Call to Action for Cuba Visas

THE CUBAN CONSULATE REMAINS CLOSED - WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES?  WHY ARE WE SO SILENT? March 25, 2014 Dear Friends The Cuban Consulate in Washington closed its doors to all but the most dire humanitarian cases on February 17.  Since then there has been an extraordinary silence from all those depending on the Consulate for visas, passport renewals and other ordinary consular business.  The Cuban diplomatic representations in Washington and New York have no bank access and so cannot receive or make payments. Remarkably, since February 17 the Cuban-born and U.S. public remains silent.  We are not sure exactly why.  Every single category of travel will be affected if travelers cannot get visas.  The Cuban regulations are that you must obtain your visa to enter Cuba in the country from which you are traveling.  That means that the only way to get visas traveling directly from the United States is from the Cuban Consulate.     WHO IS AFFECTED?  All organizations holding People to People licenses and everyone traveling with them who do not currently have a visa in hand or promised to them by their organization, flight company or travel agency All universities planning student travel to Cuba who likewise do not have visas in hand or committed Most religious organizations (some will be obtaining special licenses on arrival in Cuba). All individuals traveling under General License from the U.S. OFAC and many traveling under specific license All Cuban Americans and Cubans born in Cuba and living in the United States. THIS IS A LONG EMAIL.  IF YOU THINK YOU KNOW ENOUGH NOW TO ACT - SKIP RIGHT TO THE ACTION STEPS. HERE.  AND FORWARD THIS MESSAGE  HOW ARE PEOPLE STILL TRAVELING?  U.S. travelers who already have their visas in hand or set aside for them still are able to travel - our estimates are that these may last through May but not longer.  CUBAN AMERICANS AND THOSE BORN IN CUBA ARE THE MOST AFFECTED Cuban born travelers with valid passports or who had already received their special HE-11 or A-2 visas are still traveling.  As an HE-11 lasts for just 3 months, anyone who has planned travel for late May will not have a valid HE-11.  And as Cuban passports while good for 6 years must be renewed every 2 years, we already know Cubans who have had to cancel their plans.  WHY DOESN'T THE CUBAN CONSULATE HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT?  In July and then again in December, M&T bank which had held the Consulate bank account for several years refused to continue to hold the Consulate's account.  Apparently, since 2008 the banking regulations in the United States have been so complex and full of pitfalls and mines when it comes to international bank accounts that banks are reluctant to work with foreign account holders.  Add to that the OFAC regulations.  Add to that that Cuba is on the list of countries sponsoring terrorism.  Apparently the U.S. banks have drawn a line in the sand.  Too difficult.  Too complicated.  Too liable to error and pitfalls - and fines.  I'm not an expert but this is what I've been able to piece together.  The upshot is that no bank in the United States has been willing to accept Cuba's bank account for its consulate and other diplomatic Missions in the United States.  WHY CAN'T THE U.S. GOVERNMENT USE ITS INFLUENCE TO GET A U.S. BANK TO ACCEPT THE CUBAN ACCOUNT? Apparently the U.S. government is unable to tell banks in the United States what to do.  You'll have to ask the U.S. government why this is so.  In fact, we suggest you do.  U.S. Treasury Department.  U.S. State Department.  U.S. Justice Department.    Interestingly, we at Common Ground had a visit from the FBI a few weeks ago.  A couple of very pleasant Special Agents out of the Boston Division told me that they had been asked to investigate whether the visa situation was adversely affecting small businesses.   I have been thinking about the adverse effects ever since.  NO. 1:  BARACK OBAMA HAS BROKEN HIS PROMISES TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC ABOUT TRAVEL TO CUBA. President Obama opened up People to People Travel to a wide range and variety of organizations and even tour operators.  He placed educational travel and religious travel under General License (no prior permission required).  If these travelers cannot obtain visas to enter Cuba, except by changing plans and traveling through 3rd countries, this promise is broken. President Obama promised Cuban Americans that they would be able to visit their families.  If Cubans residing in the United States and Cuban-Americans cannot renew passports or obtain visas, President Obama's promise is broken.    NO. 2:  CUBAN-BORN AND CUBAN-AMERICAN TRAVELERS PROVIDE THE GREATEST SINGLE SOURCE OF TRAVEL TO CUBA FROM FLORIDA.   THERE ARE GRAVE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES LOOMING - NOT TO CUBA BUT TO THE UNITED STATES, MOST ESPECIALLY TO SOUTH FLORIDA Someone else can do a proper economic analysis, but here are my calculations:  There are 10 charter companies actively running something like 90 flights a week to and from Cuba. The charter business must employ quite a few hundred people in South Florida, between the offices and the airport.  Additionally there are some 320 OFAC licensed travel agencies in Florida, most of them in South Florida.  So now we must be close to 1000 people or more employed in the Cuba travel business who face possible unemployment if the Consulate cannot resume business soon.  There are Cuban travel agencies all over the country, but Florida has most and is one of the states least able to absorb the economic blow if the industry should be forced to suspend or shut down.  Where will those workers, many recent immigrants, get new jobs? FOR ALL THESE REASONS AND MORE, I FOR ONE DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE CHARTER COMPANIES, THE TRAVEL SERVICE PROVIDERS, THE CUBAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES, AND THE U.S.-CUBA ACTIVISTS REMAIN SILENT. WHAT ARE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, SMITHSONIAN, INSIGHT TRAVEL, GLOBUS, AMBASSADORS, COLLETTE,  ABERCROMIE & KENT, GRAND CIRCLE DOING ABOUT THE PROBLEM?  THEY SHOULD BE PROTESTING.  THEY HAVE INFLUENCE.  AND THEY WILL NEED VISAS....SOON....  OCCUPY THE AIRWAVES AND SOCIAL MEDIA Never mind the big box companies.  They will likely follow us if we start making a fuss.  And we should.  All of us who have been to Cuba, hope to go to Cuba or consider ourselves "activists" in the cause of travel to Cuba should be hopping mad and occupying the airwaves with phone calls, emails, twitter, facebook. Never mind anything the State Department is saying behind the scenes about putting "purposeful travel" under OFAC General License.   If we can't get visas to enter Cuba, then Obama's promises are empty.  Anything said "off the record" or "behind the scenes" is empty.    This is as big an issue for the future of freedom of travel to Cuba as ever there was.  Let's get on it. CONTACT THE WHITE HOUSE:   Telephone 202-456-1111  submit comment on line  White House Facebook link  CONTACT YOUR CONGRESS PERSON: CLICK HERE TO ACCESS HOUSE AND SENATE  CONTACT THE STATE DEPARTMENT Telephone 202-647-4000 submit comment on line  Kerry Facebook link Please tell me that this email has stirred you to action.  We don't need the "right strategy" here.  The only "right strategy" is to make our voices heard - "Occupy" the issue through our calls, emails, facebook, twitters, and whatever we can do. Pass it on. Best, Merri Ansara Director, Common Ground Education & Travel Services