Hola @Dai-and-Pedro0 @MariaJulia0 @Deyris0
Saludos a todos...
Seguramente muchos estan al tanto de la accion del gobierno estadounidense de reducir el personal de su embajada en La Habana, suspender la emision de visas, y la medida que mas nos afecta... aconseja no viajar a Cuba por ser inseguro...
Esto esta afectando mucho a los viajes de turistas estadounidenses, con muchas cancelaciones en los ultimos dias, dando lugar a que muchos anfitriones hayan entregado su licencia de alquiler. Se hace necesario informar a tod@s que Cuba sigue siendo el mismo pais alegre, colorido y seguro como ningun otro.
Los dejo con la declaracion RESPECT (organizacion sin animos de lucro que une a los principales turoperadores de EEUU):
US Travel Association Opposes Trump Administration’s Cuba Travel Warning and Pullout of Embassy Staff
September 30, 2017, Havana, Cuba – Meeting here, RESPECT, the largest association of US organizers of travel to Cuba
unanimously rejected the Trump Administration’s Cuba travel warning and its decision to withdraw diplomatic staff from
its Havana embassy.
The reaction came in response to Washington’s announcement that it is withdrawing 60 percent of non-emergency staff
from the US Embassy in Havana and is warning US citizens to avoid travel to Cuba. The justification for both is
unexplained health problems that 21 Havana-based US diplomats have reported.
In addition, unidentified US officials said the US Consulate in Havana would suspend issuing US visas to Cubans,
indefinitely. The US Embassy will continue to provide emergency services to US citizens in Cuba.
“Based on the evidence thus far and the fact that the State Department says no other US citizens have been affected,
we believe that its decision is unwarranted, and are continuing to organize travel to Cuba and encourage others to do
so,” said Bob Guild, RESPECT Co-Coordinator and Vice President of Marazul Charters. He also stressed that US citizens
and residents can legally travel to Cuba under US law, and that the State Department advisory in no way prohibits US
persons from traveling to the island.
RESPECT is joined by US commercial airlines and others in the travel industry who have publically expressed their
intention to continue Cuba travel. Gail Reed, RESPECT Co-Coordinator and MEDICC Founder, noted
“Cuba remains a very safe destination for US travelers.”
The US Foreign Service Association, the powerful union that represents US diplomats around the world, also opposes
any decision to withdraw US diplomats from Cuba. Association President Barbara Stephenson says “We have to remain
on the field and in the game.”
The US complaint about the health issues originated almost a year ago during the Obama Administration when the two
governments were working toward rapprochement. As acknowledged by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the Cuban
government responded immediately and initiated an investigation, inviting the US government to cooperate.
At the invitation of Cuban authorities, the FBI went to Havana seeking evidence of what the US described as “sonic
attacks” resulting in hearing loss and other symptoms. However, its agents found no devices or other evidence to
explain the mystery.
None of the 500,000 US visitors to Cuba this year have reported similar health issues. Tillerson said this week, “We have
no reports that private US citizens have been affected...”.
Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, speaking at the UN this month, reiterated that Cuba takes very seriously the
protection of all diplomats in its country and would never cause them harm or allow others to do so, in accordance with
the 1961 Vienna Convention. He also urged the US authorities to work more closely and effectively with the ongoing
Cuban investigation, a point he raised again during his meeting with Tillerson this week.
Replying to the US move to reduce its diplomatic personnel in Havana, Josefina Vidal, Director General for US Affairs at
Cuba’s Foreign Ministry, called the decision precipitous and said it will affect bilateral relations and cooperation in areas
of mutual interest. She noted that Cuba had urged the US not to politicize the matter and insisted that Cuba needed the
active cooperation of US authorities to arrive at a definitive conclusion.
“We fear that such hasty action by the Trump Administration, independent of scientific evidence, may be motivated
by politics rather than concerns for health and wellbeing,” said Walter Turner, RESPECT Co-Coordinator and President
of Global Exchange. “Thus, once again we encourage all US visitors to continue to travel to Cuba.”
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RESPECT (Responsible Ethical Cuba Travel) is a 150-member US professional association of non-profit entities, travel
agencies, tour operators and other travel service providers dedicated to practicing and promoting ethical and socially
responsible travel to Cuba. Founded in December 2016 on the anniversary of the opening announced by the US and
Cuban presidents, RESPECT held a two-day meeting at the Meliá Cohíba Hotel in Havana this week, where its members
hammered out a 2017 Action Plan to implement its 17 principles. These include ways US travel organizations and
travelers can contribute to protecting Cuba’s environment as it adapts to climate change, commit to non-exploitative
relations with all Cubans and respect the country’s cultural heritage and expressions. The Association also defends the
right of all US citizens and residents to travel to Cuba, and advocates lifting all US government travel restrictions to the
island.
