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Embargo? What Embargo?

Any chance of an answer?
The embargo only affects the American companies and their subsidiaries. The rest of the countries, a 180 since the last count in 2008, and companies are free to conduct business with Cuba and are doing so, as confirmed by imports surpassing $14.00 billions during 2008. In reality there is not such embargo since in the year 2000 the United States Congress lifted the prohibition of the sale of agricultural products and medicines to Cuba, thereby allowing Castro’s regime to buy everything it needs.

What the Castro’s regime really wants are loans and lines of credit guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury Department, since it doesn’t have hard currency to pay the interests on the lines of credit for the importation of merchandise. These credits and loans will not be paid and the US taxpayers will be the ones to pick up the debt, as it happens at the present time with the taxpayers of Spain, Argentina, Canada, Venezuela and other countries. The regime owns $31 billion to the Paris Club (EU countries), $22 billion to the countries of the old socialist campus, $15 billion to Venezuela and another $12 billion to other countries, for a staggering debt of $80 billion.

US sales to Cuba in 2008 reach $801 million. Import totaled $14.25 billion. This represents 5.62% of the regime commerce with the rest of the world. Without the embargo the debt with the US could be similar to the debt of 31 billion with the EU countries.

From December 2001 up to December 2008, the Castro’s regime had signed contracts for more than $2.8 billion with American companies for the purchases of their products. Cuba's National Statistics Office (Oficina Nacional de Estadsticas. Cuba) placed the United States as Cuba’s fifth business partner at $801 million in 2008.

Cuban economy’s bankruptcy is the sole responsibility of Castro’s regime. It is due to the corruption and ineffectiveness of a military dictatorship that is against private property and free enterprise. Under this system the economy will continuous deteriorate without any hope of improvement. These and no others are the real reasons of the problems.
 
Communist countries like China and Vietnam, with whom US has trade agreements, settled the claims that US citizens have with regards to the expropriation of their properties, in order to reestablish commercial relationships. The Cuban military regime has no intention in settling those claims.
 
The Cuba regime has settled expropriation claims with the governments of four countries (France, Canada, Switzerland, Spain). In some cases, like with Spain, part of the payment was in trading goods. The regime is unlikely to have the means to make cash payments to the US that would come close to the principal alone, without interest and inflation included. Besides the settlement of the claims will not be possible until the military tyranny is removed from power. So far the regime hasn’t given any indication to negotiate without preconditions a settlement of the claims. Until the problem of expropriation claims is solve, there should not be changes in the US and the Cuban regime relationship.
 
The Cuba regime has settled expropriation claims with the governments of four countries (France, Canada, Switzerland, Spain). In some cases, like with Spain, part of the payment was in trading goods. The regime is unlikely to have the means to make cash payments to the US

Why would Cuba owe us money? They have a much better case against us.

We invaded them, remember the Bay Of Pigs, so we should owe them reparations...

ricksfolly
 
Why would Cuba owe us money? They have a much better case against us.

We invaded them, remember the Bay Of Pigs, so we should owe them reparations...

ricksfolly
The late President Robert Kennedy paid reparation for the Bay Of Pigs invasion.

There are thousands of Cuban nationals expropriation claims that have never been addressed. Until there is transition to a democratic system, there is no way to resolve the problem of those whose property was seized by the military regime. These claims according to Alonso and Lago have “an approximated value of 7 billion U.S. dollars. Considering 6% annual simple interest over 47 years, the amount of these claims raises to 26.740 billion U.S. dollars”

One option, after a democratic government is in power, would be to go after the stolen assets and acquired properties by the Castro clan and the power elite around the world. Those whose claims are recognized should be compensated with restitution or monetary compensation, while the interest of third parties in Cuba should be also recognized and protected. Nobody in Cuba should be evicted of their homes.
 
My American history isn't that great, so remind me, when was Robert Kennedy POTUS?
Sorry, my mistake, I should have said “the late President John Kennedy,” not Robert.
Dissidents decry US bill to end Cuba travel ban
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100617/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_cuba_us_travel

By WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press Writer Will Weissert, Associated Press Writer Thu
HAVANA – Five days after his release for health reasons, a former Cuban political prisoner added his name to a letter signed by nearly 500 opposition activists decrying proposed legislation that would lift the U.S. travel ban to their country.

The letter, e-mailed to foreign reporters in Havana on Thursday, took the opposite approach of a statement last week supporting the same bill and signed by 74 dissidents, many with international notoriety — including Cuba's top blogger Yoani Sanchez, and Elizardo Sanchez, who is not related to Yoani but heads the island's top human rights group.
The bill in question was introduced Feb. 23 by Rep. Collin Peterson, a Minnesota Democrat, and would bar the president from prohibiting travel to Cuba or blocking transactions required to make such trips.

It also would halt the White House from stopping direct transfers between U.S. and Cuban banks. That would make it easier for the island's government to pay for U.S. food and farm exports, which have been allowed for a decade, despite Washington's 48-year-old trade embargo.

Thursday's letter said, "to be benevolent with the dictatorship would mean solidarity with the oppressors of the Cuban nation." It featured 492 signers from all over Cuba, but most were little-known, even among the island's small and divided dissident and political opposition community.
Lifting the travel restrictions and allowing direct transfers between U.S. and Cuban banks, will most certainly lead to allowing Cuba credit for its purchases, specifically from agricultural states where farms and other agricultural businesses are heavily subsidized by the US tax payer. When the regime defaults on those credits, the responsibility for repayment will fall upon the American taxpayer.
 
More than 15 million of tourists which have visited Cuba over the past decade, haven’t been able to influence a political and economic opening of Castro’s totalitarian regime, nor will be the millions of American tourists that will visit Cuba. How is possible to believe that tourism and trade with the United States can do it?

The majority of tourists in the island stay at hotels located in isolate places, where their contact whit the ordinary Cuban population is very limited. The hotel workers are prohibited to interact with foreigners outside of their workplace. The regimen has put in place a tourist apartheid system.

The lifting of the travel restrictions shall not be base on the incorrect assumption that a large number of US tourists will trigger a clamor for democracy in Cuba. James Cason, former chief of the US Interests Section in Havana, said: ''Tourism has not brought down a totalitarian regime anywhere in history.''
 
James Cason, former chief of the US Interests Section in Havana, said: ''Tourism has not brought down a totalitarian regime anywhere in history.''

I can't see much difference between the totalitarian system they have now, and the totalitarian systems we had here 40 years ago.

We both live and die as slaves. The only difference is their slaves are forced to work and often punished and our slaves can leave and find another job with another slave boss.

ricksfolly
 
Nobody really cares about the dissidents plights and only seek cordial relations with the Castros regime. Tourists and investors won't remove Cuba from their itinerary due to the harsh conditions of the political prisoners.

Has the Cuba travel ban ever had its intended result?

Yes, because tourism is the main source of income for the regime, which is operated by the military. The US sanctions against tourism in Cuba prevent the increase in funds for Castro repressive military regime.
 
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You can fly to Cuba via a third country like Canada, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Caiman Islands, ect. Cuban authorities won't stamp your passport, and you won’t be counted among the visitors to the island. You have to bring cash or have a credit card issued by a bank in another country.

Congressman Collin Peterson just wants the farmers from his state Minnesota to be able to sell their grain on easier terms to Cuba. He doesn’t care if the Castro regime defaults on the payment, because the American taxpayers will be ones picking up the bill, since the Federal Government guarantee the farmers sale in case of default.
 
As long as Fidel Castro is alive and in charge, investments are a huge risk. Cuba owes everyone money, a staggering debt of $60 billions, and does not pay its bills simply because they do not generate any wealth. Since 1992 the Cuba regime hasn’t paid the external debt and therefore cannot obtain more credit from many countries. It would take a real dummy to make any type of investment in Cuba under the present regime.

Let me give you the name of some real dummies: Rafael Correa (Ecuador) he already "bought" some electrical generators (crap) fron Cuba, and Cuba got them from Hyundai (Korea), nice hu!. He paid DOUBLE for them, and guess what: that happened in January 2009 and by today November 2010 The "generators" hasn't arrived to Ecuador. In the same line you'll find Evo Morales (Bolivia), Lula (Brazil), and the biggest one: Hugo Chavez (Venezuela).
 
There's one simple solution to end this so called embargo:

The Castro brothers should HONOR the "love" they say they have for their people, so they should quit.

Don't you think that Cuban people deserves that "sacrifice"???

But, they won't do it, just because THEIR EGOS are way more important than their country itself.
 
Let me give you the name of some real dummies: Rafael Correa (Ecuador) he already "bought" some electrical generators (crap) fron Cuba, and Cuba got them from Hyundai (Korea), nice hu!. He paid DOUBLE for them, and guess what: that happened in January 2009 and by today November 2010 The "generators" hasn't arrived to Ecuador. In the same line you'll find Evo Morales (Bolivia), Lula (Brazil), and the biggest one: Hugo Chavez (Venezuela).
The approval of credits to the Castro brothers’ regime by the United States would only replace the Soviet subsidy that they no longer receive. This will has the effect of delaying the transition to democracy in the island guaranteeing additional decades of subjugation and suffering. Castro brothers’ military force and the repressive security service then will be sustained by the credits from the U.S. government.
 
I can't see much difference between the totalitarian system they have now, and the totalitarian systems we had here 40 years ago.

We both live and die as slaves. The only difference is their slaves are forced to work and often punished and our slaves can leave and find another job with another slave boss.

ricksfolly

Try moving to Cuba and make a living with $40 a month. I bet you will notice the difference ;-)
 
The approval of credits to the Castro brothers’ regime by the United States would only replace the Soviet subsidy that they no longer receive. This will has the effect of delaying the transition to democracy in the island guaranteeing additional decades of subjugation and suffering. Castro brothers’ military force and the repressive security service then will be sustained by the credits from the U.S. government.

That’s a very interesting point. Let’s not forget the Castro’s plan to be sustained by Brazil.
It was Castro who promoted Lula da Silva in Brazil. It only happened that after Lula won the elections he wasn’t as generous as Castro expected. Then Castro promoted the “Foro de Sao Paulo” which was solely to re-engineer Castro’s plans to dominate South America and to find a new “sponsor” who better than a moron with oil money than Chavez?

Chavez has sustained Cuba during the last decade and he will keep doing it. The only problem they are having right now is that Venezuela is becoming another Cuba, that is, Venezuelans are becoming as poor as Cubans, and they will soon be looking together for another “sponsor”.

It’s just an announced failure where the “embargo” has nothing to do.
 
Cubans vote with their feet when they escape from Dr. Castro’s paradise island. There are 1.7 millions Cuban-Americans living in the US, and 600,000 Cubans in the rest of the world, for a total of 2.3 millions. The actual population in Cuba is 11.4 millions. The 2.3 millions living abroad represent 20% of the population in the island.
 
The effect of the US embargo is minimal on the regime economy, it only represent 6% of the regime commerce with the rest of the world

What the regime is after are loans and lines of credit guaranteed by the US. These credits and loans will not be paid and the US taxpayers will be the ones to pick up the debt, as it happens at the present time with the taxpayers of other countries. The regime has a staggering debt of $68 billion with other countries.

The regime problems are not the result of the embargo; they are due to the corruption and ineffectiveness of a military dictatorship that is against private property and free enterprise. These and no others are the real reasons of the problems.

Lifting the embargo and travel ban, without meaningful changes in Cuba, will guarantee the continuation of the current totalitarian structures, strengthen state enterprises, since money will flow into businesses owned by the Cuban military dictatorship, and lead to greater repression and control by the Castro brothers and corrupt military leadership to counteract U.S. influence in support of a transition to democracy on the island.
 
US sales to Cuba in 2008 reach $801 million. Import totaled $14.25 billion (Anuario Estadístico de Cuba - 2008)

This represents 5.62% of the regime commerce with the rest of the world. Without the embargo the debt with the US could be similar to the debt of 30 billion with the EU countries.
 
The effect of the US embargo is minimal on the regime economy, it only represent 6% of the regime commerce with the rest of the world

What the regime is after are loans and lines of credit guaranteed by the US. These credits and loans will not be paid and the US taxpayers will be the ones to pick up the debt, as it happens at the present time with the taxpayers of other countries. The regime has a staggering debt of $68 billion with other countries.
Sources of the regime debt figures:

The Paris Club on December 31, 2009 released a list of debtor nations and coming in at second place just behind Indonesia is Cuba, owing $30.41 billion. By now shall be near 31 billion. (Cuba Paris Club’s 2nd Leading Debtor - Havana Times.org)

The regime owns $22 billion to the countries of the old socialist campus, $6 billion to Venezuela and another $10 billion to other countries. This data is from 2006, by now the debt must be larger. (CUBA FACTS).

Based on these figures, the total debts reach $68 billion, the exact figure I quoted.

Club de Paris site
(Club de Paris: Encours du Club de Paris)
 
Yoani can support the view of the group she agrees with and that mean the Cuban dissidents are practicing their freedom to have different opinions and strategies. They are showing the world what could be the future of Cuba under a democratic government. A government where everyone will have the opportunity to pursue happiness and their political goals. Each group, the 74 that support the bill that would lift the US travel ban to Cuba, and the 494 that opposite it, are pursuing their goals to bring change. Their ultimate goal is the same, a free Cuba.
 
Why Lift the Travel Ban to Cuba Now?[
Capitol Hill Cubans: Why Lift the Travel Ban to Cuba Now?

Waves of Canadian, European and Latin American visitors haven't changed a thing.

BY MARY ANASTASIA O'GRADY
June 28, 2010

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Honduran Supreme Court's decision to order the arrest of Manuel Zelaya, a power-hungry Hugo Chávez acolyte who tried to remain president for life.

It's something to celebrate: Thanks to the bravery of the court and the Congress, which voted to remove him from office, democracy was saved.
Mary A. O'grady makes a sound assessment about the lift of the travel band. Some members of the administration that are trying to pass a bill to remove the travel ban, seem more interested in their agenda than the plight of the Cuban people. For 51 years they have suffered a great deal under the boot of the Castros the military regime. The band should be lifted after the regimen make human-rights concession and show disposition to adopt a democratic system.
 
Those US citizens who want to go to Cuba and provide moral and financial support to the regime do so. They go to Mexico, Canada or other Caribbean countries, and from there, without their passports being stamped by the regime authorities, they flight to Cuba. Around 34,000 US citizens sneak into Cuba that way each year. It is estimated that 50% of the tourist from other countries that go to Cuba are sex tourist.
 
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