Will Obama be jailed for visiting Cuba?

[Richard Masters]

Last time I checked, there is an embargo on Cuba, and Obama hasn't been detained. What's with the double-standard?

 

[MikeSun5]

Going to Cuba isn't illegal for Americans. Spending US dollars there is.
Maybe he'll bring food and stuff with him.

 

[Richard Masters]

Never mind. I should have done more research, but it turns out Obama dropped travel restrictions last week; so technically there was no double standard.

 

[Richard Masters]

Going to Cuba isn't illegal for Americans. Spending US dollars there is.
Maybe he'll bring food and stuff with him.

He and a few millionaires can afford to do that. But even the millionaires need to spend money on getting their passports stamped.

 

[WildCat]

Is Obama there as a tourist?

 

[Richard Masters]

Is Obama there as a tourist?

He may not be there at all... Turns out the meeting I was thinking of took place in Trinidad and Tobago, not Cuba.

 

[WildCat]

He may not be there at all... Turns out the meeting I was thinking of took place in Trinidad and Tobago, not Cuba.

But the point remains - I'm sure it's allowed to go there on state business. Certainly many US officials have been to Cuba over the years.

 

[dann]

US delegation in Cuba to normalize ties

 

[plumjam]

He's getting the same plane back as the CIA torturers, so he should be safe enough.

 

[ryanebelhar]

But the point remains - I'm sure it's allowed to go there on state business. Certainly many US officials have been to Cuba over the years.

The following are legally allowed to enter Cuba

* Journalists and supporting broadcasting or technical personnel (regularly employed in that capacity by a news reporting organization and traveling for journalistic activities).
* Official government travelers on official business.
* Members of international organizations of which the United States is also a member (traveling on official business).
* Full-time professionals whose travel transactions are directly related to research in their professional areas, provided that their research: 1) is of a noncommercial, academic nature; 2) comprises a full work schedule in Cuba; and 3) has a substantial likelihood of public dissemination.
* Full-time professionals whose travel transactions are directly related to attendance at professional meetings or conferences in Cuba that are organized by an international professional organization, institution, or association that regularly sponsors such meetings or conferences in other countries. An organization, institution, or association headquartered in the United States may not sponsor such a meeting or conference unless it has been specifically licensed to sponsor it.
* The purpose of the meeting or conference cannot be the promotion of tourism in Cuba or other commercial activities involving Cuba, or to foster production of any bio-technological products.


http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1097.html

 

[LibraryLady]

One of my co-workers attended several international librarian meetings there during Clinton's presidency. Under Bush, the meetings were forbidden.

 

[dann]

The following are legally allowed to enter Cuba

Many Americans who don't belong to those categories manage to go to Cuba anyway.
It helps that Cuba stopped stamping the passports of foreigners ...