CUBA COMMITMENT

CUBA COMMITMENT

This is a lengthy update but very needful if you are interested in our travels to Cuba while it is still communist ruled.

The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday identified 10 companies owned by the Cuban government and warned that anyone doing business with them could face criminal charges. “These companies have been providing easy access to Cuba to those U.S. individuals who chose to break the law,” Mr. Snow the Treasury Department spokesman said in a speech to Cuban Americans in Coral Gables. The companies and subsidiaries identified were all tour companies that help Americans travel into and out from Cuba. Some of the Cubanacán and Havanatour branches are known to have arranged flight and hotel reservations for U.S.-based travel agencies that lack the U.S. permits. This behooves anyone that wants to travel to Cuba to obtain their own Treasury Department permit. Some of the Churches involved with Cuba Commitment have obtained this permit and if you would like to know how please send me an e-mail and I will send you the information.

Mr. Snow went on to say “Anyone purchasing tour packages or products from the U.S. or Cuban firms could face civil and criminal penalties and have their bank accounts frozen under the U.S. Trading with the Enemy Act. Penalties can reach 10 years in prison and fines starting at $50,000.00.” This would not look good for any Independent Baptist Church! “You as the consumer are now on notice: to do business with them is to provide support to the Castro regime,” Juan Zarate, said Treasury's deputy assistant secretary.

Americans are prohibited from traveling to Cuba or conducting business with the communist-ruled nation. Cuban-Americans are allowed annual trips for family reunifications. Exceptions are also available for journalists, academic and religious groups, and several dozen U.S. firms have permission to arrange their travel. Officials said that since heightened authorities have prevented 275 travelers from boarding Cuba-bound flights after discovering that they did not have proper licenses. Also, more than 300 civil violation notices have been sent to suspected illegal travelers and three administrative law judges have been assigned to 111 cases, including 63 that resulted in settlement payments from Church organizations and individual Churches. Brethren, pray for this! We need to know how we can move this material in our containers to Cuba without being halted financially or having the material destroyed. We must do our best to look for ways to enter the country. If you have knowledge of information that may help us please send it my way and I will report it to the brethren planning and praying.

Report on South East Asia Trip
I will report within the next few days on my portion of the trip through Southeast Asia. God has shown and is still showing himself all powerful in these regions. He is truly the LORD of the Harvest. Thank you again for praying.

In HIS Service,

Travis A. Jones

travis@metrobc.org

cuba@metrobc.org

Metropolitan Baptist Church

6051 Azle Ave.

Ft Worth, TX 76135