Cuba accuses US of flouting exit visa deal

[ben_meyers]

Source: AFP/via Raw Story

Cuba on Tuesday accused Washington of flouting a carefully-crafted deal on exit visas to the United States, in an effort to destabilize the Communist island nation.

Havana said that between October 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007 the United States authorized barely half of the 20,000 exit visas that the two countries agreed would be issued by US authorities before the end of September 2007.

So far, just 11,000 exit visas have been issued by the US Cuban Interests section, giving the United States little more than two months to issue the remaining 9,000-plus exit visas if it hopes to comply with a 1994 bilateral agreement.

"One has to ask what the US government is up to with this behavior," Cuba's foreign ministry wrote in a statement.

"Why is it trying to undermine the immigration situation between the two countries?"

The statement added that the "grave and unjustifiable violation of the accord" is an effort to placate the powerful and staunchly anti-Communist Cuban American community.

A destabilized Cuba would be a "gift to placate this country's most bitter enemies: the Cuban-American mafia and its representatives in the US Congress," the foreign ministry wrote.

Authorities in Havana added that failing to adhere to the previously agreed upon levels set for legal emigration from Cuba to the United States could lead to a surge in illegal emigration. The Havana government warned that Cubans may feel compelled to exit the country illegally via raft and other watercraft, to avail themselves of the US "wet foot, dry foot" policy which allows any Cuban who reaches US soil to apply for residency.



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Why is Bush jacking with this agreement? This is going to lead to more Cubans killed trying to get to the U.S.





Read more: http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Cuba_accuses_US_of_flouting_exit_vi_07172007.html

[Judi Lynn]

1. The right-wing clowns view deaths at sea as politically powerful.

Whereas the visa alottment, operating as it was intended, would allow them to come across in an orderly, safe manner, the withholding of the alottment, which forces them to take matters into their own hands to take advantage of the promise of instant legal status, instant work visa, instant social security, US-taxpayer-funded Section 8 Housing, Food Stamps, Welfare, free medical treatment, financial assistance for education, etc. through the Cuban Adjustment Act, makes the risk seem worthwhile.

Imagine how many more Latin Americans and Caribbean citizens would make their own heroic efforts if those incentives were dangled in front of them. We would have been inundated long, long ago.

The deaths by sea of people from other countries never get publicized, nor the deaths of people coming across the desert and the Rio Grand, and the canals in California, yet they mount annually, to the costs of HUNDREDS of lives. Those deaths are not politically important, however, as the people's deaths can't be used to fuel hatred of their own governments.

No other country of ANY size is offered anywhere near a yearly opportunity to allow 20,000 of their citizens to move to the U.S., and no other country's citizens get to enter freely, no hassle whatsoever, no agents running them down and beating them before deportation, with the astonishing array benefits available to ONLY CUBANS.

[Bacchus39]

3. lots of Latin Americans and Islanders already make their own efforts

to come to the US, without those incentives, without visas.

a big difference is, other countries don't prohibit their citizens from leaving, or charge them "exist visas".

[Bacchus39]

2. one has to ask, Why are they so willing to leave?

more form the story:

It is not unusual for U.S. authorities to wait until close to the end of the fiscal year to issue the minimum number of Cuban visas, however, and the State Department has in the past accused Cuba of manipulating the process.

Some Cubans who get U.S. visas are denied exit permits by Havana, which arbitrarily deems them "defectors," the State Department says. Cuba also regularly refuses to allow doctors and other medical professionals to leave even if they have visas.

The U.S. further claims that Cuba collects an estimated $12 million per year in fees for exit permits and medical examinations that some U.S.-bound migrants have difficulty paying.

[Judi Lynn]

4. When American students go to Cuba on scholarships to get their medical education,

they agree, upon return to the U.S. to work for an agreed period, serving the poor of their communities who cannot afford medical insurance or treatment on their own, to become the resource in their poor communities to whom the needy can turn.

In Cuba, medical students are given free education to cover all expenses involved in securing their medical degrees. They are requested by the Cuba government to be of service to the community which educated them, also, for an agreed upon period of time.

Nothing there too difficult for normal people to grasp, although the politically greedy will attempt to cut corners, to claim a quick score. It doesn't hold up.

[Bacchus39]

5. what other choices do Cuban doctors have?

that is, if they choose a medical career, they have no other choice than to "abide" by the State. no private schools, I doubt people are capable of providing their own resources for paying in order to exempt themselves from the "obligation".

nevertheless, who says (besides the Cuban government) that getting a visa and traveling to the US will result in a defection?? maybe they just want to visit some old friends or family in the US in Miami, or Madrid? they can go back to Cuba and fulfill their "obligation". then again, they can stay in those other countries make alot of money and make their own choices and choose their own career path. but since Cuba is so wonderful, I doubt many would do that.

[Judi Lynn]

6. Other Cuba related hot news!

PRESS RELEASE
July 17, 2007, 8:30am – for immediate release

CONTACTS: IFCO/Pastors for Peace
In McAllen: Ellen Bernstein 646/319-5902
In New York: Lucia Bruno 212/926-5757, 347/423-4330

PASTORS FOR PEACE CUBA CARAVAN DETAINED BY HOMELAND SECURITY:
OFFICERS CURRENTLY SEARCHING VEHICLES, ‘DETAINING’ COMPUTERS
126 U.S. Citizens and International Activists Challenging Immoral U.S. Blockade of Cuba

The 18th Pastors for Peace caravan to Cuba approached the Pharr International Bridge at the
Texas/Mexico border this morning at 6:30am. They found that the International Bridge was
blocked off by local police. The caravan was diverted into the US Customs lot, where Customs and
Border Patrol officers proceeded to X-ray and search the vehicles. Nearly 50 officers spent nearly
two hours unloading and reloading crutches, wheelchairs, commodes, and medical supplies from the
vehicles. They located and ‘detained’ 12 computers from the caravan.

“This is a battle of David and Goliath – and Goliath knows that he’s losing,” said Rev Luis Barrios,
member of the IFCO/Pastors for Peace board of directors. “What they are taking from us today is
purely symbolic. They are trying to show us that they are in charge. But we know that we are the
ones in charge, and that the people’s power will prevail.”

The Pastors for Peace caravan, 12 brightly painted vehicles carrying 126 activists and 90 tons of aid,
plans to cross into Mexico later today on its way to Cuba. The caravan is a direct nonviolent
challenge of the U.S. economic blockade of Cuba, which prevents the Cuban people from accessing
much-needed supplies. The caravan also challenges the travel blockade, which seeks to prevent U.S.
citizens from traveling to Cuba.

Two years ago, US government officials spent a whole day seizing computer aid– CPUs, modems,
cables, and toner cartridges – from the 16th IFCO/Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba.
IFCO/Pastors for Peace struggled for nearly a year to finally get that aid released. Two weeks ago,
the Bush Administration detained medical aid for Cuba at the Maine-Canada border—hospital
gowns, stethoscopes, even breast pumps – although they allowed the very same sort of aid to pass
into the U.S. from Vancouver, Toronto, and Winnipeg. Demonstrations continue in Canada and
the US for the release of that aid.

“We are going to allow Homeland Security a couple of weeks to reconsider their decision to seize
these computers today,” said Rev Lucius Walker, Jr, executive director of IFCO/Pastors for Peace.
“By then we will have returned from Cuba. Our supporters around the US will have contacted their
elected officials to let them know about the pettiness of the US government’s policies toward Cuba.
And we will be prepared to mount yet another campaign to win the release of this humanitarian aid
for our sisters and brothers in Cuba.”

“Our caravans are like water dropping onto a rock,” said Rev. Diane Baker of Dallas, TX. “The
rock may seem impenetrable, but we just keep on keeping on -- because the water always wins.”
(snip/...)

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/07/17/18435963.php

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several DU'ers have gone on the caravans, and found them meaningful experiences.

Fine, fine Americans.