Summary
Even officials at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana are "incredibly ignorant" of what's happening in Cuba today, says Judy Greenberg, a Brattleboro psychologist who makes a point of talking with American diplomats whenever she travels to Cuba. Most recently, Greenberg led an OFAC-licensed group of Vermont health care and social service workers who met with their Cuban counterparts. Workers at the U.S. Interests Section are prohibited from traveling more than 10 miles from their desks in Havana, while the same limitation is applied to Cubans staffing their country's Interests Section in Washington. "It used to be an even shorter distance," Greenberg notes, "but it was expanded because the Americans wanted to go to the beach and the Cubans wanted to go to the mall."
These "friendshipments" are sponsored by Pastors for Peace, a national group that seeks to break the embargo. "Their work is clearly in defiance of U.S. restrictions, which is one of the reasons we support their efforts," [Dan MacArthur] says. And by traveling to Cuba himself in violation of OFACs rules, MacArthur aims to push the [Obama] administration into ending "this absurd policy."Political repression in Cuba is cited by U.S. officials as a key reason why the embargo remains in force. Cuba spokesman [Alberto Gonzalez] points out, however, that the U. S. maintains friendly relations with several countries regarded as systematic human rights abusers. "My government has said it is willing to discuss anything with the United States - anything," he declares, adding that Cuba expects the" United States to respect its "sovereignty and Cuba's positions on human rights and other issues."See the full content of this document
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Havana Club
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In 2008, when 14 Vermont Little Leaguers traveled to Cuba, a few of them asked one of their chaperones why they kept spotting images of Bob Marley on Havana billboards and buildings. It was actually Che Guevara's face they were seeing, says that chaperone, Thetford writer Ted Levin."We really need to promote some understanding," says Levin, who notes that it took him four tries and two year...See the full content of this document
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