The Treasury Department announced today an assault on the rights of Americans to travel to Cuba. It was justified in financial and strategic terms, a debatable basis for subverting the Constitution.
All cruises were terminated, even if passengers had already bought their tickets.
All people to people trips were forbidden--including faculty led student tours, although existing committments were honored.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the measures are a response to what he calls Cuba’s “destabilizing role” in the Western Hemisphere, including support for the government of President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.
“This administration has made a strategic decision to reverse the loosening of sanctions and other restrictions on the Cuban regime,” Mnuchin said. “These actions will help to keep U.S. dollars out of the hands of Cuban military, intelligence and security services.”
Unspoken was the underlying motive of a desperate effort to reverse the shrinking minority of Americans who support the embargo, a trend that is accelerated by every person who personally experiences the complicated reality of the island.
For people who want to go to Cuba legally, there are two immediate options:
1) For a group people to people program, buy your air tickets, pay deposits, or book rooms on AirBnB before midnight tonight.
There is a grandfather provision in § 515.565(b) that authorizes certain group people-to-people educational travel that previously was authorized where the traveler has
already completed at least one travel-related transaction
(such as purchasing a flight or reserving accommodation) prior to June 5, 2019. For purposes of that grandfather clause only, an “organization” is an entity subject to U.S. jurisdiction that sponsors educational exchanges that do not involve academic study pursuant to a degree program and that sponsors such exchanges to promote people-to-people contact. -- OFAC FAQ
To complete a transaction to join one of our planned people to people trips, click
here
.
2) Travel under the Support for the Cuban People license.
OFAC is amending this general license to require that each traveler utilizing this authorization engage in a full-time schedule of activities that enhance contact with the Cuban people, support civil society in Cuba,
or
promote the Cuban people’s independence from Cuban authorities and that result in meaningful interactions with individuals in Cuba. -- OFAC FAQ
You can see relevant excerpts from the new OFAC Frequently Asked Questions and regulations
here
:
Go over the heads of Bolton & Claver-Carone Make change happen!
1)
Call the offices of your Representative and Senators before the end of the week. Tell them about your experience in Cuba or your desire to go there as a citizen of a free country. Ask if they will support or, better yet, cosponsor legislation to end all restrictions on travel to Cuba. Do they agree with the views of a substantial majority of their constituents, including of Cuban Americans?
2) Our Move-On petition needs your help to go viral.
Sign
here
and share this link with all your lists.
https://tinyurl.com/nobolton
Petition: Reject John Bolton's Attack on Travel and Remittances
I am an American who went to Cuba for people to people, family, academic, professional, athletic or cultural exchange or for other purposeful reasons, or plans to.
I call upon President Trump as well as my Senators and Representative to oppose the attempt by hard liners in the National Security Council to return to counterproductive US government limits on travel and remittances.
I also urge restoration of full consular authority and the provision of five year multi-entry visas by both countries.
https://tinyurl.com/nobolton
