The Cuba Fixation Shaking Down American Travelers  9/30/03 Counterpunch: "Whether codified or not, the restrictions are unconstitutional and therefore invalid because the Cold War is over. Most Cuba travelers who are aware of the legalities know they can avoid problems by refusing to pay and filing a hearing request within the required 30 days of receiving a penalty notice, which will send the matter into perpetual legal abeyance because our government doesn't want a court decision. The restrictions have been used to harass (but not prosecute) those our government deems politically incorrect. Union leaders and students attending conferences in Cuba have on return been held for hours in airports for interrogation by customs agents. Los Angeles guitarist Ry Cooder, who made a movie in Havana tending to promote friendship between the two countries ("Buena Vista Social Club"), was issued a $25,000 penalty notice."

Cheap Cuban medicines fill Miami cabinets  9/30/03 Miami Herald

Brazil, Cuba Sign $200M in Business Deals  9/28/03 AP

Cuba Official Appeals for End to Embargo  9/28/03 AP: "Cuba's foreign minister made an impassioned appeal for the lifting of the trade embargo against his country, saying the blockade has cost the Caribbean nation $72 billion in the last 42 years. In a 75-minute speech at a Harlem church, Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said the Cuban people do not hold any hatred against the American people."

Polarization on display at Cuba forums  9/28/03 Sun Sentinel, FL: "The Florida National Summit on Cuba, organized by the World Policy Institute's Cuba Project and Cuban-Americans who oppose the U.S. embargo, will feature former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, whom analysts think will suggest a different approach to relations with Cuba."

Actuará Ballet Nacional de Cuba en los Estados Unidos  9/26/03 AIN: letting in the "high culture," but not afrocuban music?

Aznar's views on Cuba hailed  9/25/03 Miami Herald: "The Spanish prime minister tells exiles in Coral Gables that a peaceful transition must take place within Cuba." No doubt they were shouting "Viva Cristo Rey!" as they did in Spain under Franco…

The Revolution and Racism  9/22/03 CubaNet: "Said Ricardo Alarcón, president of the National Assembly of People's Power, Cuba's parliament: "Unfortunately, these things [disparities in the treatment of blacks and whites] are very common in Cuba. It is a situation exacerbated, he said, by the introduction of capitalism into Cuba's socialist society by the country's burgeoning tourism industry."

Lula’s visit boosts business with Cuba  9/22/03 Granma

The Assassination Geezers Guillermo Novo and Me  9/20/03 Counterpunch: "Looking at me murderously, he hissed and then, as if continuing his conversation with Ignacio, said in Spanish "Now we can finish off the rest of these communist pigs." I responded maturely by sticking out my tongue and blowing a loud raspberry. Guillermo's eyes narrowed, his mouth opened a fraction of an inch as if fangs might come out and then he took a few belligerent steps toward me. I instantly wished I could take back my gesture. Luckily for me, FBI Special Agent Robert Scherrer stepped between us and opened his jacket, showing Guillermo his holstered gun. Novo backed away. Scherrer said some nasty-toned things I couldn't decipher and Guillermo and company made for the elevators. "That was stupid," Scherrer told me, shaking his head in disbelief. "That man is a murderer." Scherrer then provided me with what he knew of Novo's life, starting with his 1964 arrest for firing a bazooka at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, through a variety of drug arrests--no convictions -- and finally his role as organizer of the gang that helped DINA, the Chilean secret police, to assassinate Letelier."

Cuba Neighbors Rally During Eviction  9/20/03 Guardian

Republican Visits Cuba, Hardens Embargo Position  9/20/03 Reuters

Cuba: News that United States reaches visa quota  9/19/03 AP: "Cuban officials complained in April that U.S. authorities had issued only about 700 of the 20,000 immigrant visas required annually under 1994 and 1995 agreements. The head of the Cuban Interests Section in Washington accused the United States of "trying to create conditions for a crisis" by cutting back on legal migration. Officials at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana said the serious backlog in visa processing was due to stricter regulations adopted after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks."

Port Manatee eager to establish Cuba ties  9/19/03 Sarasota Herald Tribune

Angola/Cuba: Bilateral Commission Signs Agreement On Plants Protection  9/18/03 Angola Press Agency

Cuba Political Prisoner Update  9/18/03 International Republican Institute: For a nation where 70% have African heritage, this set of political prisoners seems to over-represent the Spanish contingent.

El País le niega sistemáticamente a los españoles la información de Cuba  9/18/03 Jiribilla

Author lectures on Cuban identity  9/18/03 Massachusetts Collegian: "Perez did say that his primary focus was the Cuban middle class. Perez said that the black population of Cuba was not represented in the "Miami tract" of white Cubans that were able to fly from Havana to Miami for $26 and take in American movies. But black Cubans nonetheless were influenced by American culture, "like the Grandes Ligas [Major League Baseball]." Afro-Cuban baseball players aspired to one day play in venues like Yankee Stadium and the old Ebbets Field. The first Cuban world champion boxer was an Afro-Cuban named Kid Chocolate; he won the title in Madison Square Garden, Perez said." - Perez is well known in academic circles for his consistent deprecation of the role of AfroCubans, and this extract, discussing the impact of US culture in terms of just sports, is consistent with that. As one student questioner put it, "Gardy Guiteau, a UMass graduate student studying social justice education, said, "There were parts of the narrative, like some of the questions at the end pointed out, that were missing. Specifically the Afro-Cubanos, and how what he was presenting reflected in that population." "

Candidates lack original ideas on Cuba policy  9/18/03 Miami Herald

Cold War dissidents take on Castro  9/18/03 Telegraph, UK: "Three former political prisoners who became presidents are demanding a unified Western approach to Cuba."

Miami's lifeline to Fidel  9/17/03 CS Monitor: "Most of the money transferred from the US gets spent in government-owned dollar stores. Taking into consideration total sales ($1.2 billion in 2001) and average markup (240 percent) of the dollar stores plus transactions in exchange houses, we calculate that net hard currency revenues to the government from family remittances are today greater than its profit from tourist activities and sugar and nickel exports combined. If Cuban-American politicians are genuinely committed to a tougher policy on Cuba, they should encourage the president and Congress to tighten the embargo by cutting Castro's Miami lifeline. Given the precarious condition of the Cuban economy, such a move would be devastating for the Castro government. It would also provide a true test of whether economic sanctions will ever produce political change in Cuba."

Chronology of the US blockade against Cuba  9/17/03 Radio Angulo

Cuba in Mekong Delta province  9/17/03 Viet Nam Agency: "Luong Hoa village was re-named Moncada-Luong Hoa after a well-known Cuban barracks about 20 years ago. "It's a way for Ben Tre people to express their respect and admiration to the Cuban revolutionary soldiers' fighting spirit," said village chief Nguyen Van Mien."

You can’t break the ties between us - An interview with Danny Glover  9/16/03 Cuba Now: "My first connection with Cuba was when I was about 12 years old, right at the time of the Cuban revolution. My parents were postal workers and they were very much involved in the union. And at the time of the Cuban revolution, African Americans were very supportive of that victory. There were many African Americans with leadership positions who were very proud of the victory of the Cuban revolution. So that was the first time that I heard of it, and heard of the names of Comandante Che, and also Comandante Fidel."

Cuba remains large trading partner with North Dakota  9/15/03 AP

Visiting U.S. senator calls for an end to Cuba sanctions  9/15/03 AP

American Legislators reject blockade against Cuba  9/15/03 Radio Angulo, Cuba

GOP fund paid for Dolan's trip from Cuba  9/15/03 St Louis Post Dispatch

Michigan members split on Cuba but support credit, overtime measures  9/14/03 AP

Cuban film director breathes much easier after defection  9/14/03 Miami Herald

Websites ship world of goods home to Cuba  9/14/03 Miami Herald

PHS retains license to travel to Cuba  9/14/03 Portsmouth Herald, NH: "For the past four years, Portsmouth High School has held a license to travel to Cuba, a place where American tourism is forbidden by the U.S. government. And the license was just renewed."

Known... but not told - U.S. businesses announce $10 million trade pact with Cuba  9/13/03 Radio Progresso

U.S. move against Cuba over minors seen as largely symbolic  9/11/03 Miami Herald: they might start cleaning out the underaged prostitutes in Miami and other large US cities…

No Cuban, No Problem - The Latin Grammys were 100% Cuba-free thanks to the man in the Oval Office  9/11/03 Miami New Times: Los Muñequitos and Van Van directors banned by Bush directly as he panders to the Miami Mafia.

THE PULSE OF SOUTH FLORIDA - Al's Loupe: Shining brightly under big white lies  9/11/03 Radio Progresso: "We’ve lifted our image of intolerance! And where were the numerous Cuban musicians nominated to receive awards – two of which did – that were not even recognized during the telecast? That, added to the fact that the Cuban nominees never even received a letter of invitation, and that the State Department – under the influence of Herr Otto Reich – made certain that not one received a visa, assured that this Latin Grammy celebration, the first held in Miami, became the most intolerant of all four to date."

Despite veto threat, House moves to ease sanctions on Cuba  9/10/03 AP

U.S. Clamps Down on 'Human Trafficking'  9/10/03 AP: Bush, in his infinite wisdom, classes Cuba's communist worker abroad schemes with the Sudan, which practices actual slavery.

Senate turns attention to Cuba  9/10/03 Arizona Republic: "Flake's amendment to a Transportation-Treasury spending bill has been approved the past two years, and an earlier version was approved one year before that. But each year those measures have been dropped from the spending bill during House and Senate negotiations. This year, though, Flake and others say the political dynamics have changed. They say the Senate is preparing to allow a vote this year for the first time."

Miami Latin Grammys A Baby Step In Right Direction  9/10/03 Boston Channel: "The two Mayors (Manny Diaz of Miami and Alex Penelas of Miami-Dade County,) were effusive the night of the Latin Grammys. So was Jorge Mas Santos, the Chairman of the Cuban American National Foundation. The event they had bargained for, begged for, had taken heat for, was a glittering success. The nationally televised event went without a hitch and the worry about protestors evaporated when it became apparent no Cuban singers or bands could get visas to enter the U.S. and participate in the event."

Amendment to preserve Cuba exchanges passes House  9/10/03 Business Journal, Tampa: "U.S. Rep Jim Davis, D-Fla., sponsored the amendment, House resolution 2989."

Cuba Shuns Frankfurt Book Fair  9/10/03 Deutsche Welle: "The cancellation came in response to Germany pulling out of the International Book Fair planned for Havana in January 2004, where it was supposed to be the guest of honor. In mid-August 2003 the German government said Germany would not take part in the fair after relations between Cuba and the European Union turned frosty over the Carribbean island nation's reinstatement of the death penalty and a crackdown on dissenters. Cuba executed three men who hijacked a boat in an attempt to escape to the United States and jailed 75 dissidents for up to 28 years in the spring."

House Votes to End Cuba Travel Restriction  9/10/03 Latin America Working Group

Les États-Unis en guerre de basse intensité contre Cuba  9/10/03 Reseau Voltaire: "Philip Agee, ancien agent de la CIA, explique en détail les méthodes employées par les États-Unis dans leur guerre contre Cuba. La CIA finance et manipule associations, ONG, syndicats, mais aussi cellules terroristes. Celles-ci trouvent sur le sol américain un sanctuaire pour leurs activités. L'étude de Philip Agee permet de mieux comprendre le fonctionnement de ces réseaux de déstabilisation, qui se sont illustrés en avril 2002 au Venezuela, mais agissent aussi hors d'Amérique latine."

U.S. House passes amendments to ease Cuba embargo  9/9/03 MSNBC: "Lawmakers passed by a 227-188 vote an amendment introduced by Arizona Republican Jeff Flake to a larger Transportation and Treasury spending bill. The Flake amendment seeks to deny the Bush administration funds to enforce the travel ban, without formally lifting the ban itself. A similar amendment passed last year in the House by a broader 262-167 margin but was stymied in the Senate. Embargo opponents say the Senate is now more receptive to a lifting of the travel ban."

Panamanian justice rules that Posada and his accomplices should stand trial  9/8/03 Granma

Why the US Fears Cuba  9/8/03 Guardian

U.S.-Cuba relations take a plunge  9/7/03 Baltimore Sun: "Yankee capitalists hadn't courted Cuba this ardently since before the Communist revolution. Packing the opening day of a food vendors' fair here in October, U.S. participants were so eager to sell Cuba anything from chicken nuggets to chewing gum that they raced to shake hands with strongman Fidel Castro. But a Cold War wind blew through the love fest when James Cason, the new top U.S. diplomat to Cuba, arrived at a party for the American business representatives that evening. "I expect to see a lot more bull than I do beef" from any food deals with Cuba, Cason thundered in his first major speech here. "... Cuba is an international deadbeat, sort of a Freddie the Freeloader." ...A review of U.S. aid programs shows that Washington poured $32.3 million this year alone into pro-democracy activities for Cuba, most of them based in the United States. But while a small portion of that sum bought millions of books, thousands of radios and scores of laptops for people in Cuba, only a tiny fraction actually reached dissidents on the island as cash, the review found."

U.S. crackdown ends travelers' party in Cuba  9/7/03 LA Times: "By next year, nonprofits I talked with expect to have virtually ended their Cuba travel programs, or plan to offer far fewer departures -- in one case, only one-fourth as many. Meanwhile, they are scrambling to redesign tours to qualify under more restrictive licensing categories. The bottom line: It looks as though you'll still be able to travel to Cuba legally next year, but on fewer and more limited itineraries that may require, for instance, that you spend virtually all your time doing research or delivering humanitarian aid. Trips may also become pricier, mostly because the nonprofits' staffing costs will be spread over fewer tours. If you're thinking of going illegally on your own, without a licensed group or by traveling through Canada or Mexico, think again. The Treasury Department is cracking down on these trips too. The department last year penalized about 450 alleged violators, spokesman Taylor Griffin said. That's only a fraction of the estimated 22,000 to 60,000 people who go to Cuba illegally each year, but it's several times the number typically penalized under previous administrations."

The Afro-Cuban story told on film  9/7/03 Sun Sentinel, FL: "In one of Gloria Rolando's latest films, her hero has a tough time convincing others her story is worth telling. Imbued with nostalgia and a need to know her family's past, the character tackles misunderstanding and ignorance to unearth a long forgotten chapter in Cuban history. Rolando readily concedes the film's storyline might well be her own. Working on a shoestring budget, the independent filmmaker and screenwriter has spent the past decade training her camera on the cultural identity and traditions of Cuba's predominantly black neighborhoods, which she says are often ignored or stereotyped in Cuban television or movies."

EU Condemns Human Rights Record in Cuba  9/5/03 AP

Montanans to visit Cuba over trade  9/5/03 Billings Gazette

Stofile University Officially Welcomes Cuban Professionals  9/5/03 East Cape News, SA: "Cuban civil engineer Rene Hernandez thanked both the provincial and national housing department, and said: "We are proud to be here." "Together we will reach the target of building better houses for more people," said Hernandez."

The Latin Grammy awards could leave the U.S.  9/5/03 Granma

Radio Havana Interviews Chomsky  9/4/03 Radio Havana: "Cuba approached the United States with an offer to cooperate in combating terrorism and, in fact, the FBI sent people to Cuba to get information from the Cubans about it. The next thing was that Cubans who had infiltrated the terrorist groups in the United States were arrested. That is utterly shocking! Do you think it’s reported? Nobody knows about it. I mean, here are Cubans who are infiltrating illegal, terrorist organisations in the United States, which are violating US law and the infiltrators are arrested, not the terrorists. It’s astonishing. The US has refused intelligence cooperation with Cuba on terrorism because it would lead directly back to terrorist groups based in the United States."

CANF Praises Presidential Veto Threat on Cuba Anti-Embargo Amendments; Applauds Cuban-American Members of Congress for Efforts to Defeat Amendments on House Floor  9/4/03 US NewsWire

Air Canada Says "Hola!" To Havana, New Cuba Services Include More Flights, New Routes And Convenience Of Scheduled Flights Providing New Air-Only Option  9/3/03 Canada NewsWire

Wave of evictions in Eastern Cuba  9/3/03 CubaNet: "Borrero was evicted because she lived beyond her means with the help of her children, who live in Miami."

Freed of espionage charges, Miami-Dade couple returns from Cuba  9/3/03 Florida Sun Sentinel

$10M Cuba deal made  9/3/03 Long Beach Press Telegram, CA: "The World Trade Center Association Los Angeles-Long Beach along with a partner, Global Strategies Trading LLC, has concluded a week-long business trade mission to Havana. The mission resulted in an agreement with Alimport, the Cuban import company, to secure $10 million in business over the coming year. The trade mission was comprised of California-based companies involved in food, medical, and health care. "Since Los Angeles County is home to more than 300,000 businesses, Cuba represents a natural opportunity for the Southern California business community to secure new market possibilities,' says Barry Sedlik, vice chairman of business development for the nonprofit association."

Cuban crackdown  9/3/03 Rabble

Cuba Says Politics Bars Musicians from Grammy Gala  9/3/03 Reuters

Scholar traces Milton Hershey's Cuban ties  9/2/03 AP: "The late Milton S. Hershey is best known as the founder of the giant candy company that bears his name and the builder of much of the Pennsylvania community where it is located, but he also owned sugar plantations in Cuba for about 30 years, according to a researcher. Thomas Winpenny, a history professor at Elizabethtown College who recently wrote about Hershey's Cuban connections in an article in the Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society, said income from the plantations helped finance construction projects that continued in Hershey, Pa., through the Depression."

Freedom to Travel to Cuba, Amnesty International PDF Report  9/1/03 CIP

Keep Cuba sanctions, Democratic presidential candidate Kerry says  9/1/03 Miami Herald

Guerrillero»	«Pinar del Río
El Habanero»	«La Habana
Tribuna de La Habana»	«Ciudad de La Habana
Girón»	«Matanzas
Vanguardia»	«Villa Clara
5 de Septiembre»	«Cienfuegos
Escambray»	«Sancti Spíritus
Invasor»	«Ciego de Ávila
Adelante»	«Camagüey
26»	«Las Tunas
La Demajagua»	«Granma
Ahora»	«Holguín
Sierra Maestra»	«Santiago de Cuba
Venceremos»	«Guantánamo
Victoria»	«Isla de la Juventud

Radio Ciudad de La Habana	Radio Metropolitana
Tiempo 21	Radio Cadena Habana
Radio Sancti Spíritus	CMHW Villa Clara
Radio Victoria	Radio Ciudad del Mar

Bohemia	Habanera
Giga	Temas
Prisma	Negocios en Cuba
Alma Mater	Caimán Barbudo
Mujeres	La Jiribilla
La Gaceta de Cuba	Zunzún
Avances Médicos de Cuba	Travel Trade Cuba
Somos Jóvenes	Opus Habana
Tricontinental	Cine Cubano
Revolución y Cultura	Cuba Internacional
Ciencias de la Información	Salsa Cubana
Juventud Técnica	Pionero
Opciones	El economista
Notinet	El Fénix
Orbe	Senderos

Ceniai	IslaGrande
Infocom	Cubaweb
Infomed	Citmatel
Archivo Nacional	Cubaciencia
Cubanic	Cubarte
Cienfuegos	UPEC
Redsolar	Gobierno cubano
Sitio de Elián	Cuba demanda
Cuba contra el bloqueo	CubAhora
Sitio del Ajedrez en Cuba	Marinas Puertosol
Directorio Turístico de Cuba	Ballet Nacional de Cuba
Casa de las Américas	NO al ALCA

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