Archive for the ‘President Barack Obama’ Category
Recent Developments: Cubans to Get Email Access, Blogging Becomes More Popular, And TWTEA is Under Review
TWTEA
President Obama has a decision to make on Trading with the Enemy Act (TWTEA), the original legislation that was used to implement the Cuban embargo. According to Caribbean Net News:
TWTEA, enacted in anticipation of World War I in 1917, grants the president wide-reaching economic authority in times of war. In 1933, the act was extended to apply to national emergencies, only to be returned to an exclusively war-time power in 1977. It currently allows for the continuation of sanctions initiated in the 44 years between, as is the case with Cuba, which was declared an “international emergency” by President Kennedy in 1963, through annual renewal by the president. Cuba now stands as the only country subject to TWTEA
Hopefully President Obama will let TWTEA expire and continue to build a bridge with the Cuban People.
Blogging Becoming Popular in Cuba
There is hope for the Cuban people and that is becoming more apparent a bloggers are speaking out about the conditions within their country. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists:
Despite vast legal and technical obstacles, a growing number of Cuban bloggers have prevailed over the regime’s tight Internet restrictions to disseminate island news and views online. The bloggers, mainly young adults from a variety of professions, have opened a new space for free expression in Cuba, while offering a fresh glimmer of hope for the rebirth of independent ideas in Cuba’s closed system.
Cubans to Get Email Access
Cuban post offices may be getting access, according to the AP:
Many post offices already offer public computers, but they are linked to a national intranet – an extremely limited list of Cuba-only Web sites.
Cubans there can send and receive international e-mail, but direct access to the rest of the Web is blocked, limits far stricter than those imposed even in China or Saudi Arabia.
Internet supervisors at two Havana post offices said Wednesday that while authorities are preparing to apply the law and have even installed new, faster PCs in some locations, they did not know when the new rules will go into effect.
US-Cuba Work Together on Hurricane Preparations
The US and Cuba are cooperating on hurricane gathering information as the season heats up. According the NYTimes:
With coastal communities in both countries vulnerable, meteorology could bring the longtime adversaries closer together, especially with the policy of increased engagement pushed by President Obama, experts argue. Wayne Smith, a former American diplomat in Havana who is now a fellow at the Washington-based Center for International Policy, has brought an array of American officials to Cuba in recent years to look at how Cuban disaster preparedness programs manage to keep the number of hurricane deaths on the island so low.
Join Orbitz and Tell Washington to End the US Travel Ban to Cuba
Orbitz is putting it all out there in their support for ending the US travel ban to Cuba. According to a press release:
“President Obama recently took a bold step in easing travel restrictions for Cuban-Americans,” said Barney Harford, president and CEO of Orbitz Worldwide. “The OpenCuba.org campaign calls on the President and Congress to take action to end the travel ban to Cuba, giving all Americans the freedom to visit what once was a premier tourist destination for U.S. citizens.”
“Our mission at Orbitz is to help travelers experience the world,” continued Harford. “67% of Americans would also support a policy that would allow U.S. travel agents such as Orbitz to book vacation travel to Cuba.”
The OpenCuba.org website gives travelers the opportunity to get directly involved in a grassroots effort to convince American legislators and regulators to end the ban on travel to Cuba. As a focus of the campaign, travelers will be asked to sign a petition calling for an end to the travel ban. Orbitz executives will formally present the petition to U.S. officials in Washington, DC, later this year.
Every person who signs the petition will receive a $100 coupon redeemable on Orbitz against a vacation to Cuba valid if and when the U.S. Government removes the ban on travel to Cuba, and as soon as Orbitz is able to offer such travel on its website.
The OpenCuba.org website also lets Americans write personal letters to President Obama, Vice President Biden, Secretary of State Clinton and members of the U.S. Congress regarding the Cuba travel ban.
TravelCubaNow.com supports Orbitz effort to promote Cuban Travel for US Citizens.
Cuba Talk Dominates Summit of the Americas
As expected, Latin-American leaders at the Summit of the Americas spoke of the US ending the embargo with Cuba. According to the Politico:
Prime Minister Barrow of Belize makes Cuba an issue, too. He calls for “the formal integration” of Cuba into the group and for the United States to lift the embargo.
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega praised Castro and said the U.S. was punishing Cuba. “And just because of that I cannot feel comfortable attending this summit,” Ortega said. “I feel ashamed that I am attending this summit with the absence of Cuba.”
Argentine President Cristina Kirchner brought up Cuba’s expulsion from the group of leaders, calls on Obama to lift the embargo, and attacks the “Washington consensus” that has harmed the Americas.
However the leaders didn’t blame President Obama, they mostly spoke highly of the new leader. Daniel Ortega said:
“President Obama was born on August 4, 1961,” he read. “He was three-and-a-half months old.” He continued: “Obviously he doesn’t have any responsibility for that historic event.”
Outlook Improving for US-Cuba Relations
Today has been an exciting day in the thawing of US-Cuba Relations. After President Obama made the first move by removing restrictions on Cuban-American travel, Obama left the next move to Cuba. Then Raul Castro offered to put everything on the table, including press freedom, political prisoners and human rights. Then Secretary of State Clinton remarked “We welcome his comments, the overture they represent and we are taking a very serious look at how we intend to respond”.
Now at the Summit of the Americas, Obama spoke more on US-Cuba Relations. According to NYTimes.com:
“The United States seeks a new beginning with Cuba,” he said at the Summit of the Americas opening ceremony, according to his remarks released in advance by the White House. “I know there is a longer journey that must be traveled in overcoming decades of mistrust, but there are critical steps we can take toward a new day.”
President Obama Says Cuba Should Make Next Move – Raul Castro Willing to Put Everything on the Table
Before heading to the Summit of the Americas, President Obama, while in Mexico said Cuba needs to make the “next move” to help bridge the divide between the US and Cuba. Now Cuba’s Raul Castro has said he is willing to talk with the US about everything, including press freedom, political prisoners and human rights. According to the BBC:
Speaking to Latin American leaders in Venezuela, President Castro said he had sent word to the US government “in private and in public” that he is open to negotiations as long as it is “on equal terms”.
There is still no formal contact between the Cuban authorities and the US government, but this is the latest in a series of exchanges which suggest that both sides appear to be making efforts to find a way to end the 50-year stalemate.
Earlier this week, the US president announced that he was lifting restrictions on Cuban Americans visiting relatives on the island and sending money home.
Following the easing of US travel restrictions, Mr Obama said it was up to Havana to make the next move.
Obama Ends Travel Restrictions – Cuba Prepares for US Tourism Invasion
As had been speculated for weeks, President Obama has officially ended all Cuban-American travel and some financial restrictions to the island nation of Cuba. Obama also is lifted telecommunications restrictions. From AP:
In a further gesture of openness, U.S. telecommunications firms were freed to seek business there, too. But the broader U.S. trade embargo remained in place.
Cuba Prepares for US Tourism Invasion
Cubans are anticipating a huge influx of US Tourist by building a new marina with 1500 slips 80 miles east of Havana near Varadero. According to Reuters:
“If the travel ban is lifted, you’ll probably see hundreds, hundreds of American yachtsmen going to Cuba the next day,” said Timothy Ashby, a former U.S. Commerce Department official who studies Cuban commercial issues.
But all may not be so smooth according to this AP Article:
Cuba has about as many hotel rooms as Detroit and most are already full of Canadians and Europeans. Experts say droves of Americans could drive up prices, unleash calls for more flights and cruises than Cuba can handle and force the government to tighten visa restrictions to regulate the stampede.
An influx of Americans could create a lodging crunch. The communist state has partnered with foreign companies such as Spanish chain Sol Melia to offer about 46,000 hotel rooms across an island about the size of Pennsylvania. Some 17,300 of those rooms are concentrated in the beach resort of Varadero, 90 miles (140 kilometers) east of Havana.
If the US Embargo was lifted, US companies could build all those hotels.
And don’t expect the same level of service you’d find at a Miami resort:
Even at top Cuban resorts, it is often hard to get amenities as basic as an extra roll of toilet paper. Comforts including apples, french fries and bottled beer are sometimes scarce – not to mention perks like in-room coffee-makers or wireless Internet access.
Cuba is in desperate need of American Ingenuity, It’s time to end the embargo.
Cuban Travel Changes Possible as President Obama Prepares for Summit of the Americas
As President Obama prepares for his trip to Trinidad and Tobago for the Summit of the Americas, the world awaits any clues for changes in policy concerning Cuban-American travel, the embargo and the general travel to Cuba. According to AP:
(Jeffrey) Davidow and other officials say the administration is also looking seriously at calls from some lawmakers to allow all Americans to travel to Cuba, appoint a special envoy to oversee policy toward the island and possibly end U.S. opposition to Cuba’s membership in the Organization of American States.
“We are engaged in a continual evaluation of our policy and how that policy could help result in a change in Cuba that could bring about a democratic society,” Davidow said.
Obama to Announce Lessened Restrictions on Cuba before Summit of the Americas
President Barack Obama cautiously extends offerings of peace and reform of current laws and the embargo with Cuba. Such examples of early reform would consist of trade and travel restrictions being lessened, which is primarily for Cuban-American families and to take the damper off of US and Latin American relations before the Summit of the Americas. Provisions for this reform would be included in a spending bill to be voted on by members of congress within the week. Changes are suspected to be announced before the Summit meeting. This could be a quick reconciliation for the US in the Foreign Policy department.
“There is a strong likelihood that Obama will announce policy changes prior to the summit,” said Daniel Erikson, director of Caribbean programmes at the Inter-American Dialogue and author of The Cuba Wars. “Loosening travel restrictions would be the easy thing to do and defuse tensions at the summit.”
Ending the Cuban Embargo Would Benefit U.S. Economy – Florida Helped Most
For the first time in nearly fifty years the United States has an opportunity to normalize relations with Cuba. The inauguration of President Barack Obama offers the chance for a clean break with the policies that have separated the U.S. from our closest Caribbean neighbor.
Good for the U.S. Economy
Many U.S. business groups have been advocating the end of the embargo as well. The groups including the American Farm Bureau Federation, Business Roundtable, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Retail Federation and Grocery Manufacturers Association have called for an end to the embargo. Currently only certain agricultural and medical products are exempt from the embargo.
The U.S. economy will be greatly affected by ending the Cuban embargo in a very positive way. At a time when the U.S. economy needs it most, we would enter the nearby market of Cuba that has nearly 11.5 million people and nearly 43,000 square miles.
Fifty years of Communism has taken a toll on Cuba. Buildings are deteriorating to unsafe levels, roads and bridges are crumbling and access to basic goods and services have all but disappeared. The Cuban people are clamoring for change and a better life and the United States has the ability to deliver it.
Our recession battered construction industries would also benefit greatly as engineers, carpenters and skilled laborers could help the Cuban people rebuild their country. Building supply industries would start manufacturing again and natural resources would be consumed.
The European Union has already ended their embargo and recently the United Nations, in a 183-3 vote, called for an end to the embargo worldwide.
Travel industry segments such as cruise lines and airlines would prosper as tourists explored this beautiful country. Cuban Ports and airports would be rebuilt, hotels constructed, all with the help of U.S. industries.
Florida Would Benefit Most
The state of Florida may have the most to gain from ending the Cuban embargo. The southern most point of the U.S., Key West, Florida is within a hundred miles of Cuba. Florida’s ports would benefit from the large amounts of cargo that would be shipped to Cuba. The ports would also benefit as many early travelers to Cuba would opt to cruise there since hotel facilities do not yet exist to accommodate tourists bound for this new destination.
Florida businesses would also profit from a new tourist destination as close as Cuba. Tourists would demand the same quality of food, luxury and even those little bars of soap not available there on a large scale. As Cuban citizens became aware of and demanded American products, Florida based distribution companies would be available to fill the need.
Long term, Florida would benefit as International tourist used it as a gateway to Cuba. Currently many International travelers visit Cuba via Mexico and Canada. Trendy cities like Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa and Orlando would reap tourism dollars as international visitors looking for exciting destinations extended their vacations in Florida.
Good Foreign Policy
Politically, ending the Cuban embargo just makes sense, Russia is looking to Cuba to establish a Caribbean presence. Since the demise of the old Soviet Empire, Russian influence in Cuba has waned. But in December of 08, Russia sent three warships to visit the island nation. In January Raoul Castro visited Russia to seek trade and money. Be assured that Russia would like to expand their presence in the region and this is a great opportunity to do so.
Cuba also appears to have a large expanse of untapped oil resources. China and Venezuela would like to tie those resources up for themselves which would not only cut the U.S. market from the oil, but could create the opportunity for an Eco disaster for the Caribbean and Southeastern United States.
Opportunities for Cuba
By ending the Cuban embargo, President Obama has the opportunity to help both the Cuban and American people. By allowing U.S. travel to the island nation, Cubans can get a taste of the freedoms we as Americans take for granted. Cubans will be exposed to our fashion, music and technology which will stimulate a desire for freedom and personal wealth.
U.S. Travel to Cuba will also generate much needed dollars for the Caribbean Nation which was devastated by three hurricanes last year.
President Obama has another chance to make history by ending the embargo and promoting freedom, however this window of opportunity won’t be open forever.