USA to Havana Flights Approved for 8 Airlines
HAVANA TIMES — The US government approved Thursday a list of eight airlines to fly routes from different US cities to the Cuban capital Havana. Last month the government authorized six airlines to fly to different Cuban provinces.
The airlines receiving authorization for flights to Havana are: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and United Airlines.
Once final approval from Cuba is assured the US airlines will fly to Havana from New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Newark, Charlotte, Houston and Atlanta.
The US State Department said it based the allocations on cities with a large population of Cuban immigrants.
In June the US authorized American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Silver Airways, Southwest Airlines y Sun Country Airlines to fly from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, Minneapolis/St.Paul and Philadelphia to nine Cuban destinations outside of the capital. These are Camagüey, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo, Cienfuegos, Holguín, Manzanillo, Matanzas, Santa Clara and Santiago de Cuba.
The society that you wish for has never existed, and given human nature, likely never will. Read Martin Guevara’s post “Take this Cup….”. Do you really believe that there is only “some frustration in Cuba with the economic conditions at present but for the most part the population understands the causes and the actions being taken to minimize the effects.” Really? This frustration sends Cubans to the sea in rafts. This frustration turns Doctors and Engineers into prostitutes. Otherwise honest Cubans steal chicken meat from their workplace because of this “frustration”. Comparisons between the US and Cuba are generally worthless. It is better to compare what happens in Cuba to basic common sense. How bad would your life have to be to force YOU to climb on an inner tube raft? The democracy and freedom you wish for sounds nice. But on this planet, what exists in the US and elsewhere, while far from perfect is still much better than tyranny and oppression.
I was with you until the part about “individual rights”. Therein lies the problem in Cuba. Policies which lack any concern for individual rights has led to ruin and tyranny in Cuba. The Castros have even eliminated the individual’s right to think for himself and the freedom to express those thoughts. True democracy is balancing the rights of the individual against “the well-being of society as a whole”. When a majority of the people exercising their INDIVIDUAL right of expression agree on what is best for society as a whole, democracy exists. The Castros, through tyranny, have outlawed individual expression and therefore having no means to arrive at a consensus of the majority, fill the void with their self-perpetuating totalitarianism. Cubans DO NOT play an active part in anything concerning governance. However, based on your comment, if indeed this is what you wish for, tell me again how it is you support the Castro dictatorship?
Put simply Ben those are the logical and expectations, but sadly not possible in Cuba. They are only possible with individual rights and freedoms, with full information about society being available, with opportunity for choice. I would be the first to agree that I do not wish her to be self centered, but that is one of the problems currently in Cuba, for adult concentration has to be upon being able daily to feed ones own family, rather than upon the common good.
When you speak of an environment free of violence and crime, have you considered the quote that I gave of Raul Castro’s assessment of crime in Cuba and the fact that Cuba has the fourth highest rate of incarceration in the world?
But I thank you for the response and think that the life you describe would be much more preferable to the one which she will experience if the communist dictatorship continues, for it is a system of indoctrination from the age of two, of repression and of power and control being exerted by the few over the many.
Playing an active part in society in Cuba is only possible for adherents to the current political system, remember that if my God-child’s parents inform her of anything that is counter to communism, they can be jailed for up to three years. When such action occurs, who is guilty of the crime – those who comfort and care for their children in their own home, or those who incarcerate them?
I don’t doubt your genuine wish that she has the opportunities you describe, but you clearly do not comprehend the reality of life for Cubans under the current dictatorship if you think that the objectives you describe are possible in Cuba.
Definitely not the democracy and freedom that you have in mind. The democracy that you seem to what for Cuba leads to frustration, anger and despair among a sizable portion of the population. You talk only of freedom of the individual assuming that it will automatically translate into a harmonious society. Not so.
Sure, there is some frustration in Cuba with the economic conditions at present but for the most part the population understands the causes and the actions being taken to minimize the effects The causes are essentially external.
I wish for a democracy where the citizens vote for the person they think is most qualified rather than for a political party that represents only the interests of a certain class having wealth. I wish for a harmonious society where there are not extremes of rich and poor but a society where education and good health care is provided. Where the conditions for a more prosperous economy can be brought about for the benefit of all its citizens.
Ben, do you want democracy and freedom for Cuba?
To be a healthy, happy, well educated citizen with an opportunity for a rewarding career in a chosen field. To grow up in an environment free of violence and crime. To be a citizen with a strong sense of community and a wiliness to participate in and contribute to the affairs of Government, both local and national. To not be self centered and concerned only with individual rights and freedoms but primarily with the well being of society as a whole and to play an active part in it.
I note that you don’t have the courage to answer my simple question which I repeat:
What do you wish for the future of my Cuban Godchild?
Do they look north and admire the democracy, freedom of expression and freedom of the individual that they see up there? If they want to see more of it just wait for the Conventions coming up this month. As Al Jolson used to say during a performance, “You ain’t seen nothing yet” .I hope your family are taking notes.
Ben, read: Cuba Faces Hard Times but not Collapse says Raul Castro.
The logical consequences of the dictatorship of the Castro family communist regime are gathering. My heart remains with the people of Cuba, with my family and in particular with the generation of my Godchild. I continue to hope that she in her lifetime will experience democracy, freedom of expression and freedom of the individual rather than mass conformity and oppression.
What do you wish for her?
Your heart must be just racing with excitement at the thought of maybe seeing some social unrest in Cuba. Take a deep breath. You’ll be waiting a long time.
That’s an urban legend.
If there is one thing that you can complain about Canadian tourists, it’s that they tip too heavily in foreign counties, and tend to upset the economic balance. That is especially true in Cuba, where Canadian tourists often spend far more on tips than they did on the trip itself.
The only place where Canadians tend to tip less is in the US at sit down restaurants. That’s because our servers make between $11 and $15 an hour, so the expected tip percentage is lower. Most Canadians don’t even know that there is such a thing as a “server wage”. When they do, they tip more too.
There can be little doubt that the arrival in Cuba of mass tourists from the US will exacerbate the differences in incomes between those employed in the tourism sector and the rest of the population. The more generous the Americans are, the greater the differences. The implications are substantial.
The regime in Cuba will get a big 10% cut of the money spent by US citizens within Cuba and it is reasonable to assume an increase in the prices charged by many of the casa particulars.
With more tourists, services like Viazul will have to increase the number of coaches. The biggest gains will be felt by GAESA with its control of hotel bedrooms fast approaching 50% of the total.
It is unarguable that inflation will occur and the pressures upon the regime to increase the levels of ‘pay’ and the pitiful pension will mount with increased dissatisfaction by the larger population.
Americans are the preferred tourists in Canada as they tend to be very generous with their tips.