Latin America Working Group - Latin America Working Group

Tell the State Department that you Support Educational Exchanges with Cuba!

You may have heard about the State Department's denial of visas to 11 respected Cuban scholars who were planning on attending the Latin American Studies Association meeting in San Francisco this week—while at the same time approving visas for two prominent Cubans invited to the same conference. The approvals of visas to Mariela Castro (a sexologist and President Raul Castro's daughter), Dr. Eusebio Leal (the historian of the City of Havana), and two weeks earlier to Josefina Vidal (head of the North American Section of MINREX, Cuba's foreign ministry). BTW, we applaud these visas, as there should be free and easy exchange between Cuban officials and U.S. officials, too. (Aren't they "people," too?)

The Cubans who were denied visas are a "Who's Who" of Cuban academe who favor increased exchange between the United States and Cuba, and even the normalization of relations. They are effective in their messaging. Perhaps that is why they were denied?

The State Department doesn't make it too easy to contact them directly. However, that doesn't mean that they shouldn't be. Follow these couple steps below to let the State Department know that you support educational exchanges with Cuba. We want to see a free flow of ideas on both sides of the Florida straits!

(We've included an image below to help guide you step by step in contacting State correctly)

First, go to the State Department website here.
Second, select "U.S. Foreign Policy" as the Topic. You will then be prompted to pick a region, select 'Western Hemisphere"
Then, Copy and Paste this text:

SUBJECT: Support Educational Exchange with Cuba

QUESTION/COMMENT:

Dear Secretary of State Hillary Clinton:

I want to express my distress about the recent denial of visas to eleven Cuban scholars scheduled to participate in academic exchange at the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) meeting in San Francisco. If U.S. policy is to promote educational exchanges, what better way is there than to allow U.S. academics and Cuban academics to meet face-to-face and to share ideas and research.

It appears that the visas were denied in an arbitrary and contradictory manner—to respected scholars who have previously and recently been given visas to enter the United States to teach in some of our most prodigious institutions of higher learning. These denials contribute nothing, save confusion and perhaps even discouragement of the desired academic exchanges.

I support engaging the Cuban people through academic, people-to-people, and religious exchanges as, and only as, a needed first step in returning the fundamental right of all Americans to travel to Cuba.

Sincerely,

Thanks for your continued advocacy on behalf of the End the Travel Ban campaign !

:End the Travel Ban on Cuba, Letters to State Department

FORNORM Letter to State on Denial of Visas to Cuban Academics

May 22, 2012

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
United States Department of State

Mr. Peter Brennan
Office of Cuban Affairs
Department of State

Dear Secretary Clinton and Mr. Brennan:

Your recent denial of visas to eleven of the Cuban scholars scheduled to participate in the academic exchanges during the Latin American Studies Association Conference (LASA) in San Francisco, underscores the irrationality of United States policy towards academics from Cuba.

The lack of criteria for the denial of these visas, even in cases of academics who have been granted visas and have traveled to the United States in the past only points to the fact that these denials are arbitrary and politically motivated. Clearly a more rational approach is called for in our relations with Cuba in general and, more specifically in our dealings with academic exchanges which should never be used as political tools.

The Foundation for Normalization of US/Cuba Relations strenuously objects to both the recent denial of these visas to Cuban academics as well as recent moves by the Treasury Department to tighten restrictions on People-to-People engagements. The recent People to People trips have resulted in positive steps on both sides of the Florida Straits. The Obama administration has committed to a program of increased contact and engagement with the Cuban people and these actions are counterproductive to this policy. Time has proven that isolation and confrontation do not produce any positive results. Let's continue to engage the Cuban people so that we may move forward in our relations in a positive and constructive manner..

Sincerely,

Executive Committee of FORNORM (Foundation for Normalization of US/Cuba Relations)

Elena R Freyre

Xiomara Levy

Amaury Cruz Max Lesnik

Julio Ruiz Ramon Coll

Isidro Borja Richard Sablon

Antonio Zamora Rosa Reyes

Luis Vazquez

For PDF version click here

:End the Travel Ban on Cuba, Letters to State Department

C.A.F.E Sends Letter to State Department on Denial of Visas to Cuban Academics

May 21st 2012

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
U.S. Department of State

Mr. Peter Brennan
Office of Cuban Affairs, DOS

Dear Secretary Clinton and Mr. Brennan:

In view of the recent denial of visas to eleven Cuban scholars who were scheduled to participate in academic exchanges next week in the United States, the members of CAFE (Cuban Americans for Engagement) feel it’s imperative to state the following:

We continue regretting the lack of a coherent policy regarding academic exchange as part of the policy of people-to-people contacts between Cuba and the United States. While we acknowledge the right of our government to set visa requirements and eligibility, the apparently arbitrary manner in which the visas to Cubans are granted or denied–even in the case of people who have traveled to the United States before–only creates frustration and confusion within the academic community and could even lead to a chilling effect on those exchanges, especially given the time and logistical efforts involved in the organization of these exchanges. A more clear and coherent policy is sorely needed.

Especially concerning is the suspicion that these visas are being denied as a concession to hard-line members of the Cuban-American community, including representatives in Congress, who have been aggressively vocal in the past few days attacking the approval of visas for Mariela Castro and Eusebio Leal. As Cubans and Americans, we categorically oppose the use of restrictions against academic exchanges as a political tool, both in Cuba and in the United States. The objective of a responsible policy should be to take down the structures of hostility that exist on both sides, which are counterproductive if the goal is to take pragmatic and fruitful steps towards a better relationship.

This development also comes on the heels of a recent announcement from the Treasury Department of the tightening of restrictions on trips to Cuba by non-Cuban Americans. While we welcome all clarification of the process and rules, we are concerned about the adoption by some administration officials of the hard-line rhetoric that labels as “abuses” many of the activities on those trips, with no evidence. Our policy should reflect a wide concept of people-to-people contacts that does not exclude cultural, academic, educational, social and religious activities under any circumstances and does not consider the participants “abusers.”

We live in times of change, both in Cuba and in its relationship with the United States, which we all hope will bring a better future for the Cuban nation, on both sides of the Straits of Florida. It is time to move forward instead of backwards.

Sincerely,

Board Committee of CAFE (Cuban Americans for Engagement)

Alejandro Barreras

Eduardo Araújo

Ondine Quinn

Ernesto Cabo

Romy Aranguiz

Andrés Ruiz

Benjamin Willis

María Isabel Alfonso

Arturo López-Levy

http://www.cafeporcuba.com