March Action Alert
Greetings from the Latin America Working Group. Our March update focuses on the escalating actions that the Bush Administration is taking to tighten the embargo and that are causing Cubans to be fearful of even more aggressive tactics. These actions could be seen to be laying the groundwork for regime change in Cuba. In fact, the Bush Administration has already announced, through its Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba, its intention to do just that. For the moment, the administration insists that it will achieve bringing about the "expeditious end of the dictatorship" by peaceful means. However, you will see from the list below that the Bush Administration has eliminated nearly every avenue of dialogue with the Cuban government. While the administration's threatening stance toward Cuba may shore up support among hard-line Florida voters, it accomplishes nothing more than increasing tensions between our two nations. Bridges promoting understanding and engagement are being destroyed.
Please click here for actions you can take today to encourage improved relations.
OFAC'S ACTIONS
Click here to read a current LAWG article on OFAC's (the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury) role in this escalation of hostility.
THREATENING U.S. ACTIONS
Below is a list of threatening actions taken by the Bush Administration against Cuba in the past year. (not in chronological order)
*The United States has suspended the semi-annual immigration talks with Cuba, with no indication that they will resume in the future. (January 5, 2004)
*The President announced the creation of a Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba to "hasten the arrival of a peaceful transition to democracy in Cuba” (to Cubans, this sounds like “regime change”), and to develop a program to assist the Cuban people in their subsequent transition from dicta torship to democracy, with the preliminary report due to the President on May 1, 2004.
*The Department of State has charged that Cuban President Fidel Castro had been fomenting anti-U.S. sentiment in Latin America and, in conjunction with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, insinuating that they are seeking to again “export” revolution to the region.
*Recently unsubstantiated allegations were made by unidentified administration sources that a Cuban diplomat expelled from the U.S. last December was involved in narco-trafficking. State Department officials, asked on the record, said they had no information on this charge and declined to offer a public correction; nonetheless, the media reported the allegation unquestioningly.
*Undersecretary Richard Bolton has repeatedly accused Cuba of being a bio-weapons producing state and a threat to the United States, despite repeated denials by top Defense Department officials.
*Educational people-to-people licenses have been eliminated, thus closing off one of the best ways for citizens from our two countries to learn to know one another and to diffuse tensions. (March 4, 2003)
*Compliance with still-existing categories of licensing no longer guarantees that the license will be granted in a timely manner-or ever.
*The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have carried out heavy-handed search and seizure" surveillance of legal travelers to Cuba at departure airports. (Announced October 10, 2003)
*OFAC recently ruled that companies or individuals that edit texts (including scientific texts) from Cuba and other embargoed nations can be fined and prosecuted. They claim that this editing is a service to the nations and therefore is punishable. This could be an infringement of the First Amendment rights of American citizens and companies (more legal research would be needed). February 27, 2004)
*Up to 20 additional Cuban diplomats have been expelled for seemingly bogus or at least very vague reasons over the past year.
*New technology is being explored so that Radio and TV Marti can bypass Cuban jamming.
*President Bush announced a measure to cut off all boat traffic to Cuba, saying that they were “putting hard currency in the pocket of the regime,” and taking away from the Coast Guard their responsibility of issuing permits to boaters and yachters. Vessels may be inspected, boarded by guards, and taken possession of. (February 26, 2004)
*The United States declared that Cuba is a “favorable corridor” for narco-traffickers and that the government of Cuba has decided not to adequately finance their police charged with counter-drug activities. (March 1, 2004)
*Scores of Cuban citizens have been denied U.S. visas to travel to this country. Some examples are: Pedro Alvarez of Cuba’s agriculture import agency, Alimport, has been regularly denied a visa to the United States to conclude legal food sales contracts with licensed U.S. corporations; Baptist minister and director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Center, Rev. Raul Suarez, was recently denied a U.S. visa to speak at several Alabama churches for Black History Month and to speak at the University of Rhode Island on multiculturalism; members of the Buena Vista Social Club (including 75-year-old Ibrahim Ferrer) were denied visas to attend the recent Grammy Awards because their visit was considered “detrimental to the interests of the United States”; Cuban singer Carlos Varela was denied a visa to travel to the United States in March to perform; and many more examples.
All indications are that these destabilizing activities will accelerate as the election approaches. By all measures, U.S.-Cuban relations have sunk to their lowest point since 1996.
(1) Make your voice heard in Washington.
* Tell President Bush to lay off Cuba. Cuba is not a security threat to
the United States, and his actions are simply heightening tensions and
bringing U.S.-Cuba relations to the breaking point. The White House Comment
line is (202) 456-1111. The White House email is president@whitehouse.gov
.
* Take this opportunity to thank your member of Congress if she/he voted
with us on in 2003 on ending the travel ban; see our website at http://www.lawg.org/countries/Cuba/vote-counts-flake.htm
for House of Representatives votes and http://www.lawg.org/countries/Cuba/senate-votes.htm
for Senate votes on travel. Go to www.senate.gov
or www.house.gov to find
contact information. Or call the Capitol switchboard at (202 225-3121.
* Especially if your representative is a Freshman (in her/his first term),
let her/him know that you want to be able to travel to Cuba. EVERY Republican
Freshman voted against the Flake travel amendment in July, 2003; EVERY
Republican Freshman bowed to pressure from Freshman Congressman Mario
Diaz-Balart, R 25th-FL. Ask the Republican Freshmen to represent their
OWN constituents, not Congressman Diaz-Balart’s, and raise their
voices and votes in favor of the freedom to travel to Cuba. A list of
Freshmen who need your attention may be found at the end of this message.
Again, contact information may be found at www.house.gov.
Or call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 225-3121.
(2) Help us expand this network. We are working to increase our Cuba Policy
Network by 50 percent. Please forward this email to your friends and colleagues
who may be interested in Cuba policy. Ask them to sign up for the LAWG
Cuba Policy Network at http://www.lawg.org/tools/sign_up_for_e-alerts.htm
. More voices are needed to end the embargo.
(3) Sign the NEW petition on CubaCentral to Secretary of State Colin Powell,
who chairs the Administration's Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba.
With only weeks to go before the Commission files its report with President
Bush, it has finally invited public comment. The Commission must hear
from concerned and conscientious Americans who are sick and tired of the
restrictions U.S. policy places on the freedom of Americans to travel
to Cuba. You may sign the LAWG petition.
NOTE: Please don’t make signing the petition your ONLY action. Even
though it is important and wonderfully easy, we need you to ALSO act on
no’s (1) and (2) above. Thanks!
Our next update/alert will focus on Bridges to the Cuban People Act 2003-04.
Thanks for all you do, and please stay active in keeping U.S.-Cuba policy
on Congress', the public's, and the media's radar screen. Momentum is
very important and is needed to push a change in policy over the top!
We can make progress this year, and we can end the travel ban soon!
Sincerely,
Mavis Anderson
Philip Schmidt
2003 NEW MEMBERS' VOTES ON TRAVEL (Flake Amendment),
PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL (Davis OFAC Amendment, and REMITTANCES:
Last name State Flake 03 Davis 03 Remit 03
Janklow R-SD NV NV NV
Davis D-TN X X X
Grijalva D-AZ X X X
Sanchez D-CA X X X
Van Hollen D-MD X X X
Alexander D-LA X X X
Ballance D-NC X X X
Bell D-TX X X X
Bishop D-NY X X X
Cardoza D-CA X X X
Cooper D-TN X X X
Davis D-AL X X X
Emanuel D-IL X X X
Majette D-GA X X X
Marshall D-GA X X X
Michaud D-ME X X X
Miller D-NC X X X
Ruppersberger D-MD X X X
Ryan D-OH X X X
Scott D-GA X X X
Barrett D-SC
Beauprez R-CO
Bishop R-UT
Blackburn R-TN
Bonner R-AL X
Bradley R-NH
Brown-Waite R-FL
Burgess R-TX X
Burns R-GA
Carter R-TX
Case D-HI X
Chocola R-IN
Cole R-OK
Garrett R-NJ
Gerlach R-PA
Gingrey R-GA
Hensarling R-TX
Kline R-MN
McCotter R-MI
Meek D-FL
Miller R-MI
Murphy R-PA
Musgrave R-CO
Porter R-NV
Rogers R-AL
Turner R-OH
Feeney R-FL
Franks R-AZ
Nunes R-CA
Renzi R-AZ
Diaz-Balart R-FL
Harris R-FL
King R-IA
Neugebauer R-TX
Pearce R-NM
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