Posted on 10/09/2005 8:11:42 AM PDT by tgslTakoma
Friendship Delegation to Cuba
Join CODEPINK for New Year’s in Cuba
December 27-January 2, 2006
Cuba is one of the most beautiful and fascinating countries on Earth—and George Bush says you can’t go there. Well, we’re going anyway, and we invite you to join us!
This New Year’s CODEPINK will be organizing a large group of fun-loving and freedom-loving Americans to break George Bush’s ban on travel to Cuba. Join co-founders Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans, together with Academy Award winning producer Paul Haggis, as we visit with farmers at their co-ops, doctors at their family clinics, dancers at the National Folklore Group, and young people at the ballpark. Don’t miss this historic chance to dance salsa, drink mojitos, and visit beautiful beaches—all while defending our constitutional rights!!!
The federal restrictions barring travel to Cuba are not only counterproductive and outmoded in this post-Cold War context, but also a violation of our constitutional freedom to travel.
The Bush administration says we can only travel to Cuba if we have immediate family there. Well, we do. Cubans ARE family—Somos Familia. And while we’re there, we’ll be holding a mutual adoption ceremony in order to demonstrate that family transcends political boundaries. In the ceremony, each participant will be paired with a Cuban brother or sister. After all, we are all part of one human family and there should be no artificial barriers dividing us.
This historic opportunity to visit Cuba will cost approximately $1,500 (to Cancun) or $1,800 (to Mexico City). Participants will fly out of three points of entry: San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York. We will all meet in Mexico City, where we will then take a chartered flight to Havana. Our trip this New Years will truly be a family affair. Feel free to bring children, parents, partners, neighbors, and friends. It is a trip designed for all ages, interests, and backgrounds (family rates available).
After seven action-packed days on this wonderful island, we will re-enter the United States through these same three points of entry. This re-entry will be a powerful challenge to Bush’s restrictive policies that deny us our fundamental liberty to travel where we please. Though past high-profile “travel challenge” groups have experienced no adverse legal consequences to date, we will have our lawyers ready at each airport of entry to provide legal aid, if necessary.
Because we will be traveling to Cuba without government permission (i.e. a license from the US treasury), CODEPINK participants will be breaking the embargo and therefore subject to civil penalties. (For further questions on the legal implications of unauthorized travel to Cuba, check out www.nlg.org/cuba). With these risks in mind, your participation in our trip is a crucial protest in the growing movement to end the travel ban.
We expect a huge response to this trip, so get your applications in early. Also year–end travel gets booked up VERY early (especially the return flights after New Years), so make your plans early! We look forward to spending some marvelous days together, while pushing to overturn a policy that keeps us from building bonds of friendship with our neighbors.
If you are interested in participating in this trip, please contact Dana (at) codepinkalert.org and forms/applications will be sent out shortly. You can also reach Dana by calling the CODEPINK office at (310) 827-4320.
In peace,
Medea, Jodie, and the CODEPINK team
NOTE: Medea, Jodie, Gael and all their "peaceful followers" will be in Cuba to celebrate the 47th anniversary of the Communist takeover of the island nation of Cuba, and the enslavement of the Cuban people.
Never could understand Carter's love of Castro after Fidel stuck it (dry) to Jimmy with the Mariel boat lift.
The travel embargo recognizes a state of hostility between the Cuban government and the United States. Doing business with Cuba wouldn't end the Castro regime any more than buying oil from terror-sponsoring nations will topple their dictatorships.
Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters
George Bush’s ban on travel to Cuba
It is interesting to find that only Bush stopped travel to Cuba. I had actuallty thought that the ban had been in place for several presidents (Dem and Rep). Once again I have learned that it is all Bush's fault. Where would I be without the enlightened left to keep the facts straight for me?
It's unlikely that an embargo really works at all in today's world, they worked when transport and trade were readily isolated - by force.
In clearly defined and specific instances, such as mad cow disease, they are of some use - when we refuse to accept trade rather then refuse to offer it.
However, an embargo is one of only a few political actions a state can take against another short of open force so it will remain in the inventory and in use.
Bump and Pinko Ping
They make me sick. I think some of the pinkos (men and women) are secretly in love with President George W. Bush!! That explains why they are always trying to grab his attention.
Pinkos suck.
Cuba is two-thirds to three quarters "People of Color" depending on how you define "People of Color". But less than 10% of the Cuban people that Code PINK's lily white group will met while spending their US dollars will be "People of Color".
Way to go Jodie and Medea, racism in the cause of communism is no sin, right Comrades?
To Medea and Jodie,
In disgust with your racist commie policies and in soldiarty with the Cubans who hope to live free...
Raoul
Don't worry. They will never talk. Not even under the most extreme torture. Our secret is safe.
" Never could understand Carter's love of Castro after Fidel stuck it (dry) to Jimmy with the Mariel boat lift."
It's the same kind of love that school girls have on the rebels at school. Instead, Jimmy Carter has school girl crushes on Third World Dictatorships.
Max, her ex-husband is a developer. She's his only investment that doubled that fast...
My thoughts exactly.
Can't we just lock the doors after they leave?
#21. And we cannot forget the forged documents pusher, defamed former CBS(Communist BUll Sh*t) news(really propaganda) anchorman, Dan Rather's(Cr*pper's), onscreen love affair with murderer Castro as well.
I hear there is an opening for a cleaning woman to clean the houses of Cubas's elite. My friend's 80 year old mother has finally given up her job. Qualifications are having good knees and back.
What a coincidence, that's the same qualification to be a Clinton intern!!
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