I will explain how the new measures are taking place in a moment. But first I would like to clarify a little about myself. I know that whenever someone if critical of the Cuban government that they are immediately labeled as an exile from Miami who is simply telling fictitious stories in order to discredit the Cuban government. Accordingly, I want to make it clear that I am not associated in anyway with the Cuban exile community or anyone who has a political interest in Cuba. I am a Canadian citizen by birth and I only started travelling to Cuba a few years ago. If anyone doubts what I have to say here I will provide whatever evidence is requested to prove my statements. In fact, if any newspaper wants to report these disturbing trends but requires further proof, I am willing to personally escort a reporter to Cuba so they can witness firsthand people being taken out of their house at night and placed in jail for only being in the company of a foreigner. I will pay my own expense for travel as well. All I want is attention and awareness brought to this new practice that would never be tolerated in a democratic country. I can be contacted at joecuba123@hotmail.com

There are two specific actions that are taking place right now that are unacceptable. First, the arrest and detainment of Cuban citizens who are simply found to be in the presence of a foreigner. This can happen by the police coming to a house where a tourists is living, and if a Cuban is found in the house, the Cuban is arrested. Normally, this happens at nighttime when few people are awake to bear witness. Secondly, the Cuban government has decided to close all rental houses that normally provide bed and breakfast services to tourists. The government has not stated their intention to close these houses but there is a clear pattern of harassment towards these enterprises to illustrate that they are no longer desirable. The reason of closing these houses is to further restrict interaction between foreigners and Cubans in order to complete the goal of segregation.

Some things I have personally witnessed in the city of Cienfuegos are as follows:

A Cuban woman who is engaged to a man from Italy was arrested at 2:00am in the rental house she shared with him. She was registered with immigration to be in the house but this was irrelevant to the police. In fact, they had been together for over 2 years and she was always registered with immigration to be in a tourist house with him. She was taken by the police to the central station in Cienfuegos and kept for 3 days in jail for processing. During that time she was forced to give a blood sample in order to be tested for drugs and AIDS. She was then advised that she would be sent to prison for up to 4 years if she were ever found in the company of a different tourist.

Cuban females who are seen in cars driven by tourists are now stopped and arrested on the spot. The charge is prostitution although there is no evidence that sex is even taken place since the female is simply a passenger in a car. The same process of 3 days in prison as mentioned above occurs when this happens.

Cubans are now being taken out of discos discretely by the secret police and arrested even though they may not even be in the company of a foreigner. The police seem to think that simply being in a place where a tourist might be is sufficient to be arrested for prostitution. I personally witnessed 2 Cuban woman sitting at a table in a nightclub when they were approached by an undercover police agent and asked to come outside. To the uninformed observer this would look as though they were merely leaving with the male Cuban. However, once they were outside they were placed in a police car and taken to the central station in Cienfuegos. Of course, they were also placed in jail for 3 days and subjected to the above mentioned conditions.

Police stopped a Cuban male who was giving directions to a friend of mine. He was charged with harassing a tourist and given a 30-peso fine. Another Cuban male was sitting in a restaurant with a friend from Canada eating a sandwich. After the Canadian left he to was ticketed for harassing a tourist. It is worth noting the far greater discrimination against females than males. The females go directly to jail and are detained without access to a lawyer while the males only get a ticket. I thought socialism was suppose to treat all people equally?

Again, if anyone has any doubts that these things are occurring I would be happy to take a media representative to Cuba so they can witness everything firsthand. However, if you happen to be in Cienfuegos you can see all this yourself. Simply go to the main central police station at 1:00 in the morning. Sit outside the gate and watch the police bringing people in. You will notice carloads of female Cubans being brought through the gates. On a typical night they are arresting 20 to 30 people for being in the clubs, walking down the street with a tourist or from raiding houses. None have access to a lawyer and will remain in the station for 3 days. As you sit outside the gates you will often see the foreigners arriving to plead with the police to release them. But the police never release them until the 3 days has past. In the past the police would usually let them go if you went to the station to protest but that was before this new policy came into effect.

The rental houses are facing a fate almost as bad. For those that have never been to Cuba, rental houses (called casa particulars) are private owned houses that are allowed to rent to tourists under a special license. They are very similar to bed and breakfasts in other countries. They must pay a tax of around $140 a month which is significant when you consider the average Cuban salary is around $10 a month. Tourist who enjoy travelling around the island and meeting real Cuban people rent these houses as an alternative to the hotel packages. Further, foreigners who have personal relationships with Cubans must stay in a casa particular because Cubans are not allowed in the tourist hotels.

The Cuban government has decided they no longer want the rental houses and are slowly harassing them in the hopes that most will shut their doors voluntarily. Recently, mostly in provinces outside of Havana, the police have been raiding these houses at night harassing guests who are staying in them. They always say they are doing this to offset prostitution but this is clearly untrue when you consider many of the people who end up in jail have permanent long-term relationships with their foreign companion.

In Cienfuegos last month the police closed about a dozen houses for reasons that are not explained. All these owners had invested all their time and money bringing these houses up to standards that tourists would expect only to have their license seized in the end. Other house owners have been arrested under the claim that they were allowing prostitutes in their house.

Finally, in January the final blow will come into effect. Starting in January all tourists in rental houses must be married to their guest if their guest is Cuban. This rule will without doubt destroy the entire rental house industry. Over 90% of the people who stay in rental houses are there visiting their Cuban boyfriend or girlfriend. After all, since Cubans cannot stay in hotels with tourists there is no other alternative but to stay in a rental house. (Further it has always been illegal for foreigners to stay in a private Cuban house that was not licensed by the government.) This will also be bad for tourists who do not have personal relations with a Cuban but enjoy staying in the more affordable private houses. Surely, with 90% of the customers lost the houses will quickly go out of business for everyone since the house owners still must pay the same tax.

To make the situation even more disturbing the Cuban government charges over $700.00 USD for a foreigner to marry a Cuban. In comparison it is less than the equivalent of $1.00 for a Cuban to marry another Cuba. This is nothing short of extortion. It seems very contradictory that the Cuban government on one hand is saying it must stop prostitution at all costs and then charging an exuberant amount of money for a foreigner to marry a Cuban.

When all that I have written is taken into consideration it is clear that the Cuban government has a goal to create total apartheid between the Cuban people and tourists. Arresting people for no clear reason, not allowing them access to a lawyer and imprisoning them is surely a violation of human rights by any standard. Cuba’s claim to be opening up to free enterprise is now seen to be false as the most popular businesses are being squeezed out.

Overall I find these practices to be outrages. I believe that we should all express our outrage to the Cuban government and say that they must change these practices immediately. Or course, they seldom listen. But if we all make it clear we WILL NOT BE RETURNING TO CUBA IF THIS DOES NOT CHANGE they may have no choice but to listen.

Here is what needs to happen immediately:

THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT MUST STOP ARRESTING CUBAN CITIZENS FOR SIMPLY BEING IN THE COMPANY OF A TOURIST. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE AND A HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION.

THE CUBAN GOVERNEMNT MUST CONTINUE TO ALLOW PRIVATE HOUSES TO RENT WITHOUT HARASSMENT. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE TO CREATE APARTHEID BETWEEN THE CUBAN PEOPLE AND TOURISTS. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE TO REQUIRE A CUBAN TO MARRY A TOURIST SIMPLY TO BE IN A RENTAL HOUSE WITH THAT PERSON.

If you agree with this position, please help me by spreading the word. There are many things you can do to help get this message to the Cuban government. Here are some suggestions:

Please copy this protest to every message board and mailing list on the Internet that deals with people traveling to Cuba. Copy it to all your friends who travel to Cuba. Copy it to you local media. Fax it to your travel agent and tell them you are not interested in going to Cuba anymore and they should be aware of these new rules. Copy or fax it to the Canadian government or your MP and ask them why they are doing business with a country that violates their own citizens rights? Or if you are from another country copy it to your own government if they deal with Cuba. Copy or fax it to any company you know that does business with Cuba and ask them if they think this is acceptable treatment of people? Copy it to any web site you can, I do not copyright this document.

Copy this petition everywhere so that the Cuban government find out that we do not want to return to their country if they are treating their own people like this. We want to meet the Cuban people and we want to stay in the rental houses without harassment.

Finally, copy it to them. Here are some addresses to send this to:

Fax for Cuban embassy in Canada: (613) 563-0068

Cuba@embacuba.ca
Webmaster@one.gov.cu
roo­­­t@epol.cipcc.inf.cu
comercial@granmai.cip.cu
red­ac­2@g­ranmai.cip.cu
editor_impreso@granmai.cip.curoot@adua­­na.islagrande.cu
webmaster@infomed.sld.cu­

Make sure you tell everyone that you to are unhappy with the current policies in Cuba and will not be returning until this changes.