Travel to Cuba

[JBrunner]

Steve,
The US government could not care less if you want to visit the island as long as you do not spend more than $100 a day.
And this is for everybody entertaining the idea of a trip to Cuba. If you think you know anything about Cuba just spending a week in La Habana, you are misguided. It's like a UK citizen visiting Bronx, NY and picturing the rest of US like it.
I know of two cases (few years back). US citizens spending some time in jail and paying five figures fines for being "smart" ignoring treasury department regulations, one of them from California and of course, both wealthy guys. I doubt they will go after a broke student.

Your information might be out of date. Under Bush II and the ironically patriotic rush to to turn the US into the Soviet Empire, some things got pushed up pretty hard. My understandings are mostly from the Yachtie world, where folks used to visit regularly, but now can have their boats confiscated for- and get this- "thinking about going".

For those interested, here is the specific info for Americans: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p.../cis_1097.html

A translation: http://wikitravel.org/en/Americans_in_Cuba

Here's what went down under the shrub as Yachties saw it: http://www.cubacruising.net/html/texas_bluff.html

I know the Obama administration has eased restrictions for money and visiting for relatives, but IDK if anything else has been eased from the baby Bush squeeze.

[Steve Smith]

but now can have their boats confiscated for- and get this- "thinking about going".

So the US government now has mind reading satellites in orbit?!!!


Steve.

[TimVermont]

So the US government now has mind reading satellites in orbit?!!!


Steve.

It's a cooperative intelligence effort called "Naughty or Nice?" based on techniques developed in a workshop at the North Pole.

[Marcus S]

I was under the understanding that America is the land of 'the free'. Looks like I was mistaken.

Our late prime minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau visited Cuba several times.

[JBrunner]

I was under the understanding that America is the land of 'the free'. Looks like I was mistaken.

Our late prime minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau visited Cuba several times.

Yep, a couple hundred militantly religious whackadoo's and some profit motive have accomplished what the combined armed forces of Germany, Japan, and the Soviet Union could not. Anyway, that's a rant more suited to the soapbox. Apparently you can go if you jump through a bunch of bureaucratic hoops to be a "researcher" or a "humanitarian". Funny, that kind of thing sounds more like the paperwork BS you'd expect from a totalitarian communist regime, not the "leader of the free world." Oops there I go again. I may have to send my own thread to the soapbox.

[JBrunner]

So the US government now has mind reading satellites in orbit?!!!


Steve.

"Persons on private vessels may not get underway from a berth, pier, mooring or anchorage in the security zone, or depart the security zone, with the intent to enter Cuban territorial waters..."

That's the part of the CG release that covers it. Notice that it doesn't say enter, it says "intent" to enter. I call that "language for license".

[JBrunner]

Hmmm, turns out to be a timely subject:

http://manhattan.ny1.com/content/ny1...visits-to-cuba

Ultimately, if we were really interested in changing Cuba, being in such close proximity, we'd declare it open for business, and obliterate it with American style consumerism.

[Steve Smith]

I don't get it. What threat is Cuba to the USA? What possible reason is there for restricting travel. And what right does the US government have in telling its citizens where they can travel to?


Steve.

[Dan Henderson]

I consider myself a patriotic American. But I cannot help laugh at how Cuba has been able to stick it's finger in Uncle Sam's eye so many times over the years. Bay of Pigs invasion: Castro 1, USA 0. If conspiracy theories are to be believed, we failed to assassinate Castro but he got Kennedy. Emptying his jails during the Mariel Boat Lift. How many US Presidents has Fidel outlived? And the best of all: offering to send his medical people to New Orleans after Katrina.

[onnect17]

Your information might be out of date. Under Bush II and the ironically patriotic rush to to turn the US into the Soviet Empire, some things got pushed up pretty hard. My understandings are mostly from the Yachtie world, where folks used to visit regularly, but now can have their boats confiscated for- and get this- "thinking about going".

For those interested, here is the specific info for Americans: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p.../cis_1097.html

A translation: http://wikitravel.org/en/Americans_in_Cuba

Here's what went down under the shrub as Yachties saw it: http://www.cubacruising.net/html/texas_bluff.html

I know the Obama administration has eased restrictions for money and visiting for relatives, but IDK if anything else has been eased from the baby Bush squeeze.

In the past decade, most of the US citizens in trouble for traveling to Cuba are linked to illegal traffic (goods or humans) in the "estrecho" but the two cases I mentioned are back in the 80's, under Reagan.
Regarding Steve Anchel's trip, the requirements in his website are clear, he will apply for your license if needed so should not be a problem. He's doing it by the book.
Cuba is not exception regarding foreign policy by US administrations regarding left dictatorships. If the Dems are in the Whitehouse they want to "improve the relations". If the Reps are in control, then the opposite. That's the story for the past 50 years.
For those really interested in learning, American Experience series have an episode "Fidel Castro". The documentary is more about US and the Cuban revolution. Very good. Probably available in Netflix.
Forgive if my tone sounds too certain. I was born and spent the first 27 years of my life in Cuba. I have some idea.