, more than 79,000 U.S.
Despite the ban, more than 79,000 U.S.
residents journeyed to Cuba last year,
legally or illegally, not including about
140,000 Cuban-Americans, Cuban
officials say. Others calculate the numbers
differently, but all agree that tens of thousands
of Americans are traveling to Cuba each year.
The interest in Cuba continues to rise, said
The interest in Cuba continues to rise, said
Benjamin Treuhaft, 54, who organizes trips
to Cuba for American piano tuners.
"People want to come with us to Cuba, and they
"People want to come with us to Cuba, and they
aren't even piano tuners. I tell them no," said Mr.
Treuhaft, head of a program called "Send a Piana
to Havana."
Mr. Treuhaft's travels are allowed under what
Mr. Treuhaft's travels are allowed under what
American officials describe as "people-to-people"
contact. That is, ordinary Americans meeting
Cubans. Spreading ideas. Sharing the American
way.
Trendy destination
The island has long been a hot spot for Americans.
The island has long been a hot spot for Americans.
When Cuba's night scene had its heyday in the
1950s, American celebrities including Errol Flynn,
Spencer Tracy and Betty Grable were among the
visitors. In more recent years, Cuba has again
become a chic destination. Havana's Hotel
Nacional has what it calls the "Hall of Fame,"
several walls decorated with photos and paintings
of celebrities who have been to Cuba over the last
half century
Visitors have included musicians Peter Frampton,
Visitors have included musicians Peter Frampton,
Herbie Hancock and Jimmy Buffett, actors Woody
Harrelson, Johnny Depp, Arnold Schwarzenegger,
Danny Glover and Forest Whitaker, baseball great
Hank Aaron, supermodel Naomi Campbell and
director Oliver Stone. Former Texas Gov. Ann
Richards and Jean Kennedy Smith, sister of former
President John F. Kennedy, have also been among
recent visitors.
Others go to Cuba illegally, but just how many
Others go to Cuba illegally, but just how many
is uncertain, said John Kavulich, director of the
U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council in New
York.
Mr. Kavulich said he believes that Cuban officials
Mr. Kavulich said he believes that Cuban officials
overestimate the number of Americans going to
the island illegally. He has tried to track the
number of U.S. travelers by obtaining statistics
from such transit countries as Mexico, Canada
and Jamaica, and calculates that more than
27,000 Americans went to Cuba illegally last
year.
The number of authorized travelers – including
The number of authorized travelers – including
journalists, businessmen, academics, students
and Cuban-Americans – was more than 137,000,
he said.
Despite the president's crackdown, pressure to lift
Despite the president's crackdown, pressure to lift
the ban has been growing on Capitol Hill.
Members of Congress last month debated whether
Members of Congress last month debated whether
the American ban on travel to Cuba should be lifted.
Four Republicans and four Democrats in the House
have vowed to work for improved exchanges with
Cuba, starting with lifting the travel ban..
On Thursday, Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill,
On Thursday, Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill,
whose department enforces the travel ban, told
the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that he
agreed with a suggestion of the committee
chairman, Sen. Byron Dorgan: U.S. money would
be better spent chasing terrorists than tracking
down Americans who visit Cuba, he said.
"If I had the discretion for applying the resources,
"If I had the discretion for applying the resources,
I would agree with you completely," Mr. O'Neill
told Mr. Dorgan, a Democrat from North Dakota,
at a subcommittee hearing
Pricey punishments
Supporters of lifting the ban say that American
Pricey punishments
Supporters of lifting the ban say that American
freedom is being restricted in the interest of
punishing Cuban President Fidel Castro. Illegal
travelers – including Marilyn Meister, a 75-year-old
retired teacher who went to Cuba for a bicycling
trip – have been slapped with fines of up to $7,500.
The Treasury Department issued 766 such fines
last year, up from 188 in 2000.
President Bush's top Latin American diplomat, Otto
President Bush's top Latin American diplomat, Otto
Reich, has indicated that the administration's Cuba
policy is under review and that the restrictions on the
island nation will likely be tightened further.
Mr. Reich, testifying on Capitol Hill on Tuesday,
Mr. Reich, testifying on Capitol Hill on Tuesday,
defended the travel ban and the embargo on
commerce with Cuba.
"One way we can help... is not throwing a lifeline to
"One way we can help... is not throwing a lifeline to
a failed, corrupt, dictatorial, murderous regime," he
said. "We're not going to do it. We are not going to
help Fidel Castro stay in power by opening up our
markets to Cuba."
Similar travel restrictions exist for other countries.
Similar travel restrictions exist for other countries.
U.S. sanctions against Libya prohibit all financial
and commercial transactions by U.S. citizens
unless licensed by the Treasury Department, and
U.S. passports are not valid for travel to Libya,
according to the State Department. U.S. passports
also are not valid for travel to Iraq.
'Sense of selfishness'
The administration hard line against Cuba does
'Sense of selfishness'
The administration hard line against Cuba does
have its supporters. Dennis Hays, executive vice
president of the Cuban American National
Foundation, a powerful anti-Castro lobby group,
said he supports the crackdown.
As it is, he and others contend, there is a kind
As it is, he and others contend, there is a kind
of apartheid tourism in Cuba.
Ordinary Cubans aren't allowed to enter the big
Ordinary Cubans aren't allowed to enter the big
tourist hotels, and workers receive substandard
wages – usually $15 or so per month.
Americans who go to Cuba have "an ingrained
Americans who go to Cuba have "an ingrained
sense of selfishness," Mr. Hays said.
"It's like they say, 'I don't give a damn about the
"It's like they say, 'I don't give a damn about the
treatment of our neighbors. I want to go fly-fishing
or lay on the beach.' "
But not all travel to Cuba is bad, he said. Americans
But not all travel to Cuba is bad, he said. Americans
who go to Cuba and stay in private homes and eat at
private restaurants should be encouraged, he said.
The same goes for those who go to the island and
donate books to the private libraries that have sprung
up, he said.
Mr. Snow said he believes Americans ought to go to
Mr. Snow said he believes Americans ought to go to
Cuba to get to know the island and to see that Cubans
are genuine, sincere and friendly toward Americans.
"All I say is, give us our freedom to travel or quit saying
"All I say is, give us our freedom to travel or quit saying
this is the most free country in the world," he says.
Ordinary travelers
Over the last 20 years, Mr. Snow estimates, he has
Ordinary travelers
Over the last 20 years, Mr. Snow estimates, he has
taken more than 20,000 Americans to Cuba. Most
have gone on fishing trips, although drought conditions
in the last five years have cut into that business and
more of his travelers are ordinary tourists, not fishermen.
Some of his customers, he says, have had such a good
Some of his customers, he says, have had such a good
time in Cuba that they've returned as many as 40 times.
In 1988, the U.S. government prosecuted Mr. Snow for
In 1988, the U.S. government prosecuted Mr. Snow for
his travels to Cuba. He served a 90-day jail term and
five years' probation. He also lost his voting rights for
life and was fined $5,300.
He said he paid the fine at a rate of $100 per month for
about a year then stopped paying, telling U.S. officials
to jail him if they wanted.
They did not.
Nowadays, he said, tens of thousands of Americans
They did not.
Nowadays, he said, tens of thousands of Americans
travel to Cuba illegally every year.
"The more that go, the better," Mr. Snow said. "They
"The more that go, the better," Mr. Snow said. "They
tell their friends and next year 90,000 will go. And the
next, 120,000. Then 200,000. And then the ball will be
rolling in our favor.
"I think I'm the person that the good Lord appointed to
"I think I'm the person that the good Lord appointed to
win back our freedom to travel," he said. "Why should
everybody else be able to go to Cuba and not
Americans? Why can we go to China and Vietnam, but
not Cuba? The whole thing's a joke. It's ridiculous, for a
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