Posted in reply to the post by "Mad" Miles:
I have never been to Cuba. But I've known people who went with the Venceremos Brigades back in the eighties and early nineties. My understanding is that it is illegal in the U.S. for Americans to travel to Cuba, unless you have family members there and that requires some kind of special permission, or visa.
What Americans (U.S.) do is to travel to Mexico City, or any other foreign capital with direct flights to Havana and they get a visa there at the Cuban consulate. I even understand that as a courtesy the Cubans do not stamp U.S. passports. Perhaps visas are available upon landing, but I do not know and I would confirm that ahead of time if I were considering a visit.
That's all pretty vague memory on my part, I could be wrong. About the visa availability and not stamping passports, that is. I am sure it is still illegal and the normal route is through Mexico City. It's also one of those crimes that isn't prosecuted, unless one gives the Feds extra reasons to pay attention to you.
I'm not a fan of the Cuban government, but I traveled in China where I have similar qualms, so it's not a big moral issue for me. But keep in mind that when you pay a visa fee, you're helping prop up a one-party military dictatorship which only pays lip service to democracy and democratic values. Of course, the same might be said about travel to the U.S., except that we claim to have two political parties.
I hear the Cuban people are very nice and eager for outside contact. I love their culture, food, music, art, etc. Have considered visiting myself some day, except that sunny, tropical climes aren't especially my cup of tea, especially when it's hot and muggy.
The creepiest thing I know about Cuba is that I read some ten years or so ago about how it has become a travel destination for older European and American men who want to use their relative wealth (relative to the impoverished Cuban economy) to arrange "relationships" with very young (as young as 14-15 years old, possibly younger) Cuban girls. Arrangements in which the girl's family is complicit since the income can support all of them. This is sick, I don't know if it is still going on, but I haven't heard any news that there's been push back, either officially or socially, against such practices. Just another contradiction between the Socialist values that Cuba supposedly represents, and the political, cultural and economic reality there. End The Blockade!
Lest anyone think I am a total critic of Cuba, I recognize the advances they have made under Castro's form of "Socialism" in the fields of health and education/literacy. Those accomplishments are remarkable and far beyond what has happened in most other Latin American and Caribbean nations.
(With perhaps some exceptions in some of the Caribbean countries that are former colonies of Britain, France, Holland and the U.S.. But I haven't researched this, it's just an impression.)