Comments on: Ten-year sentence for a Cuban? http://fugato.net/2004/10/13/ten-year-sentence-for-a-cuban/ Gunnlaugur Þór Briem Sun, 30 May 2010 18:46:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Kristin http://fugato.net/2004/10/13/ten-year-sentence-for-a-cuban/comment-page-1/#comment-23 Kristin Thu, 21 Oct 2004 17:29:11 +0000 http://fugato.net/2004/10/13/ten-year-sentence-for-a-cuban/#comment-23 According to recent conversations I have had with a couple Cuban people I know, it is legal at least to import, from what I recall, 7 Cuban cigars at a time to the U.S. Any more than that and it can be confiscated... DonŽt quite know why I remembered this since I have absolutely no interest in smoking, but just thought it was odd and so it stuck in my brain... According to recent conversations I have had with a couple Cuban people I know, it is legal at least to import, from what I recall, 7 Cuban cigars at a time to the U.S. Any more than that and it can be confiscated…

DonŽt quite know why I remembered this since I have absolutely no interest in smoking, but just thought it was odd and so it stuck in my brain…

]]> By: GÞB http://fugato.net/2004/10/13/ten-year-sentence-for-a-cuban/comment-page-1/#comment-22 GÞB Fri, 15 Oct 2004 00:00:46 +0000 http://fugato.net/2004/10/13/ten-year-sentence-for-a-cuban/#comment-22 Well of course it can't be true. That's obvious; it's common sense. But evidently the US "Office of Foreign Assets Control" is pleasantly unfettered by such inhibiting factors as common sense. The same document contains this passage right before the text I quoted: <blockquote cite="http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/sanctions/ccigar2.pdf"> The question is often asked whether United States citizens or permanent resident aliens of the United States may legally purchase Cuban origin goods, including tobacco and alcohol products, in a third country for personal use outside the United States. The answer is no. The Regulations prohibit persons subject to the jurisdiction [...] </blockquote> This seems to state clearly ("in a third country for personal use outside the United States") that it applies to what US citizens do <em>outside of</em> the US, not just on US soil. Wait a minute; isn't Bacardi Cuban? It started there, but apparently it moved to Puerto Rico. I wonder which forced it to do that: Fidel Castro's silly laws, or <a href="http://times.discovery.com/convergence/kennedycastro/presidents/presidents3.html">John F. Kennedy's silly laws</a>? :) But anyway, like most embarrassing political oddities, the Cuba embargo probably won't go out with a bang, but <a href="http://globalization.about.com/library/weekly/aa082002b.htm">with a quiet little fizz</a>. Well of course it can’t be true. That’s obvious; it’s common sense.

But evidently the US “Office of Foreign Assets Control” is pleasantly unfettered by such inhibiting factors as common sense. The same document contains this passage right before the text I quoted:

The question is often asked whether United States citizens or permanent resident aliens of the United States may legally purchase Cuban origin goods, including tobacco and alcohol products, in a third country for personal use outside the United States. The answer is no. The Regulations prohibit persons subject to the jurisdiction [...]

This seems to state clearly (“in a third country for personal use outside the United States”) that it applies to what US citizens do outside of the US, not just on US soil.

Wait a minute; isn’t Bacardi Cuban? It started there, but apparently it moved to Puerto Rico. I wonder which forced it to do that: Fidel Castro’s silly laws, or John F. Kennedy’s silly laws? :)

But anyway, like most embarrassing political oddities, the Cuba embargo probably won’t go out with a bang, but with a quiet little fizz.

]]> By: Gummi http://fugato.net/2004/10/13/ten-year-sentence-for-a-cuban/comment-page-1/#comment-21 Gummi Thu, 14 Oct 2004 19:07:39 +0000 http://fugato.net/2004/10/13/ten-year-sentence-for-a-cuban/#comment-21 This can't be true. The jurisdiction has to mean on US soil. If that's not the case, A US citizen could be imprisoned for eating Danish candy in Germany, since it most likely contains sugar imported from Cuba! Then again, the US is not your typical "everything makes sense" country... heck, their president did not even need majority vote in last elections to become a president. This can’t be true. The jurisdiction has to mean on US soil. If that’s not the case, A US citizen could be imprisoned for eating Danish candy in Germany, since it most likely contains sugar imported from Cuba! Then again, the US is not your typical “everything makes sense” country… heck, their president did not even need majority vote in last elections to become a president.

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