>from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >subject: Cuba: A Most unusual Article. Senators to end Sanctions > >Recently we've had quite a few articles published whose approach can >be summarized as: Cuba's a terrible place and the "embargo isn't >working" so they advocate ending the "embargo" as a better way to >oppose the revolution in Cuba. What makes this article different and >refreshing is that its approach is almost entirely FAVORABLE >toward Cuba. It also points out the privileged status which Cuban- > Americans have over the rest of the United States citizenry. It also >exposes the negative aspects of the Nethercutt plan. > >Please take the time to read and enjoy it, then pass it on. > >Walter > >_________ Still Crazy About Cuba By Judy Mann > >Wednesday, July 12, 2000; Page C15 Judy Mann can be reached at (202) >334-6109 or by e-mail at >[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- >dyn/ articles/A27505-2000Jul12.html > > When an experiment has failed for 40 years, most sensible >people would say to themselves: Let's try something different. We did >that with the Soviet Union and China, and we're in the process of >doing it with North Korea. > >But with Cuba, we're barely budging from a harsh >intransigence dictated by the far right and those great protectors of >democracy who tried to kidnap a child, the Miami Cubans. The U.S. >government rightly stood up to them, and Elian Gonzalez went home to >Cuba with his father as most Americans, horrified by the behavior of >his Miami relatives and their supporters, cheered. For once, we >didn't let a noisy group of expatriates blackmail us into more anti- >Castro foolish- ness. This was the perfect moment for the United >States to regain control of its foreign policy and normalize >relations with the island nation. And there is still time. > >For nearly four decades, the United States has forbidden the >export of food and medicine to Cuba and banned American tourist >travel, the mainstay of pre-Castro Cuba's economy. > >Economic activity with Cuba is administered by the Office of >Foreign Assets Control in the U.S. Department of the Treasury. > >In recent years, the government has eased restrictions on >Americans sending supplies to individuals in Cuba to meet basic >humanitarian needs. Travel restrictions also have been relaxed, and >there are a number of categories of people--including journalists, >researchers and athletes--who can travel to Cuba for their work. >Tourist travel and general business travel, however, remain strictly >banned to restrict the flow of dollars into the Cuban economy. > >Just before the July recess, House Republicans concocted a deal that >would allow the sale of food and medicine to Cuba and four >other blacklisted nations--Iran, Sudan, Libya and North Korea. While >the other countries could try to generate private financing here and >to export products here, Cuba could not. Nor could Cuba have >access to U.S. government credit and loans. > >The pressure for change came from House members representing farm >states who have been pushing to open prohibited markets. But anti- >Castro lawmakers such as Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros- >Lehtinen, both Republicans from Florida, held out for >strict conditions on sales to make them--in Ros-Lehtinen's words-- >"as difficult as possible." Estimates are that initially food >exports could total $25 million to $45 million, rising to $200 >million a year within five years. > >The trade-off for easing those restrictions, however, is that the >ban against tourist travel, which is now a regulation, would be >codified into law, making it much more difficult to change. Diaz- >Balart declared that to be "our most important achievement in years." > >The net result is that Cuban Americans would continue to be able >to visit the island once a year under the family-reunification >category. Humanitarian, religious and educational groups could still >travel to Cuba, as well as a U.S. citizen who was fully hosted by >an organization. The same is true of journalists, but not of >ordinary citizens. > >And U.S.-Cuba policies continue to loosen up in one area and tighten >up in another, with no real progress toward normalization. > >I, for one, do not see why Cuban Americans can go to Cuba once a year >and most other Americans cannot. That strikes me as >pure discrimination. They're spending dollars on those trips, just as >any tourist would. So here we have another piece of favoritism for >the Cuban Americans, right up there with giving them instant >asylum when they touch U.S. soil. > >The island's infrastructure reflects the embargo and the collapse of >the Soviet Union--i.e. electricity, water and phone service >are unreliable. It was already a mess when I visited Cuba as a >student in 1964. That has not stopped Canadian and European interests >from building hotels. But U.S. resort chains and public utility >companies that could help build an infrastructure can't get in the >door. > >Fidel Castro is most vulnerable in the court of American >public opinion to charges of human rights violations. But while this >country has been trying to force him from office by strangling Cuba's >economy, he has educated Cuba's children and given its people >universal health care. > >In a July 10 New Yorker magazine profile by Tracy Kidder, there are >some fascinating statistics: Cuba's life expectancy is among >the highest in the world; malaria, dengue fever, tuberculosis and >AIDS are rare; Cuba has more doctors per capita than any other >country and more than twice as many per capita as the United States; >Cuba has trained medical students from all over Latin America, for >free, sending nearly 1,000 to Haiti alone. > >When the Soviet Union left Cuba without a lifeline, the >government increased spending on health care. Cuban medical equipment >is poor, and the country lacks access to many medicines. But if basic >health care is a human right, and I believe it is, then Castro has >done very well by his people on that ledger. > >Continuing the ban on general travel perpetuates a policy that >hasn't worked for 40 years, that has brought deprivation to millions >and grim satisfaction to the never-say-die cabal in Miami. Cuba is no >longer a threat to American interests. The ban discriminates against >the majority of Americans, it limits their freedom to travel for >no constitutionally valid reason, and it keeps American >corporations out of a market that could benefit tremendously from >stronger economic ties with the United States. > >The United States and Cuba found common ground in the matter of Elian >Gonzalez, and both governments acted in good faith. We should be >building on that, with the ultimate legacy of a little boy being >peaceful coexistence between two nations. > >� 2000 The Washington Post Company " JC > >Cuba SI - Imperialism NO! Information and discussion about >Cuba. Socialism or death! Patria o muerte! >Venceremos! http://www.egroups.com/group/cubasi Subscribe: cubasi- >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: cubasi- >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Change Delivery Options: >http://www.egroups.com/mygroups > > ************* > >sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >X-From_: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mon Jul 17 15:34:19 2000 >Delivered-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], >[EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], >[EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 >Subject: Senators Call for End to Sanctions > >From: Luis AA Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Dear friends, > >Please note the statement below on student exchanges which follows >my earlier call for a national committee of university students. > >Luis ========== > >La Habana, Sunday, July 16, 2000 > >Ending a week long visit to Cuba and a 10-hour visit with President >Fidel Castro, Senators Max Baucus, D-Mont., Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, >and Pat Roberts, R-Kan called for the end of the US economic blockade >of Cuba and improved relations between the two countries. > >Sen. Akaka, meanwhile, expressed interest in increased >educational exchanges between the two countries that would allow >American students to visit Cuba and Cuban students to visit the >United States. "Cooperation in education could create a dialogue," he >said. > >Upon arriving in Havana on Friday the senators also met with >Vice President Carlos Lage, National Assembly President Ricardo >Alarcon and various Cabinet ministers. Addressing the question of a >future transition of leadership in Cuba, Senator Roberts stated: "My >impression is that (Castro) thinks it will be smooth and that the >tenets of what he believes will be preserved....I don't think he is >planning on retiring anytime soon." > >Nevertheless, the lawmakers also said that the United States does >not have to wait for a change in leadership to begin improving >relations that could benefit people living on both sides of the >Florida Straits. All three support growing moves in Congress to >eliminate restrictions on sales of food and medicine to the Caribbean >island. > >Senator Roberts said he supported increased cooperation by the >two countries on issues of mutual concern, such as drug interdiction. >But while calling for the lifting of the embargo for the benefit of >both countries, the Kansas Democrat concurred with Baucus and Akaka >that Cuba must be willing to do its part by initiating market reforms >that will make American trade with Cuba viable and grant freedom of >expression to its citizens. He said that "Free trade must involve >sales to individuals and realistic financing." > >Carlos Balin~o Institute (from the Associated Press) " JC > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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