The State Department Cuba advisory that the media is not highlighting

Placing Cuba in its proper international context

 
This blog has raised questions about the U.S. Embassy in Havana and the language in its advisories with regards to Cuban Americans. Incidentally, these advisories have garnered much press attention. The language has been changed and the State Department has explained the reason why.

At the same time a new issue arises over the hype of  American travel to Cuba. Why has the media not focused on the State Department's advisory for U.S. citizens that now warns that anyone can be detained at any time for any purpose and that the security services and "judicial" system falls far short of international standards. Here is the exact language:

U.S. citizens traveling to Cuba should be aware that the Cuban government may detain anyone at any time for any purpose, and should not expect that Cuba’s state security or judicial systems will carry out their responsibilities according to international norms.

In fact, when a former U.S. intelligence officer Mike Himsworth posts a copy of the advisory on twitter he is ridiculed by the pro-Cuba travel crowd and his warning dismissed.

@_akshun_ It's the State Dept.'s travel advisory. Missing/Ignoring it is their prerogative. https://t.co/Xqx7Z44stR pic.twitter.com/uPPqBr2AMF

— Mike Himsworth (@MikeHimsworth) May 1, 2016

Cuba and North Korea do have a lot in common and the refusal to recognize the repressive nature of both totalitarian regimes places at risk those who travel there believing these two countries are just like anywhere else.  

The State Department recognizes this as do U.S. intelligence officers but the news media and others are presenting a sunny image of a despotic regime that may endanger American lives. Meanwhile there is a public discussion of placing a travel ban on North Korea due to American tourists being arbitrarily detained there and sentenced to long prison terms.

Did U.S. Embassy officials in Havana hand over a U.S. citizen to be brutalized by Castro's secret police?

 United States embassy in Havana hands over fleeing former political prisoner to Castro's police

Missing: Carlos Manuel Figueroa handed over by US officials to Castro's police

 On Wednesday, September 30, 2015  Carlos Manuel Figueroa, a former Cuban political prisoner released earlier this year, made news over social media beginning at 3:28 pm Ivan Hernandez Carrillo tweeted: "A man jumped the fence of the US embassy in Havana this morning with cries of Down With Raul!!!" A few minutes later thanks to Ivan the identity and fate of the man was made known: "the citizen was identified as Carlos Manuel Figueroa, who protection authorities handed over to police immediately." Three hours later at 6:21pm the news took an ominous turn with the same Cuban journalist reporting that while in custody Carlos Manuel was beaten up by military. EFE news wire is reporting that the Cuban dissident is missing. The U.S. embassy is refusing to confirm what transpired citing security concerns.

The human rights situation in Cuba has been steadily deteriorating during the Obama administration with rising levels of violence and the extrajudicial execution of opposition leaders since 2009. 

Equally concerning is the claim made by Ivan Hernandez Carrillo over twitter that Carlos Manuel Figueroa is a U.S. citizen of Cuban origin.  The claim made by the Obama administration that human rights would be a priority with the new policy on Cuba would be laughable, if it were not so tragic.

Below are two videos from July 2015 where Carlos Manuel speaks his mind.