Cuba and US Politics

[Rebel Monger]

Hi Rebel Monger,

Yes, the mambises were mostly Black and mostly from the East (Oriente). At the time of that war about 60% of those living on the island of Cuba were Black or mixed, at least according to the Richard Gott history that I recently read. Rich people may be behind the wars but poor people are the ones usually that get to fight them. Also, many of the Blacks were not slaves by that time.

Hello Bill,

As you must know by now, I'm Cuban by birth and American by choice. I grew up and was educated in Cuba under fidel's dictatorship, and you can be sure that if blacks had been a majority in the war against Spain, fidel would have been using that fact as propaganda since day one. I never heard that Mambises were mostly blacks. There were quite a few of them, and they were excellent fighters, Antonio & Jose Maceo, Quintin Banderas, Juan Gualberto Gomez are a few that comes to mind, but majority they were not.

About what you say of the rich and fighting, that's true today, but that wasn't the case in the past.

[Doc Bill]

Hi Rebel Monger,

Yes, the mambises were mostly Black and mostly from the East (Oriente). At the time of that war about 60% of those living on the island of Cuba were Black or mixed, at least according to the Richard Gott history that I recently read. Rich people may be behind the wars but poor people are the ones usually that get to fight them. Also, many of the Blacks were not slaves by that time.

And with all respect to you as an individual the Cuban-American community has been terrible to their brethren in Cuba since the Revolution, particularly by supporting and maintaining an ineffective embargo that only serves to hurt the Cuban people and has ironically kept Fidel in power all these years. See the latest: Thanks to your congressmen from Miami people can't even send money to or visit their relatives much anymore.

I may not be qualified to speak to this as I am not Cuban or Cuban-American, but I think that if they really cared they would end the embargo, send shiploads and planeloads of tourists to Cuba and watch Castro's house of cards disintegrate in no time.

[Rebel Monger]

When things change (I'm sure you will agree that its just a matter of time) there will be some real trouble and also a lot of hurt. I feel for the Cubans as I think they are the ones who will get the "shaft"; the America-Cubans will have little care for their rights.

Regards, Havanaman

Well Havanaman, I'm one of those "America-Cubans" and I do care for the Cuban people's right. At least the ones I know in USA are like me. What do they have in Cuba that I can't get in USA?

A Cuban-American is just a Cuban who was lucky enough to get the hell out of there. We're not different than those in the island. I'm curious to know what make you think that we (Cuban-Americans) do not care about those in the island.

[Rebel Monger]

The Americans took all the credit and the Cuban fighters were just brushed aside and ignored (largely because they were Black).

Were the Cuban fighters (Mambises) mostly black!? At the time the black population in Cuba was not that large and most were slaves. I guess that when you have a ball and chain around your ancle, independence is not a priority. The rich and the middle class have always been behind the wars fought in Cuba. Poor people do not have the time and means to fight.

[Petrolero]

I would be interested if the OFAC fines climb higher with this measure.

http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforce...s/04012005.pdf

Passenger Lists Sought For Flights Over U.S.

By Sara Kehaulani Goo
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 21, 2005; Page A01

The U.S. government plans to force foreign airlines flying over American soil to turn over the names of passengers on board or check the names against U.S. government watch lists in an effort to prevent terrorists from entering U.S. airspace.

Under current rules, overseas carriers are required to provide passenger manifests to U.S. officials within 15 minutes of takeoff if they are to land in the United States, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

Officials have been concerned that terrorists may try to hijack a plane over the United States and crash it into a building, as occurred on Sept. 11, 2001. Officials acknowledge, however, that no credible intelligence exists indicating such a plot.

"We are currently considering a measure that would require foreign carriers to vet their passenger manifests against the 'no-fly' list and 'selectee' lists on overflights," said TSA spokeswoman Yolanda Clark. The no-fly list is a secret list of thousands of names of known or suspected terrorists who may pose a threat to U.S. aviation. The selectee list contains the names of individuals who are not known terrorists but present a possible threat to the airplane.

The proposal has angered European, Mexican and Canadian airlines, which operate most of the 500 estimated daily overflights. If foreign airlines do not comply with the order, which is expected to be issued in coming weeks, they could have to reroute flights, adding time and cost to the journeys. At least one carrier, Aeromexico, claims the rule would violate international aviation agreements.

The TSA's proposal, discussed in recent days with foreign leaders, was prompted by a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Mexico on April 8 that was prohibited from flying over American airspace because two passengers were found to be on the U.S. government's no-fly list.

The KLM flight, a specially configured 747 with 278 passengers and 15 horses on board, was five hours into its journey when Mexican authorities alerted U.S. officials about two Saudi passengers on board. TSA officials decided not to allow the plane to continue on its usual route over the United States.

The Canadian government offered the plane an option to land on its territory if the aircraft did not have enough fuel for a return trip, a Canadian official said. But KLM decided to turn the plane around for the five-hour flight back to Amsterdam out "of interest to the passengers and animals," KLM spokesman Hugo Baas said in an e-mail. "The assigned airport was not suitable for handling a 747 in this configuration." KLM is a leading air transporter of horses and operates an animal hospital at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.

The two Saudi passengers on the KLM flight were men who trained at the same Arizona flight school as Sept. 11 hijacker Hani Hanjour, according a law enforcement source. The men, according to aviation sources, were questioned by Dutch officials and eventually allowed to fly back to Saudi Arabia. U.S. officials did not interview the men, according to law enforcement and Homeland Security sources.

A Homeland Security official familiar with the proposed rules said U.S. and foreign officials are negotiating over whether airlines or the U.S. government would check passenger names against the watch lists. If any names match those on the lists, airlines would have to undertake new security measures.

For example, if a flight from Canada to Mexico were to have a passenger whose name matched one on the no-fly list, the flight would not be allowed into U.S. airspace. The passenger would have to be removed from the flight, or if the plane happened to already be in the air, it would have to fly around the United States to reach its destination, according to officials familiar with the plans. Similarly, if a passenger's name were to match one on the selectee list, the passenger would have to undergo more thorough security screening before boarding the plane, the sourcesaid.

Aeromexico, which has 18 weekly flights from Mexico City that cross U.S. airspace on their way to Europe, said that the U.S. proposal might violate international transit agreements and that it is consulting with the Mexican transportation department to "present our legal position for this potential requirement."

"This potential directive will restrict our privilege to fly across U.S. territory without landing, and to land for non-traffic purposes," said Fernando Ceballos, Aeromexico's assistant director for airport operations, in an e-mailed statement. If the TSA issues the requirement, he said, it would not be practical to fly around the U.S. coast. "Flying over water along the coast is not an option for Aeromexico as increased flight times would be prohibitive given the type of aircraft we use, our slots and crew requirements."

TSA's spokesman Clark said, "We are working with our international partners to give thoughtful consideration to all aspects of the impact of this measure."

The rule change would affect many of Canada's estimated 1,000 weekly overflights, including domestic flights such as Montreal to Toronto, which fly over the United States because of geography and weather patterns. "We're currently gathering information from air carriers to evaluate the impact that the proposed amendment would have," said Vanessa Vermette, spokeswoman for Transport Canada.

KLM said that it is now checking its passenger lists against U.S. watch lists for its overflights, following the recent incident.

"It is not up to an airline to judge the security measures of individual countries," KLM spokesman Baas said. "However, it is up to the responsible authorities of each country to safeguard that measures do not have negative counter effects on the daily operation of the airlines."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...v=rss_business

[Doc Bill]

Thanks Havanaman, and good to hear from you! I hope you worked out that situation you got yourself into awhile back. Anyway, yes, in my studies of Cuban history it is always the Cuban people who got screwed for the benefit of others. I suppose the prime example is the so-called "Spanish-American War," which would more aptly be called "The War to Prevent Cuban Independence at Any Cost." The Americans took all the credit and the Cuban fighters were just brushed aside and ignored (largely because they were Black). I fear that no matter what happens, and I don't think things will change soon or quickly, the good people of Cuba will again get fucked, by within and/or by their brethren in Miami. Anyone who has met and known some of them knows what a tragedy this is.

[Organicgrowth]

Doc Bill,

Point very well made: I couldn't agree more. Sadley no one is telling these things (and more....) to the good people of the USA. I think that is a tragedy, and in the final analysis a loss the the USA and its people.

When things change (I'm sure you will agree that its just a matter of time) there will be some real trouble and also a lot of hurt. I feel for the Cubans as I think they are the ones who will get the "shaft"; the America-Cubans will have little care for their rights. Your example of Palestinians and Israel is very appropriate indeed.

Regards, Havanaman

[Doc Bill]

Diaz-Balart is Enemy #1 for a lot of reasons, but generally for holding relations between the US and Cuba hostage for the sake of his personal family feud (His aunt was Fidel's first wife). There are too many Cuban Americans still living in fantasy land. The truth is this has nothing to do with principal or freedom, but money. They think that when Fidel dies they are just going to walk back into Cuba and retake the property their families lost 45 years ago. That's about as likely as the Palestinians doing the same. Elian Gonzalez' mother did not come here looking for freedom, she came to be with her boyfriend, who was already here. Etc., etc., etc. Miami is the only place I know in this hemisphere with less liberty, less freedom and less truth than Cuba.

[Petrolero]

The Miami Herald

Groups warned to obey travel limits

The U.S. government warned religious organizations not to abuse their travel privileges to Cuba -- a move meant to enforce tightened restrictions on the island.

BY OSCAR CORRAL

pcorral@herald.com

The U.S. government is cracking down on certain religious organizations that promote licensed travel to Cuba, restricting the number of visitors they can send to ensure that limits on U.S. citizen travel to -- and spending in -- Cuba are enforced.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sent letters to dozens of organizations that have U.S.-issued religious licenses for travel to Cuba, warning them not to abuse their privileges and announcing investigations into alleged wrongdoing, according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Herald.

The regulators also imposed a limit on the number of people who can travel to Cuba under the auspices of these religious groups: 25 every three months. There were no limits previously.

Regulators acted after reports that some groups that practice Santeria and other religious organizations were allowing people who didn't officially belong to those groups or were not practitioners to visit Cuba under their U.S.-issued religious licenses.

The Herald detailed cases in which some Santeria organizations in Miami with religious licenses were taking thousands of people to Cuba as a way to get around Bush administration travel restrictions.

The numbers of such visitors have boomed since July, when the Bush administration reduced the number of times Cubans can visit their families on the island from once a year to once every three years.

Its purpose was to reduce cash remittances to the island and increase financial pressures on Fidel Castro's government.

PROBE UNDER WAY

'The United States Government has become aware that some organizations may be abusing their licenses by allowing individuals not affiliated with the organizations to travel under the authority of their licenses,' said the letter signed by OFAC Director Robert Werner.

``OFAC is currently investigating reports of abuse of religious licenses and will take appropriate action against groups and individuals that have engaged in transactions outside the scope of a license.'

The 25-person-per-quarter limit doesn't apply to what the government calls 'established churches,' such as the Roman Catholic Church. These organizations get licenses that don't limit the number of travelers to Cuba.

In his letter, Werner warned:

• Groups that hold religious licenses are prohibited from advertising Cuba trips on television, radio or the Internet;

• People or groups traveling under the licenses must be 'involved in religious activities' with the organizations, apart from their travel to Cuba.

'Individuals who associate with your organization primarily for the purpose of traveling to Cuba are not authorized to travel under your license,' Werner said.

'SCANDALOUS' CASE

U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, calling the abuse of religious travel 'scandalous,' pressured regulators to clamp down after The Herald's report in February.

'The administration is not going to permit the flouting of the law,' Diaz-Balart said. ``I think this is going to end the abuse in so-called religious travel.'

The Office of Foreign Assets Control, part of the Treasury Department, has given about 200 churches and organizations religious licenses to travel to Cuba.

By some estimates, religious travel makes up from 85 to 95 percent of all nonaffiliated travel to Cuba, said Pedro Gonzalez-Munne, owner of Cuba Promotions, an agency that promotes travel to Cuba. Munne defined affiliated travel as people who go with business, sports or educational visas.

IMPACT ON FAMILIES

Munne said that before July, about 250,000 people traveled to Cuba legally from the United States every year. That number has dropped by a third since July.

Munne decried regulators' action as harmful to families.

'This is the last bridge left for people to go see their families,' he said of religious licenses. ``This will increase traffic through third countries.'

Munne also said that the July restriction left people little choice but to find loopholes -- such as using religious licenses -- to see family in Cuba.

Jose Montoya, head of the Sacerdocio Lucumi Shango Eyeife in Miami, said that between 1996 and July 2004, he took about 60 people to Cuba under his religious travel license. Since July, he has taken about 2,500, he said.

'The possibility exists that they are violating the religious rights of people, and going against the Constitution of the United States,' Montoya said in an interview Thursday.

Montoya said he will be more judicious in choosing travelers.

'I don't think I'm going to give it [the license] to everyone,' he said. ``I was not giving it to everyone before, but I'm going to be more strict now.'

GROUP SUSPENDED

Both Montoya and Gonzalez-Munne say that OFAC has suspended the license of another, Doral-based Santero group, Santa Yemaya Ministries, pending an investigation by OFAC.

OFAC declined to comment, and The Herald could not immediately confirm their account.

Montoya said his own research shows that many of the people traveling to Cuba under religious licenses were going through Santa Yemaya.

[Petrolero]

Mentioned by Doc Bill in another section. Add the cost of the license, times X number of trips and sooner or later, you may or may not end up to <$1000. Whatever's cool with me.

A Santeria group with a religious license to travel unimpeded to Cuba reports a boom in the size of its congregation, drawing criticism and scrutiny.

By Oscar Corral, ocorral@herald.com. Posted on Sun, Feb. 27, 2005.

Despite the Bush administration's crackdown on exiles' trips back to Cuba, there are still ways to travel to the island without restriction.

One seems to be increasingly popular: Go as a Santero.

Religious groups can get licenses with little trouble. And the head of at least one group that says it practices the Afro-Cuban religion Santeria acknowledged that his congregation has exploded in size since the new travel restrictions kicked in.

Jose Montoya, head of the Sacerdocio Lucumi Shango Eyeife in Miami, said that between 1996 and July 2004, he took about 60 people to Cuba under his religious travel license. Since the restrictions took effect in July, he has taken about 2,500, he said.

''Before, people didn't have a necessity, and Afro Cubans who practice our religions could travel to Cuba without a license, but now they need a license,'' Montoya said. "This is a ticking time bomb. They will give a religious license to anyone.''

Exiles who support the restrictions -- which cut exile trips to Cuba from once a year to once every three years -- say the Santeria groups are abusing their religious privilege.

The U.S. Treasury Department allows unimpeded travel to Cuba for legitimate religious reasons. The department has issued more than 200 licenses to religious groups for travel to Cuba, according to the office of U.S. Rep. Lincoln Díaz-Balart, R-Miami.

Díaz-Balart, a supporter of the new limits, has called for an investigation, which he said is being conducted by the Treasury Department.

''There is abuse and it needs to stop,'' he said. "It is wrong for someone to say that they are seeking a license for religious travel and then to use that license commercially to promote tourism, and I think it's happening.''

Treasury Department spokeswoman Molly Millerwise and other department officials could not be reached for comment.

Tom Cooper, CEO and chairman of Gulf Stream International Airlines, one of the biggest companies still operating flights to Cuba, said he has also noticed a recent increase in the number of people coming to his airline with religious licenses.

RESOURCEFULNESS

''I have my own questions about it,'' Cooper said. "I think the Cuban people are very industrious and ingenious, and I think that they really will find a way to visit their relatives in Cuba.''

During a recent interview in his office at 4315 NW Seventh St., Montoya told The Herald that he has an established track record in Miami's Santeria community and is not abusing his travel license.

Montoya acknowledges that he has no church or temple, and his office is plainly decorated, with no evidence of Santeria. His church, the Sacerdocio Lucumi Shango Eyeife, is listed in Florida corporate records as a for-profit company. He brands himself ''Maximo Sacerdote General,'' or Maximum High Priest.

Montoya said the Treasury Department's religious license places no restrictions on the number of people allowed to travel to Cuba under that license, or the frequency of visits. He provided The Herald a copy of his license.

He also provided The Herald a copy of an application people must fill out if they want to travel to Cuba under his religious license. Applicants must swear that they are part of his religion and get the letter notarized. The application named Heidy Gonzalez as an applicant and showed a telephone number. When The Herald called the number, a man named Braulio Rodriguez said Heidy Gonzalez was a 1-year-old baby and that he was her grandfather.

Rodriguez said he had no idea how her name came to be on an application for travel to Cuba and that as far as he knew, she would not be traveling to Cuba as the application stated.

When quizzed about potential abuses, Montoya pointed to another supposed Santeria group that has a religious travel license, Santa Yemaya Ministries. Montoya said his own research shows that many of the people traveling to Cuba under religious licenses today travel through Santa Yemaya.

Florida corporate records show that Santa Yemaya Ministries was established in October 2003 by Fabio Galoppi. The principal place of business address, according to corporate records, is 9741 NW 31 St., a house in a gated community in Doral. It is listed as a nonprofit company.

The official explanation given by Fabio Galoppi to incorporate Santa Yemaya, according to corporate records, is ''to spread the word of God across the world.'' Santa Yemaya Ministries' website boasts a 15-day travel itinerary in Cuba filled with Santeria tourist stops at places such as Casa Templo and The Yoruba Center.

A woman who described herself as Fabio Galoppi's wife when phoned by The Herald declined to comment. She referred questions to a Pierre Galoppi.

Pierre Galoppi, who owns Estrella de Cuba Travel in West Miami-Dade and PWG Trading Corp., confirmed that Santa Yemaya has a religious travel license. He declined to describe his relationship to Fabio Galoppi.

''I can assure you that our agency and our ministry are in full compliance with all regulations,'' Pierre Galoppi said.

'SENSITIVE INDUSTRY'

When asked how many people travel to Cuba under Santa Yemaya's license, or whether Fabio Galoppi is a Santero, Galoppi declined to comment.

''It's a very sensitive industry,'' he said. "I have no idea how many people we're talking about.''

Pedro Gonzalez-Munne, owner of Cuba Promotions, an agency that promotes travel to Cuba, said he has done business with Pierre Galoppi and is familiar with his enterprise.

''Since the new restrictions kicked in in July to now, PWG Trading has 33 to 34 percent of the total market of people that travel to Cuba,'' Gonzalez-Munne said. "Is this a situation of freedom of religions, or are they using their religion for travel and profit?''

The Santeria travel wars have spilled over into local media. Montoya said community leaders and radio commentators have singled him out for criticism on Miami's Spanish-language radio stations. That has prompted Montoya to buy four full-page ads in El Nuevo Herald since November, defending his travel practices.

''We continue to deny the disinformation campaign that some radio stations have established that intend, for politics, to violate our religious rights,'' said an open letter from Shango Eyeife published in El Nuevo Herald on Jan. 24. "Our institution has nothing to do with other people who possess licenses for our religious practices issued by Treasury.''

RELIGION AS PLOY

Ernesto Pichardo, Miami-Dade's best known Santero, who once took a case about animal sacrifices to the U.S. Supreme Court, said the groups "are not authorized, legitimate religious organizations in Cuba or here.''

''We've started doing homework,'' Pichardo said. "I've gotten people from New York, D.C., all over. They have bought into this little deal of buying into [Montoya's] membership . . . to fly to Cuba on a religious visa.''

Cooper, the Gulf Stream CEO, said air travel to Cuba plunged after the restrictions kicked in. For example, his company used to fly five planes a week with 600 seats to the island. Now he flies only about 123 seats a week. However, in the past month, he said, business has picked up again, partly because of religious-license travel.

Pichardo said a signal that Shango Eyeife and Santa Yemaya may not be legitimate religious groups is that neither has a church or temple in Miami.

He said that he doubts they have churches in Cuba, because the Cuban government has never authorized Santeria.

Gonzalez-Munne said the trend shows that people will do whatever it takes to get to Cuba, and business people are thinking creatively to make it happen.

''People are not traveling because they are Babalaos, let's speak clearly,'' Gonzalez-Munne said, using a term meaning priest. "They are traveling because they have no other way to get to Cuba.''

[Petrolero]

The Transportation and Treasury Bill has been transformed into a CR, a Continuing Resolution. Meaning the same amount of money spent in the previous fiscal year will be spent until the next CR or a new bill is past after the election. The two measures spoke of in the previous post, died on the vine with the death of the bill until the lame duck session, when they will be brought up again.

Rep. Jeff Flake will bring up his travel provision as an amendment to said bill on the House floor in Nov/Dec.

[Justgolfing]

Posted on Sat, Sep. 25, 2004

HOW THEY VOTED

Major roll call votes by area members of Congress this week:

HOUSE

1. FAMILY TRAVEL TO CUBA (HR 5025): Voting 225-174, the House blocked new administration limits on visits by Cuban-Americans with family members in Cuba. The Treasury Department rules permit one 14-day visit every three years and redefine “family” to exclude all but parents and siblings. The previous rules allowed annual visits to aunts, uncles and cousins as well as immediate family. A yes vote was to repeal new limits.

2. FREE CUBA TRADE (HR 5025): Voting 188-225, the House refused to end U.S. economic sanctions on Cuba and thus allow free, two-way trade with the communist state. A yes vote backed free trade.

[Chekist]

Indio,

If you look at the history of the last 10 to 15 years of post Communist governments around the world, one can get a good indicator of what may happen.

Some Americans have gone on to become Presidents of the newly liberated countries, such as in the Baltic states. In other countries, such as the Czech Republic, it is more mixed.

However, given the proximity to the US, the large number of Cubans in the US (and the money they have) it is inevitable that the Miami Cubans will have a deep impact post-Castro Cuba.

As Doc noted, individuals may not get land they lost, but they can always buy it back -- often on the cheap through crooked means. There will likely be a heavy rise in organized crime. This has been rampant in Russia and elsewhere. Also, big time US companies will put on a lot of heat to get their real estate and other property back or get some sort of "concession" to make up for it.

Unlike most Communist governments that have had faceless leaders, Castro has dominated the politcal scene so heavily that when he is gone, there is going to be profound change. You can take that to the bank.

[Thaj Todad]

As previously stated my father works with the State Dept, and ATF/DEA , and in a meeting today he was told that they do not forsee this travel ban /restriction being feesible much longer, and expect it to be gone by Nov. . Now usually the old man doesnt share this kind of info with me, and sure as shit on the news tonight in Miami, they were already talking about it ending before halloween. If anyone knows something else share it with the rest of us.

[Indio]

Castro and Co. have detailed records of property that were nationalized. The majority of which is still owned by the government. It will take a long time after Castro is gone for people to try and reclaim property. The current laws in place will probably stay in place post Castro.Therefore going through the legal process, which definately they will have to do, will take years and years. And who do you think will be in control of this legal process? Doc Bill, I agree with you 100% regarding the Florida congressmen, but you fail to include Jeb. He by far, I believe is the staunchest anticastro. I mean most of his career has been financed by Cuban-Americians. I think he may be more Cuban-American than most. One thing is for sure, Cuban-Americans who think they will go back to Cuba and control are dead wrong, almost unanmously the Cubans agree that they are the ones who suffered while Cuban Americans lived the good life, who are they to tell us what to do.