More Cuba related restrictions for US?

[1LegLance]

6 hours ago, miamipadronsmoker said:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2020-21084.pdf

Interesting 

Thanks for that link....

It is nice to dig into the actual wording vs media twist. Shame for me on the professional research changes as that has been my general lic of choice forever.

[BoliDan]

?

[bpm32]

2 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Gents, 

Try to rise above petty politics. Use it as a personal challenge. Start with this thread.

We have all seen this cuba crackdown before.

Someone post up the new OFAC regs on some of those other cheap labour /oil rich countries who don't mind dismissing human rights. I must have missed them.  

 

Beyond the obvious reasons, some legitimate, I think there’s still special enmity amongst Americans for Cuba and Iran because of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Iran hostage affair. It’s like if your buddy’s girlfriend cheated on him and he still gets riled up about it years later. Well, the rest of you gotta hear about it.

[Rupe]

1 hour ago, Brian24 said:

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-announces-ban-on-purchasing-rum-tobacco-from-cuba.amp

 

Not posting to be political, wondering if the members have any insight or inside baseball information as to practical implications with respect to procuring cigars and travel under new regulations to be published tomorrow ?

 

From the OFAC FAQ sheet that accompanied the new rules (Emphasis mine)..........

 

720. Can I purchase Cuban-origin cigars and/or Cuban-origin rum or other Cuban-origin alcohol while in a third country (i.e. not Cuba)?

Persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction may purchase or acquire Cuban-origin merchandise, including alcohol and tobacco products, while in a third country for personal consumption outside the United States. Please note that effective September 24, 2020, authorized travelers may no longer import such products into the United States.  For a complete description of what this general license authorizes and the restrictions that apply, see 31 CFR § 515.585(c) and (d).

 

Here is a link to the full FAQ as posted by OFAC https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/faqs/topic/1541

 

 

 

[Ryan]

15 hours ago, ElJavi76 said:

Andy, if by removing ourselves from the situation (stopping all travel or restricting travel)... That's somehow forcing change from the outside then I'm confused. The last few years were different with travel and tourism from the US... It was still agonizing for Cubans not living in Havana. The provinces are broke. Do you think people in Pinar del Río or Consolacion del Sur live like some of our friendly drivers do in Havana? None of them do. It's tough to truly galvanize a population while it starves and you (Castro Regime) point the finger at Florida. Eventually the spell will break.

Not only has the embargo not worked... Nothing has. The political class in Cuba has won. Everyone else has suffered. As a Cuban American what I don't want is any real interventionism by the US. I don't wanna a Starbucks in every corner in 5 years or any years from now. The ones struggling daily are the Cubans. They should take their govt back. Will it cost lives? Freedom isn't free... It always costs lives.

What I hope is that the population got spoiled with their newfound success due to tourism over the past few years... Saw what some capitalism can do for their lives, and won't take the communist narrative anymore. We shall see.

What I meant was re-strengthening the embargo possibly having the opposite effect to that desired. I see different opinions regarding the timing of the most recent changes but ostensibly the reason for the embargo is to force change in the Cuban political and economic system. I don't want to get into US politics but some analogies.

These are purely hypothetical examples and who is in the White House currently doesn't really matter to them.

What if the EU, Canada and the rest of the OECD countries threatened an embargo on US goods and travel unless the US had a new president in the White House in January, reformed the electoral college system and introduced public health care? I think US support for the current administration and system would increase dramatically. Understandably.

What if China threatened an embargo on Australian coal, minerals and ore unless Australia introduced a communist, one-party system. Again, support for the current system and government in Australia would jump, at least if they put up a fight.

Ireland came out of a civil war in 1922. Then in the 1930s, Britain introduced trade sanctions when Ireland reoccupied 3 ports that were still British-held. Nothing did more to bring the two post-war sides of the country together.

What I'm saying is, the most recent changes I think can be fairly seen as re-strengthening the embargo, which was created as an effort to force political and economic change in Cuba. Nobody likes being told how to live by a foreign entity. Especially one that they have traditionally held to be antagonistic.

My fear is that the embargo gives the Cuban government and Cuban people a common enemy. Cubans, both for and against the regime, are proud of their achievements as a small island nation, that they have "ploughed their own path" as I know many see it, of course not all of them.

With the embargo in place, the government can tell them, in a believable way, that "The Revolution is Patriotism"

Remove that excuse that the Cuban government has used for the last 60 years and then see what happens.

I think the inadequacies and corruption would become very clear, very quickly to everyone, with nothing for the Cuban government to hide behind.

[Salomones]

https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/president-trump-tightens-sanctions-on-cuba-no-cigars-no-rum-and-no-hotel-lodging-for-americans


Gesendet von meinem moto x4 mit Tapatalk

[Cairo]

The comments section to the CA article quickly devolved into a political rock-throwing contest--all the while ignoring the elephant in the room...us.  ?

[ElJavi76]

10 hours ago, Ryan said:

What I meant was re-strengthening the embargo possibly having the opposite effect to that desired. I see different opinions regarding the timing of the most recent changes but ostensibly the reason for the embargo is to force change in the Cuban political and economic system. I don't want to get into US politics but some analogies.

These are purely hypothetical examples and who is in the White House currently doesn't really matter to them.

What if the EU, Canada and the rest of the OECD countries threatened an embargo on US goods and travel unless the US had a new president in the White House in January, reformed the electoral college system and introduced public health care? I think US support for the current administration and system would increase dramatically. Understandably.

What if China threatened an embargo on Australian coal, minerals and ore unless Australia introduced a communist, one-party system. Again, support for the current system and government in Australia would jump, at least if they put up a fight.

Ireland came out of a civil war in 1922. Then in the 1930s, Britain introduced trade sanctions when Ireland reoccupied 3 ports that were still British-held. Nothing did more to bring the two post-war sides of the country together.

What I'm saying is, the most recent changes I think can be fairly seen as re-strengthening the embargo, which was created as an effort to force political and economic change in Cuba. Nobody likes being told how to live by a foreign entity. Especially one that they have traditionally held to be antagonistic.

My fear is that the embargo gives the Cuban government and Cuban people a common enemy. Cubans, both for and against the regime, are proud of their achievements as a small island nation, that they have "ploughed their own path" as I know many see it, of course not all of them.

With the embargo in place, the government can tell them, in a believable way, that "The Revolution is Patriotism"

Remove that excuse that the Cuban government has used for the last 60 years and then see what happens.

I think the inadequacies and corruption would become very clear, very quickly to everyone, with nothing for the Cuban government to hide behind.

There's plenty of good logic above Andy. I don't disagree with many of your points. But how many times can they go back to the same well while their citizens live in squalor? Eventually their going to realize... It's not them (US). It's us.

Somebody mentioned it earlier in the thread... Embargo is a farce. We feed Cuba. The US sells Cuba most of its food. Is the embargo that heavy handed?  

"The Revolution is Patriotism", now go stand in a 4 hour line for maybe some food. Cubans need to look internally to solve their issue. Nobody is coming to save them. Open travel and no embargo with US wouldn't save them, cause we know the political class would profit and the citizenry would remain the same. What I will say is I scratch my head at how we pick and choose what communists we do business with. China. Ok! Cuba. Embargo. Doesn't add up. Human rights are a bigger mess in China than they are in Cuba these days. It's about $$$ and cheap goods offered by one and not the other. 

This isn't for you Andy cause I know that's not your sentiment, and you remain unaffected anyway... But the lament on here and other social media forums from "some individuals" is selfish. They don't want sanctions on Cuba, only cause it affects their tobacco purchasing trips to Cuba. It has little to do with the Cuban people. The same reason some would prefer the US not engage in a trade war with China. Cause they want to go buy everything at the Dollar Tree store. 

I spoke to a friend yesterday in Cuba. He thought that because of the new sanctions I might not visit any time soon. When it becomes safe to travel again and things open up... I'll be back there again. Smoke as many cigars as I can in Cuba and make memories with my friends and family there. 

[Nino]

8 minutes ago, ElJavi76 said:

I spoke to a friend yesterday in Cuba. He thought that because of the new sanctions I might not visit any time soon. When it becomes safe to travel again and things open up... I'll be back there again. Smoke as many cigars as I can in Cuba and make memories with my friends and family there. 

Same here and I guess many here on this site will do the same.

Nos vemos en La Habana !

[El Presidente]

I think it is important to keep things in perspective.  They are just cigars. 

Whether this policy lasts 5 weeks or 5 years +, the rest of the world will watch and let it play out. There is little that those outside of the US can do except shake their head in wonderment. 

The lack of enforced restrictions in US travel to Cuba (and the associated cigar/rum purchases) have only been a recent phenomenon.  If the clock gets rolled back for any significant amount of time, remember that plenty of US members were heading to Cuba when it was ferbotten.  

There is little that can be done outside of staying cool, watch it play out, see what the real implications are and if necessary and motivated, find ways around them. There always are. 

[Grady]

4 hours ago, El Presidente said:

I think it is important to keep things in perspective.  They are just cigars. 

Whether this policy lasts 5 weeks or 5 years +, the rest of the world will watch and let it play out. There is little that those outside of the US can do except shake their head in wonderment. 

The lack of enforced restrictions in US travel to Cuba (and the associated cigar/rum purchases) have only been a recent phenomenon.  If the clock gets rolled back for any significant amount of time, remember that plenty of US members were heading to Cuba when it was ferbotten.  

There is little that can be done outside of staying cool, watch it play out, see what the real implications are and if necessary and motivated, find ways around them. There always are. 

没门有窗

"If there's not a door then there's a window."

[SCgarman]

14 hours ago, El Presidente said:

I think it is important to keep things in perspective.  They are just cigars. 

Whether this policy lasts 5 weeks or 5 years +, the rest of the world will watch and let it play out. There is little that those outside of the US can do except shake their head in wonderment. 

The lack of enforced restrictions in US travel to Cuba (and the associated cigar/rum purchases) have only been a recent phenomenon.  If the clock gets rolled back for any significant amount of time, remember that plenty of US members were heading to Cuba when it was ferbotten.  

There is little that can be done outside of staying cool, watch it play out, see what the real implications are and if necessary and motivated, find ways around them. There always are. 

If they are "just cigars", then why travel to Cuba then? I have never been there, likely never will and I can purchase thousands of boxes of Habanos from the net with just the point and click of a mouse and a credit card. Obviously there are many Americans who "feel the need" to have to travel there to make their lives happy or to fulfill some bucket list wish. 

[Cairo]

1 hour ago, NYgarman said:

Obviously there are many Americans who "feel the need" to have to travel there to make their lives happy or to fulfill some bucket list wish. 

Some folks are also at least partially motivated by the fact that many cigars are a lot cheaper in Cuba (when available--that is the catch, always a catch). 

[Capt. Corona]

20 hours ago, El Presidente said:

There is little that those outside of the US can do except shake their head in wonderment. 

Many have been doing that for 3 plus yrs now IN the US.

6 hours ago, NYgarman said:

Obviously there are many Americans who "feel the need" to have to travel there to make their lives happy or to fulfill some bucket list wish. 

I felt the same until I made the trip.  Happy, joyful, adventurous, educational, relaxing, welcoming, friendly,  sad, exciting, all not necessarily in that order.  Sure I could have traveled to N Korea and had all those same emotions but I heard they only smoke cigarettes there.