Massive cruise liner docks in Cuba to much fanfare

Massive cruise liner docks in Cuba to much fanfare
By JENNY BARCHFIELD Associated Press Published: Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at 6:39 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at 6:39 p.m.

A salsa band, dancing schoolchildren and showgirls in bikini tops and feather headdresses welcomed some 1,500 tourists on a British cruise liner that officials described as among the biggest ships to visit Cuba in years.

Once a frequent sight here, cruise ships have become a rarity since 2006, after then President Fidel Castro complained that the industry did little more than flood this communist-governed country with trash.

But the cash-strapped government now led by Fidel's younger brother Raul appears to have taken a rosier view of late. Tourism Ministry official Jose Manuel Bisbe said the arrival of the Thomson Dream underscored the recent resurgence of cruise traffic to the island.

In a brief address to journalists as passengers in shorts and flip-flops streamed off the ship, Bisbe said a number of deals have been signed with European cruise operators to add regular stops in Cuban ports, and more accords are in the works.

More:
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20110105/API/1101052483?p=1&tc=pg

(The article indicates a recent downturn in cruise tours resulted when a Miami-based company bought a cruise line several years ago, and seriously slowed the Cuba business down, which is going to be picking up again now. No doubt we can expect to see a few "exile" bombings made to try to scare off the increasing tourist trade, again.)

They are among the best.

One thing I'm expecting to see are some busts by Cuban security, breaking up some Miami run terra ops, and then the subsequent howling and poutrage by the exile terrorist supporters here at the Castro regime's repression of bombers who are just trying to freely express themselves.

Church to host 'people's tribunal' for ex-CIA operative Luis Posada Carriles
By Diana Washington Valdez / El Paso Times
Posted: 01/06/2011 12:46:58 PM MST


A former U.S. attorney general and a lawyer for the Venezuelan government are among the people expected for a "people's tribunal" Sunday to consider allegations against ex-CIA operative Luis Posada Carriles.

The symbolic proceeding will take place at a Central El Paso church a day before his federal trial is set to begin on 11 immigration-related charges.

Mary Gourdoux, a spokeswoman for the organizers of the tribunal, said the it will take place at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Unitarian Universalist Community of El Paso, 4425 Byron, and is open to the public.

Participants will include Dallas native Ramsey Clark, the U.S. Attorney General under President Lyndon Baines Johnson; Jose Pertierra, lawyer representing Venezuela's extradition order for Posada; Keith Bolender, author of a book on Miami-based terrorism and Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, co-founder of Partnership for Justice.

The following day, activists who are asking the U.S. government to extradite Posada to Venezuela will conduct a protest at 8 a.m. in front of the federal courthouse Downtown.

Posada critics contend that the former U.S.-trained operative and foe of Fidel Castro should be tried on terrorism charges for his alleged role in the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner that killed 73 people.

~~~~~~~~~~~ snip ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Unitarian Universalist Community of El Paso is hosting the tribunal because there is lack of public awareness about Posada's history, said Janet Kincaid, a church spokeswoman.

"We hope the tribunal will offer a sense of justice and peace to the families of Posada's victims and provide a learning experience for the public," she said.



http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_17025739

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I am less than two hours from El Paso and had planned to go. Unfortunately an older brother is very ill and near death so cannot be in El Paso on Sunday and Monday. Suggest you and Judi be on the alert to post on DU on Monday when the trial begins. Will be very interesting whether the U.S. federal court judge finds him guilty on the immigration charges. But not likely he will be shipped off to Venezuela.

I will keep you and your family in my prayers.
Take care.
:hug:

Hummmm ... what is to keep U.S. citizens from getting on that British-flagged ship in the future?

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BB, thank you for your prayers. It is a gut wrenching watching someone fade away.

of money in Cuba if you hold a US passport.

The Cubans staple your visa into your passport rather than stamp it so that you can tear the evidence out when leaving.

US citizens have been visiting Cuba for years mostly via Canada and Mexico. I hear it's a good place to vacation and a great place to dive.

Common belief holds that U.S. citizens and foreign residents are forbidden by law to travel to Cuba. This is not true. The applicable legislation is the Trading with the Enemy Act under which the restriction is not on travel but on the spending of money in Cuba. Of course one can practically equate the ban on spending money in Cuba to a travel ban because in normal circumstances a visitor must spend on accommodations, food and other necessities.

Exceptions to the ban on spending money in Cuba are allowed by licenses issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the Treasury Department.

Next up: medical tourism to evil socialist countries

which are not necessary for holiday up to 30 days - just need a travel card for that and those cards are not attached to the passport : neither are passports stamped. As such visits to Cuba remain invisible.

As a tourist : By law in Cuba, you have to have pre booked at least three nights accommodation at a hotel in Cuba, and if you haven’t, you will be forced to stay in the airport until you’ve purchased your accommodation from the airport where the prices will be high and the choice often poor.

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/article/Cuba/Cuba-visa-regulations/265

Although I've used a UK link what's written there applies to the US too.

btw - the US no longer stamps passports either or at least not for UK's anyway.

Not a lot. Such cruises don't normally leave from the UK. Tourists from Europe fly out to the Caribbean , Mexico wherever and then go on the cruise. Theoretically possible to catch the cruise over your side.

:hi:

It's unbearable knowing there is nothing you can do to protect your loved one going through this crisis. Your physical presence will undoubtedly be so meaningful.

Will be thinking of you and your family during this time, too.

Thanks for telling us about Luis Posada Carriles. This trial sneaked up from out of nowhere, it seems.
Had no idea it was time, and they couldn't postpone it any longer.

I'll bet the US gov't would be just fine if Posada vanished into thin air. He has been a liability to them, no doubt, being a guy with so much information about the CIA, about covert ops, dirty ops, assassinations, plots, involvement in dope-trafficking, etc., etc. He's far more trouble than he's worth to the U.S. government now, and a constant embarrassment.

Will definitely be keeping an eye out for anything concerning this old professional assassin, criminal.

Have a safe trip. Our thoughts will be with you and yours.

I don't see much "exile bombing" in the future. I understand the exiles are very happy to see the Castro regime evolving towards capitalism. Most of them are now sitting in their offices working out the kind of business they'll finance for their relatives in Cuba, and how to incorporate in third countries so they can buy property and do other business with Cuba.