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President Trump's New Policy
Lots of noise but little change
It has been too long since my last newsletter. This one is intended to provide a useful update on where travel to Cuba stands today and offer a few personal suggestions for your next trip. There is also information about how to assist hurricane victims.
Over the past couple of years travel to Cuba had become almost normal. More reasonably priced commercial flights combined with the individual general license to allow a wide array of people to visit almost as they would to any other country, pursuing their personal interests alone, with family or friends. All inclusive holidays at beautiful beach resorts were still off limits but that was about all. The cost for a week could be $1,000 or less.
Despite the hysteria of some media (including wishful thinking from the usual suspects), the steps taken by President Trump in June were largely symbolic. Realistically nothing changed for almost all categories of general license (no application required) travel. The only exception defies both the President's own expressed values and common sense, elimination of the people to people individual general license. It reflects that the game is far from over, even within the White House and certainly with Congress.
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Arrival of Jet Blue's first non-stop from JFK to Havana
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The bottom line is that so far the primary channels of interaction have not been closed*: group tours on general licenses, air flights, cruises, remittances, professional research and conferences, athletic and cultural exchanges, religious programs and the privileged status of Cuban Americans. Existing commitments are grandfathered for individuals and for companies. I say "so far" because the actual regulations when they are issued may attempt to slip in bureaucratic roll backs. Three major policy advances were not touched: establishment of
normal diplomatic relations, removal from the state sponsor of terrorism list and elimination of wet foot/dry foot access to the US.
The biggest uncertainty is the bar on "direct transactions with entities related to the Cuban military, intelligence, or security services". The presumed target are companies related to the holding company GAESA, including hotels and possibly bus services. But is a booking with Marazul, Insight Cuba or Collette via Havanatur that includes a Gaviota hotel a "direct transaction"? If GAESA sells or transfers companies and properties used by Americans to a state company under the Ministry of Tourism, will it escape US strictures? What happens if GAESA returns (as it should) Habaguanex properties in Old Havana to the Office of the Historian?
In any case, most of the GAESA linked hotels are in resort areas that are off limits to Americans who respect license restrictions. In Havana, the Saratoga could be blocked for direct booking but the three Sol Melia hotels are not because they are owned by Cubanacan. (Melia Cohiba, Melia Habana, Habana Libre)
Senator Rubio himself tweeted advice to use a channel which is at least as hard to define and control as people to people educational travel and may be rewritten to remove its overt political agenda:
"Individual Americans can travel to #Cuba under Support for the Cuban people category but must use privately owned lodging like AirBnB"
I let myself hope, if not entirely believe, that President Trump might even show up President Obama and Hillary Clinton by taking the step they couldn't, create a coalition to end all travel restrictions and then lift the embargo. We already have a bipartisan majority of 55 in the Senate supporting freedom of travel. Trump, consistent with his proclaimed anti-interventionism and pro-tourism values could engineer a similar winning margin in the House of business, agriculture and libertarian Republicans with pro-engagement Democrats.
However, President Trump's strategy to reinforce his base, perhaps with an eye on serious legal problems, that led to outrageous rhetorical excess in Miami could also inhibit positive initiatives.
Predictions that new regulations will be issued by OFAC in mid-September were off base and politically motivated. To be completely safe, independent travelers should go sooner rather than later. The early fall is lovely in Cuba and there is less competition for rooms and transportation.
In any case, FRD is happy to help you convert independent travel into a virtually independent small group experience under our general license auspices.
Two tried but true methods can be used to save independent travel for the sake of Americans' affordable spontaneity as well as for the survival of Cubans in the burgeoning private sector: call or write your Representative to support the Senate's bill to end all travel restrictions; sign and circulate our
Move-on.org petition
to the President (see below).
John McAuliff
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Petition to President Trump
We appreciate that you have maintained general licenses for most forms of non-tourist travel by US citizens to Cuba, including people to people programs for escorted groups.
However we ask you to reconsider your suspension of the people to people individual general license. The termination of independent travel curtails the freedom of US citizens and seriously damages the private sector in both countries.
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Remember when Morning Joe and other media panned President Obama for high-fiving at the Cuba-US baseball game in Havana hours after a terrorist attack in Europe? They never shared this image of a prior moment of silence for victims.
First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, on the right, is expected to replace Raul Castro as President in 2018.
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| This print by Ares is available from FFRD for $100. Deadline is September 28th to order from director@ffrd.org for delivery from Havana by October 15th. |
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The Irish Connection
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Billy McComiskey, Athena Tergis and Mick Moloney in Havana
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Join Mick Moloney
and The Green Fields of America
plus dancer Niall O'Leary
and
film maker Charlie O'Brien
at performances and screenings in
Holguin and Santiago November 11 -18
FRD's third tour to introduce Irish
traditional music and dance from the US will take us for the first time to the east of Cuba. Friends and fans are welcome to join Mick, Athena, Billy, Niall, Robbie O'Connell and Leni Sloane for concerts, sessions, exchanges with Cuban musicians, screenings of "A Captain Unafraid" and visits to beaches where Dynamite Johnny landed weapons and troops for the independence war. Excursions are available to the arrival site of Christopher Columbus and locations in the Santiago area described below.
For those who join us, this is currently planned as assisted independent travel, self-booked flights to and from Holguin (via Jet Blue from Ft. Lauderdale or American from Miami), staying in bed and breakfasts with participation in the organized music and film program as personal interest dictates. Group transportation between Holguin and Santiago will be offered. In country (cash only!)costs should be around $1,000. Hotel bookings and a guided tour are also available. For more information click
here and write to John McAuliff jmcauliff@ffrd.org.
The Celebration of Captain Johnny "Dynamite" O'Brien
The story of an Irish American arms smuggler who played a storied role in Cuba's independence struggle is the subject of "A Captain Unafraid", a film by Charles O'Brien from Killarney. With the sponsorship of the Embassy of Ireland, the film's world premier was at the European Union Film Festival in Havana on June 2d.
Two weeks later the 100th anniversary of Johnny's death was honored in Havana by four direct descendants from the US. They laid flowers at his plaque near the Plaza de Armas on the Avenida del Puerto then joined students and staff at an exhibit about Johnny organized by the Provincial Library. The building is the original US embassy and was visited by First Lady Michelle Obama who donated a bench and two flowering plants to the library garden. See report
here
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Enrique Nunez, descendants of Dynamite Johnny,
staff and student from the Provincial Library
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Irish walking tour of Old Havana
Click
here
to discover Havana's green history on your own https://cubapeopletopeople.blogspot.com/2017/03/a-walking-tour-of-irish-old-havana.htm
and
here for an overview of Irish links.
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Hurricane Relief
Cuba was already sending doctors to its Caribbean neighbors to the east devastated by Hurricane Irma when it was struck.
The north central coast from Ciego de Avila to Havana were hit worst.
A minute by minute report with pictures and videos can be seen at
Granma on line
. http://www.granma.cu/cuba/2017-09-09/minuto-a-minuto-huracan-el-paso-del-huracan-irma-08-09-2017-08-09-46#comentarios
A good way to help rebuilding is
through MEDICC,
responding to Cuban identified priorities in partnership with Global Links and the Pan American Health Organization http://medicc.org/ns/irmarelief/
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New Travel Organizations
Two organizations have been created for US travel agents, tour operators and Cuba specialists to strengthen the quality of programs in Cuba and to affect US policy.
Respect (Responsible Ethical Cuba Travel) will hold its first conference at the Melia Cohiba Hotel in Havana September 29-30. To join and to see if it is still possible to register for the conference, contact Bob Guild <respect@respectassociation.org>
https://cubapeopletopeople.blogspot.com/2017/07/new-organization-of-tour-operators-for.html
Padura Novels on Netflix
The original Mario Conde novels by Leonardo Padura
have been made into films by Cuban producer Lilianne Rodriguez. They are available only on Netflix.
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N'sila che che at the Municipal Museum in Regla
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Personal tips on travel
Everyone who travels regularly to Cuba has recommendations of places to go and people to work with. Following are some of mine. No guarantees, no commissions, and certainly no attempt to be comprehensive or objective. (The essential practical information for new travelers is here
Havana
Guides and guide services for independent travelers and groups
San Cristobal--the travel agency of the Office of the Historian; offers full programs for small groups with guide and transportation, walk-in half day tours, and private guides. Calle Oficios # 52
Cuba Select Travel
www.cubaselecttravel.com a full service British origin travel agency providing accommodation, transportation, excursions, activities, guides, car rental sales@cubadirecttravel.com
Cultural exchanges
Opera de la Calle--high energy super creative mix of popular Cuban music and dance styles performed at Teatro Arenal, Calle 41 e/ 30 y 34 in Playa. Performances can be booked for groups through Cuban tour operators or by contacting Hugo Ortega (53) 7 207-6885. Contact him also to learn about performances or rehearsals open to the public. mtu@cubarte.cult.cu
N'sila che che--believers in traditional Afro-Cuban religions perform music and dances for groups at the municipal museum in Regla; substantive presentations there and in the nearby historic church by museum director Raisa Fornaguera; can be booked through Juan Montoto juanmanuelmontotop@gmail.com
Camarata Romeu--all women classical chamber orchestra featured in PBS documentary; plays and rehearses in the basilica at Plaza San Francisco
http://www.camerataromeu.com/en/
Hotel, casas on the Malecon in Vedado
Melia Cohiba modern facilities, excellent staff, great location, international standard hotel for business or tourism; book at http://www.meliacuba.com; prices are returning to more reasonable levels
Building 252 on Calle 1ra between the Malecon and the Galarias de Paseo (supermarket, Jazz Cafe) is full of private apartments renting rooms at 40 CUC per night. Contact Alberto myhavanarentals@gmail.com or Tony antonioanibal@gmail.com (but not both to avoid confusion).
On line resources
La Habana an English and Spanish web site and monthly on line magazine; cultural events listing;
guide book,
restaurants, bars
http://www.lahabana.com/
La Papaleta produced
in Spanish
by Cubarte for a largely local audience lists many but not all things cultural
http://www.lapapeleta.cult.cu
a sophisticated web site allows sorting by artists, venues and genre, provides a sign up form for weekly mailings and down load of a mobile ap
Cienfuegos
Less than four hours drive from Havana the "Pearl of the South" is the least Spanish colonial of Cuba's cities. It offers a wide range of music and art galleries and is a good base for day trips to El Nicho waterfall natural park, the Harvard linked botanic garden, the Che Guevara memorial in Santa Clara, the Bay of Pigs, boat charters and Trinidad. Daily Viazul bus service from Havana to Cienfuegos and private car sharing from the bus terminal.
To learn about bed and breakfasts, guides, transportation, tour operators, restaurants and special educational programs about Benny More, Bartolome de Las Casas and Santaria, contact
Yusi yusimiarias@nauta.cu No need to return to Havana; daily flights to Miami and Ft. Lauderdale from Cienfuegos and Santa Clara.
Finca los Colorados
is a paladar and casa particular on the coast south of Cienfuegos. Food is prepared by the owner and international chef Jose Pineiro. It is the perfect place for a day or two very relaxed and very real people to people encounter. 25 minute taxi from city center but there is also a regular public bus.
www.casapineiro.com fincaloscolorados@nauta.cu (53) (43) 548044
Santiago
Cuba's first capital, second largest and most intense city is the origin of much of its music and dance and rich in historical links to the US. They include San Juan Hill. a museum of the Cuban-Spanish-American War and a bust of Red Cross founder Clara Barton on the Malecon. Available excursions include Fidel Castro's birthplace on his father's 23,000 acre plantation in Birán;
Moncada Barracks,
the site of his failed first revolutionary action and now an excellent museum; as well as his and Jose Marti's tomb.
Cuban nationalism is also illustrated by the Morro fortress guarding the harbor, the memorial to Antonio Maceo, the Bronze Titan, and the burial site of Jose Marti. Gran Piedra national park offers a change of pace. Carnival July 21-27 is the best in Cuba, but you can sample it any time at a museum three blocks from the Hotel Casa Granda.
Cubanacan offers group and individual tours.
Contact Aliuska for information about arrangements for independent travelers and group tours including dance classes at Artex, casas particulars and guides. aliuska82@nauta.cu
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The Celestyal Crystal departing Havana
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Cruises
Ironically the Trump Administration seemed bent on to destroying the most authentically people to people form of travel, that organized independently and spontaneously, while leaving in place cruises, the least engaged mode. Most US origin cruises go only to Havana for one day or an overnight stop.
Small ships offer multiple port stops but the cost could be prohibitive, especially for families.
A good description of all cruises can be read
here
https://cubapeopletopeople.blogspot.com/2017/09/comparison-of-cruise-options.html
The Celestyal Crystal offers
at a reasonable cost
two complete days and most of the second evening in the capital and visits to Cienfuegos and Santiago, still without either being an overnight. Its program is not as strongly P2P as when FRD licensed participation. However, Celestyal is unique in having a sizable Cuban component in its crew including professors, musicians, singers, dancers, chefs, waiters and room attendants
. Extra value comes from combining independent travel or an agent organized group program in the Havana region before or after the week on board,
If this newsletter has been of use to you, help us keep it coming
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