http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Pages/cuba.aspx
To travel to Cuba legally, one must use one of a handful of
licensed travel agents that handle the flights via charters, although the
flights are often on American Airlines or Delta Airlines planes, with their
crew. The licensed travel agent issues
the Cuba visa and ascertains that the traveler meets the U.S. requirements. For
all travel, including close relative travel, the traveler must sign an affidavit showing
the qualification. The difference is that family travel requires only the
affidavit, not a license.
On this trip, I might have been looked at more than usual by
Cuban authorities. Cuban Immigration saw something in their computer system, probably
that I had already been there once this year, and sent me to a separate
official. But after talking to him for a while, I was in. My carry-on and
checked bags were thoroughly reviewed while entering and leaving Cuba. I
understand it’s because my bags showed some wires, cables, flash drives and
computer items. I also had to remove everything from my bags when leaving Cuba,
and put my dirty clothes on the table. The Cuban officials were polite and
cordial, while doing their jobs.
I returned to the U.S., arriving in Miami on an American
Airlines Flight. I passed immigration via the Automatic Passport Control, which
is an electronic system, that prints out the admission with one’s photo. The
computer system told me which flight I had arrived on and which country I had
been in, which I confirmed. I handed it in at the desk and had thus reentered
the United States.
That’s when my difficulty began, making me wonder if I was
really in my own country. I approached U.S. Customs. There were three men, one
African American, one of Hispanic descent, who I presumed was Cuban-American
and another of Hispanic descent.
The first Hispanic man asked,
“Where are you coming from?
“Cuba.”
“Why were
you in Cuba?”
“Visiting
family.”
“Where’s
your license to travel to Cuba?”
“I was
visiting family. There’s a different procedure. No license is issued.”
“You must
have a license to travel to Cuba.”
“That’s not
true. I signed an affidavit, as required by U.S. law.”
The other
Hispanic guard approached.
“Sir, you
know you are not allowed to travel to Cuba because we are not allowed to spend
money there, because if we spend money we are giving it to Castro?”
I realized
then that both of these men were probably from Cuban exile families, and I knew
that many Cuban exiles strongly disapprove of anybody returning to or visiting Cuba. I’ve spoken to many who have the attitude in
the past. I have never agreed with that concept.
I answered,
“Sir, the U.S. regulations for travel to Cuba are very specific. There is a
dollar limit that one is allowed to take to Cuba, for the reason you mentioned,
but I met a specific provision and I followed the law exactly, as I always do,
and I only took the amount of money allowed by law.”
The first
man said, “You must have a license. You’d better not go again without a
license.”
“No, sir. I
do not need a license. Have you ever read the law?”
“How do I
know you are Cuban? You don’t look Cuban. Where were you born? Do you have
proof of your family relationship?”
Fortunately,
I had all of my wife’s documentation, my marriage license, and photos and
Facebook pages of family in Cuba. I pulled it out.
“I was born
in the U.S. The law does not require that the person traveling be born in Cuba.
I had to be visiting family, within a certain level of relationship, and I
was.”
“Where’s
your wife? You are only allowed to
travel with her?”
“That’s not true.”
“You aren’t allowed to go to Cuba,
because you aren’t allowed to spend money there.”
“Sir, I
already answered that. And anyway, how much money I take to Cuba has to do with
when I’m leaving. I’m returning now. So that has nothing to do with it. And, I
have already entered the U.S. through Immigration. You are not Immigration. You
are Customs. You don’t know the Immigration law. I do. You are supposed to see
if I am bringing anything I’m not supposed to bring. You haven’t even discussed
that. Do you want to see my bag?”
He said,
“Get out of here,” moved away from me and took the next traveler’s Customs
Declaration.
As I passed
the second man, I said, in Spanish, “I cannot believe you are taking this
attitude with me, when I am a U.S. citizen, traveling exactly according to U.S.
law. You guys ought to read the law.”
“You need a
license,” he said.
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