Trump Bans Sailing to Cuba

[Leo Ticheli]

https://www.apnews.com/67c721daee8143d4a2e6ee8c401bf215

[Wood]

There go my 2021 plans

[Montanan]

FYI.

Well there are still lots of great places a Yank can take their yachts and tourism.

Today, the United States took strong action to prevent U.S. travel to Cuba from enriching the Cuban military, security, and intelligence services by announcing new restrictions on authorized travel and vessels to the island.

Going forward, the United States will prohibit U.S. travelers from going to Cuba under the previous ‘group people-to-people educational’ travel authorization. In addition, the United States will no longer permit visits to Cuba via passenger and recreational vessels, including cruise ships and yachts, and private and corporate aircraft.

The United States holds the Cuban regime accountable for its repression of the Cuban people, its interference in Venezuela, and its direct role in the man-made crisis led by Nicolas Maduro. Despite widespread international condemnation, Maduro continues to undermine his country’s institutions and subvert the Venezuelan people’s right to self-determination. Empowered by Cuba, he has created a humanitarian disaster that destabilizes the region.

These actions are directly linked to the tourism industry, which has strong economic ties to the Cuban security, military, and intelligence sectors in Cuba. Veiled tourism has served to line the pockets of the Cuban military, the very same people supporting Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela and repressing the Cuban people on the island. In Cuba, the regime continues to harass, intimidate, and jail Cubans who dare to voice an opinion different from the one the regime wants them to have. The United States calls on the regime to abandon its repression of Cubans, cease its interference in Venezuela, and work toward building a stable, prosperous, and free country for the Cuban people.


https://www.treasury.gov/resource-ce...a_faqs_new.pdf

The Treasury changes will take effect on June 5, 2019 when the regulations are published in the Federal Register.

For the Treasury regulations, which can be found at 31 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 515, see here. For the Commerce regulations, which can be found at 15 CFR parts 730-774, see here. Major elements of the changes in the revised regulations include:

ENDING GROUP PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE TRAVEL
In accordance with the newly announced changes to non-family travel to Cuba, OFAC is amending the regulations to remove the authorization for group people-to-people educational travel. OFAC’s regulatory changes include a “grandfathering” provision, which provides that certain group people-to-people educational travel that previously was authorized will continue to be authorized where the traveler had already completed at least one travel-related transaction (such as purchasing a flight or reserving accommodation) prior to June 5, 2019. Please note that travel-related transactions continue to be permitted by general licenses for certain categories of travel and certain authorized export transactions.

USA recreational vessels will no longer receive licenses to travel to Cuba, a.k.a. an US "export license" to enter Cuban waters for visits or commerce. Note: The mere entry of a vessel into Cuban waters is considered an export and requires a license from the US government, which licenses are not permitted.

ENDING EXPORTS OF PASSENGER VESSELS, RECREATIONAL VESSELS, AND PRIVATE AIRCRAFT
BIS, in coordination with OFAC, is amending the EAR to make passenger and recreational vessels and private and corporate aircraft ineligible for a license exception and to establish a general policy of denial for license applications involving those vessels and aircraft.

[JPA Cate]

The only connection between this thread and cruising is that export licenses that allow one to take his own vessel to Cuba will no longer be issued.

No matter where you are on the political spectrum, someone will disagree with you, and on CF, political issues have to be linked to cruising to even be allowed. Check the Community Rules. Follow them.

There are other venues for political discussion than CF.

This thread will be closed if people fail to be polite in their discourse, and/or relate it to sailboat cruising.

[Island Time O25]

I'm glad I spent a few days there two years ago on our way to Panama Canal.
Never felt unsafe or taken advantage of even for a minute, either by the officials or the regular people. Which unfortunately I cannot say about our stay in Panama. Not an encouraging commentary on socialism vs capitalism debate.

[Leo Ticheli]

What is the penalty for US Citizens sailing their boat to Cuba? I've been unable to find it, but would not be surprised if it's Draconian.

[Exile]

In an effort to heed the mod's request and get back on topic , I wouldn't be surprised if the US Coasties and maybe even the Navy are back to keeping a close watch on the Fla. Straights. From what I've heard, some US sailors used to clear into the southern Bahamas first, and then upon leaving Cuba the authorities there would simply not stamp their passports so it would appear as though they had never visited. But then I heard a story of such a boat getting stopped in the straights and being presented with a close-up sat image of their transom! So yeah, the days of the US looking the other way may be over.

Lots of foreign policy experts weighing in on this thread, no?

[barnakiel]

Last time my clients sailed into Havana, their sat comms got confiscated and they got carted to a high tower (ex Russian embassy) where they spent a couple of days without Netflix and toilets.


This is not an invented story. This is facts. You can search older CF threads for this.


Cheers,
b.

[Opie91]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Last time my clients sailed into Havana, their sat comms got confiscated and they got carted to a high tower (ex Russian embassy) where they spent a couple of days without Netflix and toilets.


This is not an invented story. This is facts. You can search older CF threads for this.


Cheers,
b.

Gee z no Netflix that's barbaric!


The majority of the people that have a problem with this appear to not even live in US. Why would this bother you?



Most likely a few months will pass and this will all blow over amounting to absolutely nothing, just like everything else.

[seandepagnier]

The race is on to visit cuba before the next president, while it's still illegal. What is the penalty?

Does this open the door to check into other ports of cuba where you can anchor instead of staying in the marina? You could argue to the cubans that you needed to avoid being caught.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

The race is on to visit cuba before the next president, while it's still illegal. What is the penalty?

Does this open the door to check into other ports of cuba where you can anchor instead of staying in the marina? You could argue to the cubans that you needed to avoid being caught.

I have no idea what the penalties are, but will bet they are severe.
If your a US boat, I'd be very careful and assume there can be serious reprecussions.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I have no idea what the penalties are, but will bet they are severe.
If your a US boat, I'd be very careful and assume there can be serious reprecussions.

According to the WSJ:
The Treasury Department says that people caught violating these rules can be fined $250,000 and sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, but there is no evidence of anyone ever having to pay this fine or go to prison.
☞ https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/22/t...ump-rules.html

☞ https://www.treasury.gov/resource-ce...en-index2.aspx

Changes to Cuba Sanctions Rules

☞ https://www.treasury.gov/resource-ce...t_20190604.pdf

☞ https://www.treasury.gov/resource-ce...a_faqs_new.pdf

[JC Reefer]

Nothing more than sealing vote.

Coming from a Cuban family, vacations in Cuba is a touchie topic.

My parents had their home literally stolen from them. Just image someone stealing your boat from right in front of you.

I personally don’t agree with the embargo but do understand that it’s not something they have forgotten even after 50 years.

Sucks for the Cubans.

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by GordMay

According to the WSJ:
The Treasury Department says that people caught violating these rules can be fined $250,000 and sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, but there is no evidence of anyone ever having to pay this fine or go to prison.
☞ https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/22/t...ump-rules.html

☞ https://www.treasury.gov/resource-ce...en-index2.aspx

Changes to Cuba Sanctions Rules

☞ https://www.treasury.gov/resource-ce...t_20190604.pdf

☞ https://www.treasury.gov/resource-ce...a_faqs_new.pdf

I think the more realistic and potentially more draconian step is to size your boat under asset forfeiture rules for vehicles used in a "crime". Much less due process on that as well.

Maybe there is a market for patching up those hurricane damaged boats just enough for a one way trip to Cuba

[JPA Cate]

A great many posts have been deleted from this thread due either to political nature not related to the thread's topic or because they were duplicate threads.

Please keep your posts on topic and do not digress into spurious political topics.