Despite a majority vote in congress for THREE YEARS, in back room deals,
Cuba language again 'disappeared' from the final bill in deference to Bush's
threat to veto anything that proposes to moderate current US policy.
Will the majority vote in congress, representing the will of the American
people, become as impotent as the, now over a decade vote in the UN, to
impact on US policy towards Cuba? This is a serious constitutional crisis
for us, as US citizens, one we cannot ignore.
Meanwhile, OFAC, under the Bush administration, is quietly rewriting its
'administrative procedures' and criteria for obtaining licenses to travel.
Soon q less diverse group of people will qualify, and those who do will be
micromanaged by OFAC and have greater restrictions imposed -- for instance
no unstructured time that has not been 'pre-approved,' allowed.
It is difficult to imagine, and thus to appropriately respond too, but we
are actually witnessing/experiencing a constitutional coup by bureaucratic
decree!
But respond we will! We may be approaching that danger zone in the Bill
of Rights, when our forefathers warned King George; "When in the course
of human events..."
Here are 4 things that you and your community can do that will make a
difference:
1. Write your congressional representatives, express your concern for
their continued inability to legislate on behalf of the constituent will of
the people. If your representative is not on the Cuba
Working Group in congress, help make that happen.
2. Write editorials and help make the public AWARE of this blatant
corruption of our democratic system. This is NOT ABOUT CUBA, it is about
DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
3. We need you to report YOUR experiences to us with OFAC regarding
travel. This is VERY important. Especially those being ignored or rejected
in their attempts to be licensed. Also your attempts to bring Cubans into
the US. This must be documented!
4. We also urge you to make sure your group responds to the invitation by
Cuba, and is represented to share our concerns, gather information, and
develop a strategy for keeping people-to-people exchanges through sister
cities work, on track during these complex times. I cannot stress enough,
the importance of this upcoming encounter.
Most people, for instance, are unaware that Ry Cooder, was heavily fined
by OFAC for bringing 'Buena Vista Social Club' into US cultural awareness.
(He has said he won't do anything else with Cuba due to punitive
regulations.) And visas for Cubans invited to visit the US, always a
complicated issue, has slowed to a bare trickle. (Which forces more people
to try and enter the US illegally, as they lack other options.)
Finally, we must not underestimate the real consequences of allowing Cuba
after 9/11, to remain unchallenged, on the 'list of terrorist nations'
(slated for a 'regime change') which under the Patriot Act actually is
intensifying the embargo, and ratcheting up hostilities.
Bolstered by both Bush's self-serving support, desperate acts aimed at
causing a 'provocation' between the US and Cuba are increasing--- like the
upcoming Brothers to the Rescue flight rerun.
They can only 'win' if we let them. But I think not. Working together, we
are creating some other viable scenarios.
On behalf of the USCSCA executive board,
Sincerely,
Lisa Valanti
President
US-CUBA Sister Cities Association, Inc.
