AP source: US, Cuba to resume talks on direct mail

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

AP source: US, Cuba to resume talks on direct mail
By MATTHEW LEE and PAUL HAVEN
Associated Press
Jun 17, 6:38 AM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The United States and Cuba will resume talks this week on restarting direct mail service despite a deadlock between Washington and Havana over detainees that has largely stalled most rapprochement efforts, a U.S. official said Monday.

U.S. and Cuban diplomats and postal representatives will meet in Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday for technical talks aimed at ending a 50-year suspension in direct mail between the United States and the communist island. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the matter publicly before Congress is notified. Lawmakers were to be notified of the meetings starting Monday morning, the official said.

The resumption in talks does not signify any change in the Obama administration's Cuba policy, the official said, stressing that the discussions are taking place in the context of the Cuba Democracy Act of 1992 and are consistent with the U.S. interest "in promoting the free flow of information to, from and within Cuba."

Cuba and the United States have had no direct mail service since 1963, though letters do go back and forth via third countries.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_US_CUBA?SECTION=HOME&SITE=AP&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[duhneece]

1. I was unaware that there had been no direct mail since 1963

Never even thought about it.

[bigworld]

2. Letters do go through

It just goes via Mexico, from what I understand. Utterly silly. Costs extra time and money, and doesn't really achieve anything. I believe we even have direct mail service to North Korea. But not Cuba.

[Socialistlemur]

3. I wonder if they'll allow packages

If they allow packages to go through and don't open them or charge a lot it will allow the Cubans in Miami to send food appliances books cell phones and DVD s . It'll really get the Cubans in Cuba up to speed.

[dipsydoodle]

4. You must be joking.

There's no way packages would get into Cuba unopened. Too much risk of someone trying to pull an Alan Gross. If you were to fly to Cuba you'd find the list of prohibited items before you landed.

[Socialistlemur]

6. Seems to me the Cuban regime is going to lose eventually

I don't know what an Alan gross is. But I think the Cuban dictatorship is bound to lose the battle to keep people from organizing to overthrow the regime. A communist party claiming it is the only political alternative loses legitimacy if it practices capitalism unless it can do like china, which is now a fascist nation. But the Cuban government lacks the ability to withstand the pressure of one million Cubans abroad constantly explaining to their poor relatives in Cuba how the new Cuban capitalist model exploits the working class. The masses will rise and a new revolution will destroy the ancient regime. They may even get to practice with their own guillotine.

[Mika]

7. And your experience IN Cuba is?

Your talking points are straight outta the CANF & and Casa Bacardi's Cuban Transition Project (which is a US/Cuban "exile" created corporate blueprint to privatize all of Cuba's infrastructures - modeled after L. Paul Bremmer's privatization of Iraq's infrastructure).
The VAST majority of the Cuban people have organized. THAT is just why they have high quality universal healthcare, high quality education, peace and security for all. It's called sovereignty. Something the Cubans are not going to give up on easily.

[Paladin]

11. Dropping the U.S. embargo would hasten that downfall by a factor of ten.

It's way past time for our Cuba policy to be free of the influence of right wing politicos in Miami. Our current policy is keeping the Castro boys in power---and depriving me of some great cigars......

[Daniel537]

8. People send packages to Cuba every day.

There are dozens of agencies here in Miami that will do it for you, you can send anything from clothes and food to TVs and laptops, i've sent a few packages myself. Besides, about half a million Cuban-Americans, myself included, travel to Cuba every year loaded with bags filled with gifts for their relatives. Cuba is nowhere near as isolated as you make it seem.

[Mika]

9. Also thousands of Cubans who come to Miami and return to Cuba loaded w/goodies every year.

A little known fact.

[Daniel537]

10. True.

Also a lot who have dual citizenship with Spain and travel back and forth from there as well.

[Javaman]

5. New Right Wing talking point...

CUBA IS TAKING OVER THE POSTAL SERVICE1!!!1!!