Sunday, October 5, 2014

Why The Restrictions on Travel to Cuba?


Varadero, Cuba (CubaSunTours.ca)


For half-a-century the U.S. State Department has made travel to Cuba quite a pain for U.S. taxpayers.

Canadians can easily travel to Cuba.

Mexicans can easily travel to Cuba.

But if you live in Miami, Florida there are people in Washington, D.C. that prevent you from freely traveling to Cuba.  They claim that you need a permission slip.

Why do they support this isolationist foreign policy?  





The stated reason as written by the U.S. State Department:

The United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba on January 3, 1961, citing unwarranted action by the Government of Cuba that placed crippling limitations on the ability of the United States Mission to carry on its normal diplomatic and consular functions.

It seems the U.S. is saying that because Cuba did not grant them full access to their country, the U.S. decided that 300,000,000 human beings can not have any access to Cuba.

"Authorized travelers to Cuba are subject to daily spending limits and are prohibited from bringing any Cuban “souvenirs” or other goods into the United States, with the exception of information and informational materials."  
-U.S. Department of the Treasury, 2011

In contrast to the totalitarian presidency of Mr. Bush, at least Mr. Clinton and Mr. Obama granted special licenses to U.S. taxpayers enabling them to get to the island nation.  As the New York Times reports there are still many restrictions placed on North Americans but at least Florida is no longer the Iron Curtain.

The current regime in Washington places some limits on the fun & pleasure of it's taxpayers.  Of note are the anti-freedom measures banning the transportation of cigars and rum back to these United States.



Cuban Cigars for Sale in Canada



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