Yahoo! June 22, 2000
Americans Can Legally Travel to Cuba With Non-Profit Organization
Company Press Release. SOURCE: Cross-Cultural Solutions. Thursday June 22, 5:20 am Eastern Time
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., June 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Cross-Cultural Solutions, a not-for profit humanitarian organization, has developed a one-week travel program called Insight Cuba. This one-of-a-kind program enables the visitor to travel to Cuba legally and experience firsthand the everyday life of
Cuban citizens. Participants interact with artists and writers in their studios, teachers and students at local schools, farmers and tobacco rollers on their farms; and meet with women's groups and religious leaders as they explore several cities and towns.
Granted a license from the US Treasury Department to promote cross-cultural exchange, ``CCS' Insight Cuba Program gives participants special access to people and places, and insight into Cuban life'' said Steven Rosenthal, Executive Director of Cross-Cultural Solutions. ``We launched this travel
program to help foster friendships and a greater understanding between the American and Cuban people,'' he said.
Cross-Cultural Solutions also offers Insight Programs to India, Ghana and Peru. All of these programs are a departure from the regular tourist path with small groups (a maximum of 15 people) and the opportunity to directly interact with tribal chiefs, social pioneers, traditional healers and
women's groups while they visit villages, shantytowns, places of worship, cultural treasures; and partake in key festivals and rituals. Participants are also introduced to local cuisines, music and dance.
CCS Insight Programs:
-- Provide access to people and places the average travel would rarely
see;
-- Offer insight into the culture and community development;
-- Empower local communities and further social progress;
-- Foster cultural sensitivity, understanding and humanitarianism;
-- Promote the conservation of a country's heritage.
Cross-Cultural Solutions' Insight Travel Programs use only local services -- including in-country staff, local hotels and transport companies, to ensure that as much revenue as possible stays within the country, and therefore benefits local communities.
To learn more about Cross-Cultural Solutions' Insight Travel Programs or Volunteer Vacation Programs please visit http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org or call 1-800-380-4777.
Cross-Cultural Solutions is a non-profit organization that involves citizens in humanitarian services to help make the world a better place. The Company facilitates these goals with actions that empower local communities, advance cultural understanding, and contribute solutions to the challenges
of international development with:
- international volunteer programs;
- community development travel programs; and
- global education and advocacy initiatives.
CANF Accuses House Republicans of Acting to Weaken U.S. Policy Toward Terrorist
Company Press Release. SOURCE: Cuban American National Foundation. Thursday June 22, 12:26 pm Eastern Time
Nations; Group Calls Sell-Out of U.S. Foreign Policy Unconscionable
WASHINGTON, June 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cuban American National Foundation today criticized members of the House Republican Conference who are advocating the opening of U.S. commercial ties with countries on the State Department's list of countries that sponsor international terrorism.
``It is unconscionable and it is unthinkable that certain members of the House Republican Conference would be considering opening up U.S. commercial relations with regimes that support terrorist acts directed at the U.S. and harbor U.S. fugitives,'' said CANF Chairman Jorge Mas. ``It is an
egregious policy and bad politics.''
Mas was referring to a proposal championed by Reps. George Nethercutt (R-WA) and Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), that would unilaterally lift certain trade restrictions on rogue nations under U.S. sanctions because of the abhorrent policies and actions of their governments. The controversial measure,
which is opposed by the House Republican leadership, has currently stalled passage of the Agriculture Appropriations bill.
``Not only is it compromising U.S. principles to open up trade with rogue nations -- but these Republicans are selling out cheap. Combined, the states on the terrorist list make up only 1.9 percent of world agricultural trade, and in the case of Cuba it is downright deceiving to claim that it is
a viable and lucrative market for U.S. goods. The average Cuban earns $10 per month and any foreign businesses would have to contract directly with the bankrupt Castro regime. If these members of Congress are going to sell out on U.S. foreign policy and principles, at least make a good deal,'' said
Mas.
Mas continued, ``Moreover, it is the height of irresponsibility to talk about trade when not one of these countries -- Iran, Libya, the Sudan, Cuba, or North Korea -- has repudiated the use of violence to achieve its political goals, has evicted from its territory known terrorists, or has
withdrawn the type of logistical and financial support that makes international terrorist attacks happen. This is appeasement, pure and simple.''
``What we are talking about here is unrestricted trade with regimes that orchestrate, fund and carry out terrorist activities as well as harbor terrorists and other criminals including those responsible for the Pan Am 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland; the World Trade Center bombing; the
attack on the Kovar Towers; the recent bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania; the downing of U.S. civilian planes on February 24, 1996; the attack on American Jewish children like Alisa Flatow from New Jersey and numerous hostage situations involving U.S. citizens,'' Mas added.
The CANF Chairman again pointed to government figures that demonstrate that the market opportunities for trading with terrorist countries is dubious at best and certainly not worth the price of beginning to reverse a quarter- century's worth of U.S. policy towards terrorist countries. According
to the Foreign Agricultural Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the net cost of sanctions to the American agricultural economy amounts to just one percent of the $49 billion worth of farm exports the USDA projected for 1999. It adds that out of the more than over 200 countries
in the world, those countries on the terrorist list -- North Korea, Cuba, Libya, Sudan, Iran, and Iraq -- represent a 1.9 percent share of world agricultural trade.
Mas noted that members of the House Democratic leadership, Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-MO) and Chairman of the Democratic Conference Martin Frost (D-TX), last week publicly opposed the terror trade initiative and reaffirmed their support for current U.S. policy towards the Castro
dictatorship. ``We applaud the Democratic leadership's putting principle before profit and certainly hope that those Republican members regain some sense of the U.S. national interest.''
The Cuban American National Foundation (CANF) is a national research and education organization that promotes a free and democratic Cuba.
Bank Access Dispute Slows US-Cuba Sanctions Reform
By Charles Abbott
WASHINGTON, 21 (Reuters) - Members of Florida's congressional delegation fought on Wednesday to undercut a proposed easing of the U.S. embargo on Cuba by denying the Castro government access to U.S. bank loans to pay for American food and medicine.
Access to U.S. bank loans was a major dispute in legislative scuffling over a push by farm and business groups for unfettered food and medicine sales to Havana.
If approved it would be the most significant relaxation of the embargo in nearly a decade and would follow similar overtures by the United States to North Korea and China. The United States imposed sanctions on Cuba four decades ago as Fidel Castro, leader of the 1959 revolution and now Cuba's
president, turned to the Soviet Union for support.
Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives have tried since early May to derail the proposal or to broker a compromise between farm-state lawmakers and defenders of the embargo. All sides denied a published report that Republican leaders were dropping their opposition to the sales.
``There's no deal in the pocket yet,'' said a spokesman for Washington state Republican Rep. George Nethercutt, sponsor of the proposal to exempt food and medicine from all unilateral U.S. embargoes.
But, the spokesman said, ``We're certainly encouraged'' by the negotiations and growing momentum to modify the embargo.
Leaders may decide to settle the matter with a showdown vote on the floor, which each side says it would win, if there is no resolution in the next few days.
Farm groups view Cuba as a potentially lucrative market. A study commissioned by the World Policy Institute, a New York think tank, estimated annual food and medicine sales could be as high as $440 million five years after they were authorized.
Lawmakers from Florida, where the Cuban-American community is a political force, wanted to prevent Cuba from getting U.S. credits or loans. ``We have a series of goals. Not all of them were met (in negotiations),'' said an aide to Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, a Florida Republican.
U.S. sales would be jeopardized if Cuba is denied access to private U.S. banks, said a lobbyist for the American Farm Bureau Federation, the largest U.S. farm group. ``That's just too much.''
Farm-state lawmakers prefer the less restrictive language of their proposal, which would affect Iran, Libya, Sudan and North Korea as well as Cuba. It would bar the use of federal credit guarantees to facilitate U.S. export sales.
Cuba imports about $700 million in food each year. Skeptics say U.S. sales could be limited by Cuba's lack of hard currency and by possible reluctance in Havana for large-scale imports that may challenge government control of the economy.
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said his department has not tried to gauge the Cuban market, with or without use of federal export credits. But he told the House Agriculture Committee, ``There's no question there's an opportunity there.''
California Democrat Rep. Calvin Dooley questioned the value of authorizing sales without backing it up with financing. ''This is not an effective policy we're floating here,'' Dooley said.
Proponents say economic engagement can do more to foster democracy than continued attempts to isolate Castro and would bolster weak U.S. grain prices while improving the standard of living of most of Cuba's 11 million people.
``How do you make our farm (policy) work without offering our producers every opportunity to sell their product?'' Missouri Republican Rep. Jo Ann Emerson asked recently.
Defenders of the embargo say Cuba must take steps toward democracy to earn the reward of closer U.S. relations.
``This regime has done nothing to justify a change in our policy toward them,'' said Sen. Joseph Lieberman, a Connecticut Democrat.
Under provisions pending in the House and Senate, food and medicine would be exempt from unilateral embargoes unless Congress agreed otherwise. No U.S. export credits would be offered to formerly sanctioned countries. One-year licenses would be required for sales to countries suspected of
sponsoring terrorism.
Senate Debates Foreign Aid Bill
By Tom Raum, Associated Press Writer.
WASHINGTON, 21 (AP) - The Senate fended off efforts Wednesday to scale back President Clinton's package of anti-narcotics assistance to Colombia, giving new life to a measure that has languished for months.
Senators demonstrated strong support for the plan, which contains $934 million for Colombia, as they worked toward passage of a foreign aid bill for the fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1.
Final approval of the overall $13.4 billion foreign aid bill was expected Thursday.
The bulk of the Colombia money would go toward training special counter-narcotics battalions in the Colombian military and for dozens of American-made helicopters for transporting troops and drug surveillance.
It would help the Colombian military combat left-wing guerrilla and right-wing paramilitary groups that are protecting cocaine and heroin traffickers.
The House has passed the Colombia anti-narcotics money, but as part of another piece of legislation. It has not yet taken up its version of the foreign aid bill.
The overall foreign aid bill is $1.7 billion less than Clinton had requested in foreign aid, drawing strong complaints - but no veto threats - from the Clinton administration.
The administration has been pressing Congress to complete work on the Colombia funds for months.
The Senate turned back two attempts to reduce the package.
On a 89-11 vote, it rejected a move by Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., to chop $225 million and spend it instead on domestic drug treatment programs.
Wellstone argued that the measure could drag the United States into a lengthy, Vietnam-style military quagmire. ``It would be a tragic mistake for us to get involved in this civil war,'' he said.
Then, the Senate rejected 79-19 a proposal by Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash., that would have cut all but $200 million of the money. ``Let's not get into another new armed conflict,'' Gorton said.
But Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., said the spending was in the national interest. Colombia ``is in our neighborhood. The drugs that are coming out of Colombia are going right into the United States,'' Lott said.
Skepticism on Capitol Hill was fueled by the human rights record of the Colombian Army and a suspicion of links between the army and paramilitary units.
By voice vote, the Senate adopted an amendment by Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., that would release the money only after the administration certified in writing that it ``supports the military and political efforts of the government of Colombia'' to resolve conflicts with both the guerrillas and
paramilitaries.
The House voted earlier this year to provide $1.7 billion in anti-narcotics aid for Colombia over a two year period. The Senate bill only covers the first year.
On another Latin American issue, House leaders worked to try to resolve a deadlock on an agriculture spending bill caused by a dispute over efforts to ease sanctions on Cuba to permit sales of food and medicine.
The Senate passed such a measure last year, and the House Appropriations Committee recently endorsed such a policy.
But anti-Castro forces thus far have kept the entire agriculture bill from coming to the House floor.
House leaders have said that, generally, they would support some easing of the sanctions. A Tuesday night bargaining session failed to resolve all outstanding issues, leadership aides said.
``This stew ain't ready to serve yet,'' said John Feehery, a spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert. He said that ``some significant issues'' remained unresolved even though, ``We want to try to bring people together'' on the divisive issue.
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The Senate foreign aid bill is S. 2522
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Copyright © 2000 The Associated Press.
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