Fencing in Cuba

[foildad]

Can Americans legally visit Cuba to fence?

[Army Fencer]

The best way to do that is if you're going to a World Cup down there. Unfortunately, they don't have one there this year (at least in epee).

I went there legally last year.

[afc fencer]

You would have to go on the usfa's license they have. The only way the usfa would let u go under their licenese is if you were going for a world cup. However a couple years back when the cubans cancaled a junior world cup on short notice the americans signed up to go were invited by the cubans to come and train and the usfa permitted those who wanted to go.

I also went legally last year.
I think that the senior world cup for womens saber is still there.

[Pelle]

i can go to cuba legally all the time! i went two years ago on holiday, my secret you may ask? my county does not have a trade embargo on cuba! horaay! but what you americains can do is fly to cuba from canada. fly to toronto or w.e then take air canada to cuba! im sure more planning is involved but it shouldn't be too difficult

[kalivor]

i can go to cuba legally all the time! i went two years ago on holiday, my secret you may ask? my county does not have a trade embargo on cuba! horaay! but what you americains can do is fly to cuba from canada. fly to toronto or w.e then take air canada to cuba! im sure more planning is involved but it shouldn't be too difficult

That wouldn't make it *legal* for an American to visit Cuba, however.

[Pelle]

That wouldn't make it *legal* for an American to visit Cuba, however.

no? i thought it meant that the us goverment and trade and whatnot would not be involved in cuba but its residents could go there if they traveled from another country. personally i think what the US is doing to Cuba is unnecissary, its not like they're a threat to anyone and fighting communism is soooo 1950-1980

[oso97]

No, US Citizens are not allowed to travel to Cuba, except under clearly defined (and applied for in advance) circumstances.

And it has less to do with fighting communism than Florida election politics...

[nahouw]

no? i thought it meant that the us goverment and trade and whatnot would not be involved in cuba but its residents could go there if they traveled from another country.

The US embargo, in the way that it was cleverly worded, prohibits travel indirectly, because it specifically states that Americans can't spend money in Cuba unless they have either a specific or general license from the US Treasury department or are fully hosted by the Cuban government. By going to a FIE sanctioned fencing competition in Cuba, you will have all the paperwork required from the USFA that constitutes your general license. For arranging your travel, you can go through another country (much easier, faster, cheaper choice) or you can get your visa directly via the State Department (which takes several weeks/months, and costs about 5 times more than the regular tourist visa from the airport). Officially licensed travel agencies in the US (who are the only ones who can book direct flights from Miami or JFK) won't book your flight without seeing the paperwork, however, there are very many off-shore travel agencies that will find you a flight from a 3rd country, even without paperwork.

Many, many Americans travel to Cuba through a 3rd country without a license every year with no ramifications, so this embargo is just a political tool, which the rest of the world sees it for what it is. There are measures in the House and Senate to knock this down, but we have a President who is adamant about increasing restrictions (side bar: why you ask? the rest of the world has invested in Cuba to help develop tourism in this countiry -- if the US thought by the embargo they will force Castro out, it hasn't happened in over 40 years -- why would you think it would happen now??? Especially when the rest of Europe is helping Cuba develop????).

That is why the all-inclusive pre-paid trips via Canadian travel agencies are so popular -- you spend your money with a Canadian business and will never spend money in Cuba, so you are not violating the law. The Canadians, where also clever, and saw this loophole.

Actually, the American fencers who stay in a single at the Melia while in Havana, even though they have a general license, are actually breaking the law. The law also provides for a per diem amount that you are allowed to spend, and the cost of the Melia exceeds the daily amount.

This law is unconstitutional because you can't restrict someone's freedom to travel. If you go to Cuba and do ever get stopped for questioning, then your action must be to not respond to any questions -- just request a hearing and then contact the National Lawyers Association in DC -- they have been looking for years for a case to get this struck down in the courts. Your other choice of not responding on the immigration slip that you were in fact in Cuba is a bad option to take -- there is a seperate law on the books for failure to answer this question truthfully, and that is a seperate federal offense -- hence, a nice little catch-22 . Keep in mind, that everybody who has ever asked for a hearing has never received one -- the matter just then disappeared, because the Government knows that if they pursue a hearing, this will get struck down in the courts.

Also, a recent development in Cuba-US relations to be aware of: Cuba has been using the US dollar as their currency for foreign travelers ever since the foreign investment into their travel industry began 5-6 years ago. Just most recently, the US Government fined a Swiss bank when they were converting US dollars received from Cuba (side bar: if Swiss banking rules guarantee the utmost privacy, how did the US Government find this out??). Cuba's response to this US fine against the Swiss bank is that they will immediately cease to use the US dollar as their currency for foreigners, and will now use their convertible pesos. In addition, Cuba has now implemented a policy that when changing US dollars, a10% penalty over and above the exchange rate will be incurred. So, for anybody travelling to Cuba, be aware that it is best to bring with you either Canadian dollars or Euros, which ever one has the better exchange rate with the US dollar.

Over the years, I have travelled through many countries to get to Cuba, and I have found that the best 3rd party countries to travel to Cuba through are Canada and the Bahamas -- both these countries think that this embargo is ridiculous, and they will let you proceed through customs with no questions asked, rather, just a sympathetic understanding as to how ridiculous it is.

The Junior World Cup in Havana has been cancelled for this year. Under the new FIE rules that any country could only host 4 World Cups, Havana will not be having a Men's Epee and a Men's Sabre.

[nahouw]

No, US Citizens are not allowed to travel to Cuba, except under clearly defined (and applied for in advance) circumstances.

And it has less to do with fighting communism than Florida election politics...

Absolutely correct -- that is what it is really about.

However, when Bush created the last restriction about 6 months ago that Cubans will not be allowed to visit families every year, but rather every 3 years, I don't know who he was trying to appease -- there are some in the Miami Cuban community that like to see more restrictions, however, many reports out of Florida newspapers showed that this just got many Cuban-Americans more upset.

[mrbiggs]

Absolutely correct -- that is what it is really about.

However, when Bush created the last restriction about 6 months ago that Cubans will not be allowed to visit families every year, but rather every 3 years, I don't know who he was trying to appease -- there are some in the Miami Cuban community that like to see more restrictions, however, many reports out of Florida newspapers showed that this just got many Cuban-Americans more upset.

That's odd....I don't know why any candidate in his right mind would want to piss off the people who single-handedly decided the election last year.

[nahouw]

That's odd....I don't know why any candidate in his right mind would want to piss off the people who single-handedly decided the election last year.

I agree -- I think that he is just banking on the past antiquated Republican policies towards this group carrying their vote as a group, without realizing that the needs of this group have changed -- in the past, these Cubans were upset as to having to leave their country under Batista and supported Republicans; now, it is a 2-generation change, and his hard-line oppressive rules against them will backfire on him -- just goes to the point that he is really out-of-touch with the people, and that he just doesn't understand that after 2 generations, one becomes an American.

SInce most of the old Cubans from the Batista era are no longer with us, their descendants that have lived and understand democracy are now the majority within the Cuban population in Miami. By Bush' edict for the change of how often they can visit their relatives, they see how this is just too restrictive and wrong -- and at least thankfully, they are now living in a country in which they can fight it. Perhaps, we will see, in this election,

All the times that I was in Cuba, all the people spoke most affectionately and fondly towards Clinton and how he had eased restrictions and normalized relations with Cuba -- all I hear now in Cuba about Bush is what is this guy doing...

[Army Fencer]

All the times that I was in Cuba, all the people spoke most affectionately and fondly towards Clinton and how he had eased restrictions and normalized relations with Cuba -- all I hear now in Cuba about Bush is what is this guy doing...

Yes, but they are just as dissaffected about Castro.