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Court rebukes state’s unconstitutional statute

The information that follows was taken from a press release by attorneys’ for plaintiffs in the case. At Progreso Weekly we ask that appropriate authorities investigate the actions taken by Governor Crist, House Speaker Marco Rubio and the law’s main sponsor, State Rep. David Rivera, and others who brought forward this law which most knew had no chance in any legitimate court in this country. For strictly political reasons, the aforementioned have cost Florida taxpayers more than a million dollars in bills to carry forward this travesty.)

Alvaro F. Fernandez

The Honorable Alan Gold of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida today (April 14) issued a final order striking down the Florida Travel Act Amendments as unconstitutional and a violation of the Supremacy Clause.

In 2008, the Florida legislature amended the Florida Travel Act in an attempt to end travel to Cuba from Florida. The law imposed penalties on Cuban American travel agencies and charter companies doing business with Cuba. Governor Charlie Crist signed the legislation. The law required travel agencies engaged in travel to Cuba to post bonds that were 10 to 25 times higher than those required of other travel agencies. It made any violation of any state or federal law a third degree felony if it involved travel to Cuba, but punished violators engaged in travel to other countries with misdemeanors. It required far higher registration fees and imposed many other onerous and punitive requirements on companies involved in the travel business to Cuba.

In striking down the law, the Court cited the United States government’s public opposition to the Florida statute. The Court found that the Florida Travel Act amendments interfere with federal law and regulations, and the foreign policy of the United States. The Court also noted the recent changes in U.S. policy in lifting travel restrictions to Cuba for Cuban Americans and in blunt terms stated:

“The State of Florida is not entitled to adopt a foreign policy under our Constitution or interfere with the exclusive prerogative of the United States to establish a carefully balanced approach to relations with foreign countries, including Cuba.”

The Court entered a permanent injunction against the amendment and a declaratory judgment declaring the law unconstitutional.

Ira J. Kurzban, lead counsel for Plaintiff charter companies and travel agencies, hailed the judge’s decision as a “clear, unequivocal statement that the Florida legislature has no business conducting its own foreign policy. At a time when the state lacks resources,” he said, “Florida legislators should be focused on the issues that are important to Floridians instead of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to uphold clearly unconstitutional laws such as the Travel Act amendments.”

What follows is the press release (translated to Spanish after the English) of the release issued by The White House this afternoon announcing new rules of travel and remittances by Cuban Americans who travel to Cuba.:

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 13, 2009

FACT SHEET: REACHING OUT TO THE CUBAN PEOPLE

Today, the Obama administration announced a series of changes in U.S. policy to reach out to the Cuban people in support of their desire to freely determine their country’s future.  In taking these steps to help bridge the gap among divided Cuban families and promote the freer flow of information and humanitarian items to the Cuban people, President Obama is working to fulfill the goals he identified both during his presidential campaign and since taking office.

All who embrace core democratic values long for a Cuba that respects basic human, political and economic rights of all its citizens. President Obama believes these measures will help make that goal a reality.

Cuban American connections to family in Cuba are not only a basic right in humanitarian terms, but also our best tool for helping to foster the beginnings of grassroots democracy on the island.  There are no better ambassadors for freedom than Cuban Americans.  Accordingly, President Obama will direct the Secretaries of State, Treasury, and Commerce to support the Cuban people’s desire for freedom and self-determination by lifting all restrictions on family visits and remittances as well as taking steps that will facilitate greater contact between separated family members in the United States and Cuba and increase the flow of information and humanitarian resources directly to the Cuban people.  The President is also calling on the Cuban government to reduce the charges it levies on cash remittances sent to the island so family members can be assured they are receiving the support sent to them.

Specifically, the President has directed the Secretaries of State, Treasury, and Commerce to take the needed steps to:

·         Lift all restrictions on transactions related to the travel of family members to Cuba.

·         Remove restrictions on remittances to family members in Cuba.

·         Authorize U.S. telecommunications network providers to enter into agreements to establish fiber-optic cable and satellite telecommunications facilities linking the United States and Cuba.

·         License U.S. telecommunications service providers to enter into roaming service agreements with Cuba’s telecommunications service providers.

·         License U.S. satellite radio and satellite television service providers to engage in transactions necessary to provide services to customers in Cuba.

·         License persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction to activate and pay U.S. and third-country s ervice providers for telecommunications, satellite radio and satellite television services provided to individuals in Cuba.

·         Authorize the donation of certain consumer telecommunication devices without a license.

·         Add certain humanitarian items to the list of items eligible for export through licensing exceptions.

REACHING OUT TO THE CUBAN PEOPLE

Supporting the Cuban people’s desire to freely determine their future and that of their country is in the national interest of the United States.  The Obama administration is taking steps to promote greater contact between separated family members in the United States and Cuba and increase the flow of remittances and information to the Cuban people.

Lift All Restrictions on Family Visits to Cuba

We will lift all restrictions on family visits to Cuba by authorizing such transactions by a general license, which will strengthen contacts and promote American good will. We will ensure the positive reach of this effort by:

·         Defining family members who may be visited to be persons within three degrees of family relationship (e.g., second cousins) and to allow individuals who share a common dwelling as a family with an authorized traveler to accompany them;

·         Removing limitations on the frequency of visits;

·         Removing limitations on the duration of a visit;

·         Authorizing expenditure amounts that are the same as non-family travel; and

·         Removing the 44-pound limitation on accompanied baggage.

Remove Restrictions on Remittances

We will remove restrictions on remittances to a person’s family member in Cuba to increase Cubans’ access to resources to help create opportunities for them by:

·         Authorizing remittances to individuals within three degrees of family relationship (e.g., second cousins) provided that no remittances shall be authorized to currently prohibited members of the Government of Cuba or currently prohibited members of the Cuban Communist Party;

·         Removing limits on frequency of remittances;

·         Removing limits on the amount of remittances;

·         Authorizing travelers to carry up to $3,000 in remittances; and

·         Establishing general license for banks and other depository institutions to forward remittances.

Authorize Greater Telecommunications Links with Cuba

We will authorize greater telecommunications links with Cuba to advance people-to-people interaction at no cost to the U.S. government. This will increase the means through which Cubans on the island can communicate with each other and with persons outside of Cuba.

·         Authorize U.S. telecommunications network providers to enter into agreements to establish fiber-optic cable and satellite telecommunications facilities linking the United States and Cuba.

·         License U.S. telecommunications service providers to enter into and operate under roaming service agreements with Cuba’s telecommunications service providers.

·         License U.S. satellite radio and satellite television service providers to engage in transactions necessary to provide services to customers in Cuba. 

·         License persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction to activate and pay U.S. and third-country service providers for telecommunications, satellite radio and satellite television services provided to individuals in Cuba, except certain senior Communist Party and Cuban government officials. 

·         Authorize, consistent with national security concerns, the export or re-export to Cuba of donated personal communications devices such as mobile phone systems, computers and software, and satellite receivers through a license exception.

Revise Gift Parcel Regulations

We will expand the scope of humanitarian donations eligible for export through license exceptions by:

·         Restoring clothing, personal hygiene items, seeds, veterinary medicines and supplies, fishing equipment and supplies, and soap-making equipment to the list of items eligible to be included in gift parcel donations;

·         Restoring items normally exchanged as gifts by individuals in “usual and reasonable” quantities to the list of items eligible to be included in gift parcel donations;

·        Expanding the scope of eligible gift parcel donors to include any individual;

·         Expanding the scope of eligible gift parcel donees to include individuals other than Cuban Communist Party officials or Cuban government officials already prohibited from receiving gift parcels, or charitable, educational or religious organizations not administered or controlled by the Cuban government; and

·         Increasing the value limit on non-food items to $800.

SPANISH TRANSLATION:

HOJA INFORMATIVA: ACERCAMIENTO AL PUEBLO CUBANO

Hoy, el gobierno del Presidente Obama anunció una serie de cambios en la política de Estados Unidos para acercarse al pueblo de Cuba a fin de apoyar a los cubanos en su anhelo por decidir libremente el futuro de su país. Al tomar estas medidas para ayudar a cerrar la brecha entre familias cubanas divididas y promover el libre flujo de información y artículos de ayuda humanitaria para el pueblo cubano, el Presidente Obama está  esforzándose por cumplir con los objetivos que se fijó durante su campaña presidencial y desde que asumió el cargo.

Todos aquellos que creen en los valores democráticos básicos anhelan una Cuba que respete los derechos humanos, políticos y económicos básicos de todos sus ciudadanos. El Presidente Obama considera que estas medidas ayudarán  a hacer realidad ese objetivo.

La conexión entre los cubanoamericanos y sus familiares en Cuba no sólo un derecho básico en términos humanitarios, sino también nuestra mejor herramienta para ayudar a promover el inicio de bases democráticas en la isla. No existen mejores embajadores de la libertad que los cubanoamericanos. Por consiguiente, el Presidente Obama dará instrucciones á los secretarios de Estado, el Tesoro y Comercio para que apoyen el anhelo de libertad y autonomía del pueblo cubano eliminando todas las restricciones a
visitas familiares y remesas, como también dando pasos que faciliten el contacto entre familiares separados en Estados Unidos y Cuba, y aumenten el intercambio de información y flujo de recursos humanitarios enviados directamente al pueblo cubano. El Presidente también está instando al gobierno cubano a que reduzca las cuotas que impone a las remesas de dinero a la isla, de manera que los familiares puedan tener la certeza de recibir la ayuda que se les envía.

Específicamente, el Presidente les ha dado instrucciones a los secretarios de Estado, el Tesoro y Comercio a fin de que tomen las medidas necesarias para:

* Eliminar todas las restricciones a las transacciones relacionadas con los viajes de familiares a Cuba.

* Eliminar las restricciones a las remesas a familiares en Cuba.

* Autorizar que proveedores de redes de telecomunicaciones en Estados Unidos tomen parte en acuerdos para instalar centros de telecomunicaciones por cable de fibra óptica y por satéli te entre Estados Unidos y Cuba.

* Otorgar licencias a proveedores de servicios de telecomunicaciones en Estados Unidos para que tomen parte en acuerdos de servicio itinerante (roaming) con los proveedores de servicios de telecomunicaciones de Cuba.

* Otorgar licencias a proveedores de servicio de radio por satélite y televisión por satélite de Estados Unidos para que participen en las transacciones necesarias a fin de prestarles servicio a clientes en Cuba.

* Otorgar licencias a personas bajo la jurisdicción de Estados Unidos para que activen y paguen a proveedores de servicios de telecomunicación en Estados Unidos y terceros países por servicios de telecomunicaciones, radio por satélite y televisión por satélite que se presten a personas en Cuba.

* Autorizar la donación de ciertos dispositivos de telecomunicaciones para el consumidor sin necesidad de licencia.

* Agregar ciertos artículos de ayuda humanitaria a la lista de artículos que se pueden exportar por medio de excepciones autorizadas.

ACERCAMIENTO AL PUEBLO CUBANO

Es de interés nacional para Estados Unidos apoyar el anhelo del pueblo cubano por determinar libremente su futuro y el de su país. El gobierno del Presidente Obama está tomando medidas para promover mayor contacto entre familiares separados en Estados Unidos y Cuba, y aumentar el flujo de remesas e información al pueblo cubano.

Levantar todas las restricciones a visitas familiares a Cuba

Levantaremos todas las restricciones a visitas familiares a Cuba al autorizar dichas transacciones con una licencia general, lo cual reforzará el contacto y promoverá la buena voluntad por parte de Estados Unidos.

Aseguraremos el alcance positivo de este esfuerzo al:

* Determinar que se puede visitar a familiares hasta el tercer grado de parentesco (p.e., primos segundos) y permitir que el viajero autorizado pueda viajar acompañado por familiares con quienes comparte una vivienda común;

* Eliminar las limitaciones a la frecuencia de las visitas;

* Eliminar las limitaciones a la duración de las visitas;

* Autorizar gastos equivalentes a la cantidad para viajes no familiares, y

* Eliminar el límite de 44 libras para equipaje acompañado.

Eliminar las restricciones a las remesas

Eliminaremos las restricciones a las remesas a familiares en Cuba a fin de aumentar el acceso de los cubanos a recursos que ayudarán a crear oportunidades para ellos al:

* Autorizar remesas a familiares hasta el tercer grado de parentesco (p.e., primos segundos), siempre que no se permitan remesas a miembros del gobierno de Cuba o del Partido Comunista de Cuba a los cuales actualmente están prohibidas;

* Eliminar los límites a la frecuencia de las remesas;

* Eliminar l os límites a los montos de las remesas;

* Autorizar a los viajeros a que lleven hasta $3,000 en remesas, y

* Establecer licencias generales para bancos y otras instituciones de depósito a fin de que entreguen las remesas.

Autorizar más enlaces de telecomunicación con Cuba

Autorizaremos más enlaces de telecomunicación con Cuba para promover la interacción directa persona a persona, sin costo alguno para el gobierno de Estados Unidos. Esto aumentará los medios por los cuales los cubanos en la isla pueden comunicarse entre ellos y con personas fuera de Cuba.

* Autorizar a los proveedores de redes de telecomunicación de Estados Unidos para tomen parte en acuerdos a fin de instalar centros de telecomunicaciones por cable de fibra óptica y por satélite entre Estados Unidos y Cuba.

* Otorgar licencias a proveedores de servicios de telecomunicaciones en Estados Unidos para que tomen parte en acuerdos de servicio itinerante (roaming), conforme a los cuales puedan operar con los proveedores de servicios de telecomunicaciones de Cuba.

* Otorgar licencias a proveedores de servicio de radio por satélite y televisión por satélite de Estados Unidos para que participen en las transacciones necesarias a fin de prestarles servicio a clientes en Cuba.

* Otorgar licencias a personas bajo la jurisdicción de Estados Unidos para que activen y paguen a proveedores de servicios de telecomunicación en Estados Unidos y terceros países por servicios de telecomunicaciones, radio por satélite y televisión por satélite que se presten a personas en Cuba, excepto ciertos altos funcionarios del Partido Comunista y el gobierno cubano.

* Autorizar, teniendo en cuenta intereses de seguridad nacional, la exportación o reexportación a Cuba de dispositivos de comunicación personal donados, como sistemas de teléfono móvil, computadoras y software, y receptores de satélite, estableciendo una excepción a la necesidad de licencia.

Modificar las normas para paquetes de regalo

Ampliaremos el tipo de donaciones humanitarias que se puedan exportar
estableciendo excepciones a la necesidad de licencia:

* Se vuelve a incluir ropa, artículos de tocador, semillas, medicamentos y suministros veterinarios, equipo y artículos de pesca, y equipo para fabricar jabones a la lista de artículos que pueden ir como donaciones en paquetes de regalo;

* Se vuelve a incluir artículos normalmente intercambiados por personas como regalos en cantidades “acostumbradas y razonables” a la lista de artículos que pueden ir como donaciones en paquetes de regalo;

* Ampliar la autorización a donantes  de paquetes de regalo para incluir á cualquier persona;

* Ampliar la autorización a personas que pueden recibir donaciones de paquetes de regalo para incluir a organizaciones benéficas, educativas religiosas no administradas o controladas por el gobierno cubano, y a todos aquellos que no son funcionarios del Partido Comunista de Cuba o del gobierno cubano, a los cuales actualmente está prohibido enviar paquetes de regalo, y

* Aumentar a $800 el monto límite de artículos, excepto alimentos.

There was an interesting mention yesterday in Radio Miami’s Max Lesnik’s section where he becomes El Duende (translated as something of an unruly ghost). During the minutes long report from beyond the tomb (as he likes to say), El Duende reports of rumors regarding writer and Miami Herald columnist Carlos Alberto Montaner. If you will remember, not too long ago in this same blog space, I called Montaner a “believable liar.” As I wrote then, “I have yet to see him in a media appearance where he doesn’t make up something along the way. He quotes statistics and studies that were never conducted — and people believe him. He has more information from inside Cuba than most anyone I know. Yet, he’s not been inside the island in years and from the BS he handles I doubt he really knows anybody inside Cuba.  He must make it up along the way…”

It turns out, and again I must emphasize this is rumor and I am simply citing a report from El Duende, the Obama administration is busy checking out all monies being spent by the U.S. government directly related to propaganda against Cuba. You’ve heard of these folks — from Radio and TV Marti to the many (right here in Miami) who ended up with Godiva chocolates, leather jackets and who knows what else, all bought with money that was supposed to go to Cuban dissidents. This happened a few years back.

Apparently, from what El Duende tells us, and he insists it’s rumor, one of the persons who has received bad news from the U.S. government is Carlos Alberto Montaner… like I said not too long ago, “A believable liar.”

Alvaro F. Fernandez

4-8-2009

Today we learned of a bill introduced by Rep. Jerry Moran of Kansas dealing with trade and travel known as The Agricultural Export Facilitation Act of 2009 which would remove barriers to present and future sales of U.S. agricultural products to Cuba under the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act (TSREEA) of 2000. As the Wisconsin Ag Connection states, “The bill clarifies that a seller of a product receives payment at the time a Cuban purchaser takes physical possession of that product.”

This last bill makes sense. As I’ve always said, It’s easier to be a cow and travel to Cuba, then to travel because of a sick family member. The cow brings in dollars… And in a time of recession, polticians from agricultural states are doing whatever it takes to help create new markets for their farmers. And Cuba is an 11 million person market of people who love to eat.

To read the full press statement just clink on the link below

http://www.wisconsinagconnection.com/story-national.php?Id=696&yr=2009

Alvaro F. Fernandez

03-30-2009

There’s an excellent editorial in today’s New York Times titled “Still broken.” For years I have worked for the empowerment of minority communities — mostly in Florida –by way of the vote. So the fact that The New York Times is reporting that as many as 3 million registered voters were NOT allowed to cast ballots this past November does not surprise me. Millions more, they reported, became frustrated because of long lines and other obstacles and also did not vote.

Right here in Florida I have been involved in trying to reform laws which prevent people from voting — whether on purpose or simply because of bad planning. Since the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) was implemented after 2002 and because of the failed 2000 presidential election followed by the mess created in Florida in the 2002 gubernatorial primaries, I have labeled this act the Help America (NOT) Vote Act. HAVA attempted to make voting easier, fairer and error-proof and all it has done is make things harder — especially for voters from the minority communities, the poor and many elderly.

I suggest you read the complete editorial, but just in case, here are probably the two most important paragraphs:

“The most important change Congress can make is to require universal voter registration. That would put the burden on states to register eligible voters — identifying them from other government lists such as tax and motor vehicle databases — rather than forcing prospective voters to navigate the obstacle-ridden path to the voting rolls. States should also be required to make registration permanent so voters are not purged from the rolls because of a move to a new address or a name change.

“Congress should enact lenient federal rules for voter identification, allowing voters to present a wide array of IDs. Far too many states have onerous requirements that make it particularly hard for poor people and racial minorities to vote. And it should outlaw vote suppression and other campaign dirty tricks.”

Alvaro F. Fernandez

03-18-2009

Have you ever met people who sell their lies as truth? Then get away with these “croquetas“, as I would call them, and end up looking smarter than most? It’s how I view Carlos Alberto Montaner, a Miami Herald columnist, who is loved by hard-right Cuban extremists in Miami and Madrid, and whose writings are filled with bluster, lies and stories that are hard to believe. But you know what? he sells them. And apparently well.

I don’t know the character (in person), and honestly I’m not interested in meeting him, but I have kept pace with him through his columns, television interviews, radio appearances and other public appearances where he has shown a great mastery over members of the media and their viewers, listeners and readers. I say this because I have yet to see him in a media appearance where he doesn’t make up something along the way. He quotes statistics and studies that were never conducted — and people believe him. He has more information from inside Cuba than most anyone I know. Yet, he’s not been inside the island in years and from the BS he handles I doubt he really knows anybody inside Cuba.  He must make it up along the way…

Just today I read a column published by The Miami Herald titled “Raul Castro - No foes, more power” where after you’ve read it you ask yourself how he does it. Seriously, after reading this piece (and if I dared believe what he writes) you’d say he lived inside Raul Castro. He gives a blow by blow account of the new Cuban leader and why he is doing what he’s done. He describes events like if he had spoken just recently with Castro. He speaks of Carlos Lage and Perez Roque as if he knew them, but what’s most amazing about his writing is that at times you catch yourself believing the bullshit.

Carlos Alberto Montaner is a dangerous man. I say this because he’s talented, apparently intelligent and sells himself off as a person with deep sources of information in the most remote places he’s never been too. And people believe it. One last thing, for years many have wondered who he really answers to… some swear it’s that U.S. agency known worldwide by its three letters.

Come on Carlos Alberto, come clean. Tell us the truth, for once.

Alvaro F. Fernandez

03-17-2009

So the clock has suddenly been turned back to 2004 before the cruel regulations on travel to Cuba were imposed by the Bush Administration. Thank God and thank you Mr. President — Obama, definitely not Bush. Although the new guideline issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), who is charged with regulating travel to Cuba under the Treasury Department, are not what the president promised during his campaign for the presidency, it does suddenly opens the door and allows in some fresh air for a change — allowing families to travel once and year (and more if the situation warrants it, for example, emergency situations).

Whatever it is, let’s call it a new day and let us keep working on making travel to Cuba as normal as travel to any other country in the Western Hemisphere. I suggest we read the new regulations that go into effect “immediately” that state we can travel once a year under a general license and more than once a year under a special license depending on the situation. The rate of money allowed is the same as everyone else — $179 per day. And the unholy “family” definition imposed by Bush has been changed to “close relatives” which opens up the field to who a close relative can be.

Alvaro F. Fernandez

Click here to read the new OFAC regulation and how they are applied to Cuba family travel:

http://treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/cuba/omni_guide.pdf