Bush Steers Yachts Away from Cuba
March 13 - Miami, FL
In an article written by David Adams, the
St. Petersburg Times
reported Wednesday that, "The Bush administration says
it intends to steer pleasure boaters away from Cuba by use of
an obscure weapon: a Clinton-era emergency decree regulating
small vessels entering Cuba's territorial waters.
"President Clinton issued the order
in 1996 to prevent Cuban-American protesters from provoking an
international incident after the shooting down of two Cuban exile
planes by the Cuban air force. Called the Cuba National Emergency
Notice, the order essentially bans travel in Cuban waters without
a permit issued by the Coast
Guard.
"The order has never gone out of effect,
and President Bush renewed it in late February. While the language
is the same, administration officials say the intent has changed:
Instead of focusing solely on Cuban-American vessels, the administration
hopes to apply the restrictions equally to recreational boaters
who sail to Cuba and spend money in violation of the U.S. embargo.
"The new interpretation is being hailed
by administration officials, as well as prominent Cuban-American
exiles, as a taste of things to come as the White House reviews
U.S.-Cuba policy. But it is already under attack by boaters who
say it's unclear how it will be applied. Some Cuba policy analysts
also question whether it can be enforced, saying it appears more
designed to please political supporters in Miami than substantially
alter policy.
"Travel to Cuba is restricted by a
license system operated by the U.S. Treasury Department. U.S.
residents and citizens are prohibited from spending money in
Cuba except for a handful of approved purposes, which include
government business as well as humanitarian and cultural missions.
Tourism is not permitted."
Doran Cushing, editor of Southwinds,
a sailing rag based in St. Petersburg said, "U.S. officials
have already come down hard on two Cuban regattas organized by
boaters in Tampa and Key West in recent years. The Tampa organizers
of the Havana Cup, which used to attract 200 U.S. boats to Cuba,
were ordered to 'cease and desist'
in 1999, effectively terminating the event."
Cuba policy analysts, who recognize that
embargo violations are a regular occurrence at Cuban ports, also
question how such measures can be enforced. Given the state of
U.S.-Cuban relations, one analyst said, it was hardly feasible
for the U.S. to seek the Castro government's cooperation in monitoring
embargo abuses at Cuban marinas.
The Times article continues, "In
2000, an estimated 173,000 Americans visited Cuba legally, according
to the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council; another estimated
22,000 did so illegally.
"As for the Bush administration's
twist on the Clinton order, boaters say they don't know what
all the fuss is about. Ever since the new so-called 'Florida
Security Zone Permits' were introduced in 1996, all boaters -
Cuban-American and otherwise - have been subject to the same
procedures, according to Doran Cushing."
"As far as I'm aware, the boating
community has always complied with the security zone process,"
Cushing said. "There's never been any hassle." Cushing
pointed out that permits are routinely issued by the Coast Guard's
Marine Safety Office and involve a simple one-page form that
can be sent by fax for approval.
"There has been a huge interest in
going to Cuba by boat, and there still is," Cushing said.
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