America lifts Cuba travel restrictions

[Communist Theory]

Idiotic news story (http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/13/cuba.travel/index.html?imw=Y&iref=mpstoryemail).
They get way off-topic.
But on the other hand I can go to Cuba now!

[Raúl Duke]

Travel restrictions for Americans of non-Cuban descent will also remain in place.

:(

I had plans and everything...

[Communist Theory]

:(

I had plans and everything...
Ahh man are you serious I stopped reading after they start talking bullshit about Raul Castro being a brutal dictator.
Fuck I wanted to go.
Edit: I must of actually skipped that part I was skimming thru the article.

[Communist Theory]

"Over the past 50 years, the Castros and their secret police have been directly responsible for killing thousands of nonviolent, courageous pro-democracy activists and for jailing and torturing tens of thousands of others. And they continue to this day to perpetrate their brutal crimes," Smith said.
Bullshit right wing propaganda.
I think the Onion is a better news source then cnn

[Q]

Americans can go to Cuba, no problem. Just not directly. I suggest you fly to Mexico City and then take the first plane to Havana. I think that is the shortest route.

[Communist Theory]

Americans can go to Cuba, no problem. Just not directly. I suggest you fly to Mexico City and then take the first plane to Havana. I think that is the shortest route.
That might work but I might be detained or something coming back into America if they look at my passport. Maybe charged with treason, plotting terrorism or something idiotic.

[Q]

That might work but I might be detained or something coming back into America if they look at my passport. Maybe charged with treason, plotting terrorism or something idiotic.

That is a fair point I hadn't considered yet. I guess living in the Netherlands is still better than in the US.

[Communist Theory]

Yes, probally best not to chance it.
Hopefully someday I will get to see Cuba.

[Revy]

Oh so now people are going to have to prove they're Cuban to go to Cuba? How dumb is that? How exactly are they going to stop me if I (falsely) say I'm Cuban? A lie detector test? Test my knowledge of Cuban history?

Obama makes a mockery of himself, yet again.

[Communist Theory]

Oh so now people are going to have to prove they're Cuban to go to Cuba? How dumb is that? How exactly are they going to stop me if I (falsely) say I'm Cuban? A lie detector test? Test my knowledge of Cuban history?

Obama makes a mockery of himself, yet again.
Well I'm assuming that you have to prove you've got family in Cuba.
If you haven't got family in Cuba it said you're not allowed to visit Cuba I think.
Edit: Or perhaps show documentation that your grandparent or whatever immigrated from Cuba if you have no family in Cuba

[teenagebricks]

So basically all this means is people with Cuban blood can travel to Cuba, wow, how incredibly progressive of Obama. Have you ever seen more wonderful President? Ridiculous.

That might work but I might be detained or something coming back into America if they look at my passport. Maybe charged with treason, plotting terrorism or something idiotic.
Cuban immigration officers don't stamp United States passports so you can keep your visit a secret from the government, they want you to visit, and they really care about the Americans who do visit.

[Raúl Duke]

Oh so now people are going to have to prove they're Cuban to go to Cuba? How dumb is that? How exactly are they going to stop me if I (falsely) say I'm Cuban? A lie detector test? Test my knowledge of Cuban history?

Obama makes a mockery of himself, yet again.

Yes, it's pretty dumb...but isn't such an exception (allowing Cuban-Americans only) "discriminatory?"
What if someone decided to take it to the Supreme Court?

I think they should allow Puerto Ricans to visit Cuba; I doubt many people in the island support the dumb-ass embargo.

[Andy Bowden]

The same passport problem exists for Europeans going to Cuba - if they travel to the US with a Cuban stamp in their passport the immigration officials aren't too pleased.

Fortunately you can get it stamped on an alternative tourist visa, and theres no marks on your passport.

I dunno if US citizens can request the same thing though.

[rednordman]

Of cuban origin only?..This strikes me as having more to it than that. Does this also give the miami cuban mafia and anti-communists a legit way to entre the island? and stir things up..They could tell the locals all sorts of stories about the 'wonders of capitalism':rolleyes:. Technically its almost as if they havent lifted the travel restrictions at all-just given them more scope to plot a coup de etate or something of that nature.

[Revy]

Of cuban origin only?..This strikes me as having more to it than that. Does this also give the miami cuban mafia and anti-communists a legit way to entre the island? and stir things up..They could tell the locals all sorts of stories about the 'wonders of capitalism':rolleyes:. Technically its almost as if they havent lifted the travel restrictions at all-just given them more scope to plot a coup de etate or something of that nature.

I thought that too.

[Magdalen]

But on the other hand I can go to Cuba now!

Last time I was in Cuba (2006), I met a group of US citizens, one of whom was a Cuban-American, who had traveled from San Francisco via the resort town of Cancún in Mexico, which apparently is cheaper to get to from the US than Mexico City. If requested, the Cuban authorities won't stamp US passports. However, they commented that the most difficult thing was persuading the Mexican authorities to not give them a second entry stamp on their return to Cancún, as this would be questioned in the US.

While we should welcome the lifting of these restrictions, we must acknowledge that the reforms hardly scratch the surface of the genocidal US blockade of Cuba, which has brought pain and suffering to the Cuban people since February 1962. The restrictions which have been removed were only put in place by George W Bush in May 2004, in response to Fidel Castro's announcement of de-dollarisation in Cuba.

Barack Obama's principal motivating factor in these reforms is almost certainly the looming Summit of the Americas in Trinidad & Tobago. During this summit he hopes to deflect some of the scathing criticism of the US blockade from almost every leader on the American continent, with the US standing alone in its lack of normal diplomatic relations with Cuba and alone in its support for Cuba's continued exclusion from the Organisation of American States. Cuba's exclusion also defeats the attempts of the US to portray the OAS as anything other than a puppet organisation, which in the words of Fidel has 'only humiliated the honor of Latin American nations'.

[JimmyJazz]

Americans can go to Cuba, no problem. Just not directly. I suggest you fly to Mexico City and then take the first plane to Havana. I think that is the shortest route.


ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS /TRAVEL TRANSACTION LIMITATIONS: The Cuban Assets Control Regulations are enforced by the U.S. Treasury Department and affect all U.S. citizens and permanent residents wherever they are located, all people and organizations physically located in the United States, and all branches and subsidiaries of U.S. organizations throughout the world. The regulations require that persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction be licensed in order to engage in any travel-related transactions pursuant to travel to, from, and within Cuba. Transactions related to tourist travel are not licensable. This restriction includes tourist travel to Cuba from or through a third country such as Mexico or Canada. U.S. law enforcement authorities have increased enforcement of these regulations at U.S. airports and pre-clearance facilities in third countries. Travelers who fail to comply with Department of Treasury regulations could face civil penalties and criminal prosecution upon return to the United States.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1097.html#entry_requirements

[Oneironaut]

That might work but I might be detained or something coming back into America if they look at my passport. Maybe charged with treason, plotting terrorism or something idiotic.

Cuba doesn't stamp passports. Imagine if you had 4 stamps from Venezuela and 5 from Cuba and try to travel into another country? You would definitely encounter issues. So you are clear on that aspect.

If you want to go to Cuba it is possible. Like Q said, fly to Mexico City first. However, there are precautions you must take. The first being bringing all your money in cash with you. Credit card companies will track your records and see that you have purchases in Cuba and will notify the government. You also need to be careful of looking like you are from the United States (trust me it is noticeable). You just need to go as undercover as possible and I recommend that you are fluent in Spanish.

[Hoxhaist]

maybe letting all of the rightwing Cubans go to Cuba is NOT a good idea. They lift all the restrictions or none at all

[pastradamus]

The Embargo is a means of protection for america. They dont want a country with a booming and free Health and Education system in their back yard. Give it some international trade and Finance and cuba would be an economic success story.

[jake williams]

Americans can go to Cuba, no problem. Just not directly. I suggest you fly to Mexico City and then take the first plane to Havana. I think that is the shortest route.
You can go through Canada too actually. I know of a lot of Americans who have done it that way. And as mentioned, Cuba doesn't necessarily stamp passports.

[LOLseph Stalin]

You can go through Canada too actually. I know of a lot of Americans who have done it that way. And as mentioned, Cuba doesn't necessarily stamp passports.

That's quite common actually. Luckily i'm Canadian so I could visit Cuba if I wanted. I know one of my teachers has been to Cuba.

[Communist Theory]

You also need to be careful of looking like you are from the United States (trust me it is noticeable). You just need to go as undercover as possible and I recommend that you are fluent in Spanish.
Why would you need to not look American?