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Sometime in the next eight weeks President-elect Barack Obama will
decide whether you can go to Cuba in 2009.
He has the power not only to undo the harsh restrictions mandated by
President Bush in 2004, but can better Bill Clinton by granting general
licenses that don't require an application for twelve very broad
categories of non-tourist travel.
By the stroke of a pen, and instruction through the Treasury Secretary
to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Obama can continue
general licenses for professional research and similarly authorize
"family visits; educational activities; religious activities;
public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other
competitions, and exhibitions; support for the Cuban people; and
humanitarian projects" free of time consuming, costly and
politically motivated licensing procedures. (full
list here).
Obama's leadership should also encourage Congress to adopt legislation
to end all travel restrictions, an international embarrassment and a
violation of our Constitutional and human rights that applies only to
Cuba.
Sincerely,
John McAuliff
What
you can doto help him do
what
he wants to do
1) Click on the Obama
website and write in your own words
how he should change Cuba policy. Articulate individual comments
may be noted, and at least a count will be made by topic. http://change.gov/page/s/yourvision
2) Spread this appeal as widely as
possible by signing
our new on-line letter and by
forwarding its link to all your e-mail lists.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/obamacuba/
3) Think about whether you have any direct
or indirect way of reaching members of the transition team or high and
mid-level advisers. If you have a personal or business
relationship with someone who was an important Obama supporter, or you
can contact a sympathetic elected official who was active in his
campaign, ask for help. (Go
here for talking points and please
let me know what you are able to do.)
How President
Obama's decision will affect you
Cuban Americans should be home free. President Obama only has to
implement his many pledges and the language of the Democratic platform
for "unlimited family visits and remittances".
Nevertheless, he must be urged do so without delay, especially by those
who have an ill relative or one that needs help because of the
hurricanes. Warning: some Cuban Americans who ostensibly supported
Obama's election are now spinning that all he'll do is return to pre
2004 annual visits and remittances. (CANF
story here)
Educational, people to people, environmental, cultural, sports,
religious and humanitarian trips that were licensed in the past only
require that Obama on January 21st reverse Bush's unilateral
restrictions, just as he will other more notorious executive orders.
Travel agents and tour operators need Obama to direct OFAC to abolish
the special status of travel service providers so all can book flights
and hotels without cumbersome registration and reporting requirements.
They can easily organize groups and send individuals qualifying for
general licenses, and even accompany them to Cuba.
Farmers, exporters, importers, investors, and business owners who want
to discover what ending the embargo can mean for their bottom line can
learn for themselves through licensed visits.
.
Vacationers who just want to veg out on a gorgeous beach will find Cuba
a great destination, but not yet!! Commercial tourism needs to
wait until Congress repeals at least part of the embargo.
Can Obama tear
down this wall?
Yes he can, legally and politically.
Will Obama do it?
Yes, if he follows his own leading for civil liberties, direct dialog
and the recovery of our international reputation. Virtually every
UN member, the Ibero-American Summit, and world leaders are calling on
him to change us policy. (see Sun
Sentinel op ed).
No, if cautious advisers and the old guard convince him that 68% of
Americans, including 84% of his supporters, won't notice or care that he
blows off their support
for travel.
It depends on us doing now whatever we can so on January 21st there is
more good news.
I
hate to ask, at least as much as you hate to give...
If the deteriorating economy hasn't hurt too much, please invest in FRD
to build a broad campaign to influence the transition and create the
atmosphere for Congressional repeal of all travel restrictions and then
the embargo. A contribution of $5, $50, $500 or whatever amount
makes sense for you will allow us to sustain and grow our staff's
educational work. Larger donations or grants will allow us to
advertise in travel media.
Please click
here to donate and designate "transition project" in the
Additional Options section.
Volunteer needed: any where, any time. Lots of prominent
persons from all parts of the political spectrum and from both the
private and public sector as well as editorials in many newspapers have
called for ending all travel restrictions and even the embargo. It
would be great to collect all of them on a single web page that was
available to Congress, the new Administration and Cuba activists.
Could it be a wikipedia page or another open access system?
Contact me if you would like to take this on. jmcauliff@ffrd.org
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