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CUBA POLITICS SECTION - Havana Journal > US Embargo
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Rob Sequin | Havana Journal
Maybe it is premature to declare the end of a US policy that is almost fifty years old but the Havana Journal is closely watching developments that appear to lay a path towards lifting the travel and/or trade Embargo against Cuba. We are listing events, although may not appear to be immediately related to changes in US Cuba policy, we think collectively the events below are related to the big picture of changing US Cuba policy.
We will update this article as events develop.
May 23, 2008: Presidential candidate Obama says he…
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Whither U.S.-Cuba Policy?
A Dialogue Between Policy Makers and Scholars
Opening Speakers: Senator John Kerry and Congressman Bill Delahunt
DATE: Friday, November 6, 2009
TIME: Guests to be seated by 1.15pm; Talk begins at 1.30pm
PLACE: Boston University Trustees Ballroom (9th Floor), 1 Silber Way (formerly 1 Sherborn Street), Boston, MA 02215

The conference will begin with opening speeches from Senator Kerry and Congressman Delahunt, which will be followed by a set of panel discussions on the future of U.S - Cuba relations featuring Jorge Dominguez, Mark Entwistle,…
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By Sebastian Smith | AFP
The UN General Assembly called overwhelmingly Wednesday on US President Barack Obama’s administration to end Washington’s Cold War-era trade embargo against Cuba.
This was the 18th year running that the UN General Assembly condemned US trade restrictions on the communist-ruled island.
The non-binding vote was backed by 187 countries, ranging from Latin American neighbors of Cuba to members of the European Union and other close US allies.
Only Israel and tiny Palau supported the United States, while Micronesia and the Marshall Islands abstained.
The margin of opposition to the US embargo has grown steadily since…
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BY JUAN O. TAMAYO | El Nuevo Herald
A powerful campaign to allow all Americans to travel to Cuba is rumbling through Congress, with both backers and opponents predicting eventual victory and a Cuban-American Senator holding a key vote.
Approval of the measures would have a profound impact on U.S.-Cuba relations, unleashing an estimated one million American tourists to visit the island and undermining White House control of policy toward Havana.
``There would be an explosion of contacts between Americans and Cubans . . . that would almost overshadow what the two governments are doing,’‘ said Phil Peters, a Cuba…
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CaliforniaChronicle.com
Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D – CA), and Congressman Jeff Flake (R-AZ) released a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report (GAO-09-951R), which they requested from the GAO, which outlines the steps President Obama and Congress can take to bring an end to the failed U.S. embargo of Cuba.
“It is our hope that this GAO report (on the Cuban Embargo) will serve as a road map to finally reject a failed and outdated policy that has not resulted in any advances for the Cuban or American people,” Rangel said.…
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By MATTHEW LEE and PAUL HAVEN | The Associated Press
A senior American diplomat has held unannounced, high-level talks in Havana with the Cuban government, three State Department officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday, raising hopes for a thaw in long-icy relations.
The talks were the first of their kind in years between representatives of the U.S. and Cuban governments, the bitter Cold War rivals among whom trust appears to be gradually building.
Bisa Williams, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, met with Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Dagoberto Rodriguez, visited an area affected by…
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Havana Journal Inc. supports this event. (Text courtesy of CubaGO email)
Call Congress and urge them to support the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act (HR 874 and S 428). This will be a nation-wide action day.
They’ve created a website for all things CubaGO! that they want to share with all of you. Visit CubaGO.info to register your event and to find all the resources you’ll need to get involved (including scripts and congressional contact search engines) for your activities.
T-shirts and Stickers
CubaGO! T-shirts and End the Travel ban stickers are available to thank you…
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By Fabiola Moura| Bloomberg
Legislation to end a ban on Americans traveling to Cuba has enough support in the U.S. House of Representatives to win approval by year-end, said Representative Sam Farr, a California Democrat.
The bill to let U.S. citizens resume travel to the Caribbean island except in times of war or cases in which they face imminent danger has 181 votes in the House and needs 218 to pass, said Farr, a co-sponsor of the legislation. The plan is backed by travel groups such as the United States Tour Operators Association and the National Tour Association and human…
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Andy Turner | Latin America Working Group
Six months into the sea change in Washington, a new policy towards Cuba looks promising. The two estranged neighbors have a lot to talk about and to agree on—from migration to mail service, hurricane preparedness, healthcare, environmental protection, energy, security, scholarships and a whole host of other issues. All reports from recent diplomatic efforts have been positive. But the type of shift we need will not likely come straight from the White House, though we would welcome more action from the administration. That is why the focus is on “Travel for All” and…
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By AMY TAXIN and WILL WEISSERT | Associated Press
In this July 20, 2009 photo, US citizen Mytchel Mora speaks with the Associated Press
A U.S. citizen trying to challenge the ban on travel to Cuba on Friday bemoaned his inability to get arrested or cited — even after having his passport stamped in Havana and bringing back Cuban memorabilia.
Mytchell Mora, a 39-year-old freelance entertainment news producer, said he told U.S. customs officials he broke the law after flying through Costa Rica home to Los Angeles early Friday.
Officials punched some information about him into…
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