Dear CIT community:

 

This post is regarding recent Cuba news and politics.

I am saddened to come back from a beautiful trip to Cuba today with my husband and infant daughter to hear that the United States has issued a travel warning to Cuba.

One of the things I love most about Cuba is that you can walk around and truly feel safe. I don’t just mean in the resort areas but in the local neighborhoods where you can experience the colors, food, dance, music, architecture and the cars that stole my heart on my first visit in 1999. There are no guns and hardly any violence — just lots of friendly and creative people.

 

Cuba is not just a pretty place. Cuba has everything mentioned above as well as people who have passion, love, and positivity. On his visit to Cuba I was there when Pope Francis said: “They sing in the streets. They are happy and not apathetic. They really live life.”

 

Just within the last two years President Obama visited Cuba, The Rolling Stones performed there along with Major Lazer and Questlove. Chanel had a major fashion show in Cuba. The Cuban people were making a well deserved living working hard in the tourism industry. They have made significant investments in houses for B&Bs, new restaurants and bars, and all kinds of creative and wonderful new local businesses owned by everyday people in Cuba.

 

Unfortunately the new administration’s tone towards Cuba has been negative although there has not been any travel ban issued and the US embassy remains open. Regarding the incidents with the US diplomats no one quite knows what happened, no one was named and news agencies report that even the diplomats affected do not want to leave Cuba. “Barbara Stephenson, president of the American Foreign Service Association, said the organization that represents diplomats is against the drawdown”- CNN. Most importantly, the State Department has confirmed that no private citizens have been affected by the alleged attacks in August.

 

I would never urge anyone to travel to Cuba if I felt it were unsafe. Unfortunately, I feel far less safe in the United States after so many violent incidents. I was in New York working near the World Trade Center on 9/11. And the largest mass shooting in the history of our country happened yesterday while my husband and wonderful Cuba staff were surprising me with an amazing and loving party for my 40th birthday.

 

For those of you who know me personally, you know that my 14 month old daughter Arabella is my world, and that I am a typical overprotective new mom. If I thought for a second that Cuba may be the slightest bit unsafe I would never take her there. In Cuba, children play in the street and no one thinks twice about it. I wish I could feel that safe in my own country where I am afraid of so many different current events.

 

The Cuban people are and constantly have been a pawn in a sad political game between our two countries, but they always point out that as more Americans come the more love and understanding they feel for their close neighbors who have become dear friends and in some cases, family. These unproven accusations are a perfect way to put Cuba down and hurt it’s innocent people who have nothing to do with such things.

 

I have traveled around the world, but I have been to Cuba over 50 times because Cuba gave me everything. My passion for music where there was none before, my talented artist husband who I met when I took one of my groups to see him, my Cuba travel agency who has done everything under the sun to get people to Cuba and experience it the way I did. My happiness is hearing all the touching reviews when people come back from Cuba.

 

We at CIT strongly believe that the best way to continue to ensure positive and safe relations between Cuba and the US is to continue engagement with its people. All of our future trips are still scheduled, and we look forward, now more than ever, to share the incredible country of Cuba and its people with you.

 

Sincerely,

Shabnam Samoohi

President, Cultural Island Travel