Who Gets to go to Cuba?

CubaWant to go to Cuba? Go to Hollywood. 4 U.S. film stars will be visiting Cuba this week as part of a growing trend of easing political and social relations between the United States and Cuba. It has been illegal for anyone to fly to Cuba from the United States for decades, and the fact that there is press about 4 high profile celebrities going there to stay at the Malecon means that there is no international hoops keeping the well-connected from visiting the island nation.

So who gets to go? Benicio del Toro, Bill Murray, Robert Duvall and James Caan. Toro is there to accept an award related to his portrayal of Ernesto Ché Guevara in a recent film, and the others are working on a “research project.” Bill Murray is working on a research project in Cuba? That is the headline I want to see. Perhaps it is something they are all looking into for a future film project, or maybe they are considering dramatic career shifts, like Joaquin Phoenix. For now, it is enough to know that Americans are visiting, without major hoopla, Cuba. A crew of producers and other industry folks are going along as well. Apparently their travel license was granted by the U.S. Treasury- I don’t even know what to say about that. Maybe they are the ones who always grant travel licenses to Cuba, or maybe everyone else was busy, but I feel like the Treasury Department has a lot of other things going on beyond dealing with celebrity travel to Cuba.

Anyway-

Other Hollywood stars have visited Cuba- Robert Redford, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Steven Spielberg, so it is not the first time, but it is notable because it seems to represent the message that ties between the two countries are beginning to ease.

Travel to Cuba has been forbidden as part of the 4 decade+ trade embargo against Cuba because of their communist leadership. Former President George W. Bush was also strict on his restrictions against travel there for any reason.

Obama said earlier this year that he would like to “recast” relations between the United States and Cuba.

That is the most, well, kind thing that has been said between the two countries since Fidel Castro came into power there in 1959. At this point Obama has lifted travel restrictions for Cuban Americans and taken up immigration communication with Cuba. That is big news. Maybe Bill Murray is there to do some recon on those talks?

Enough speculation: del Toro is being given an award by Cuban artists and intellectuals, which is awesome. Finding common ground is always the first step toward reconciliation or any kind of forward motion in international politics. It’s why Obama referenced Yao Ming in his opening remarks at the summit in China earlier this week.

In the realm of politics and in the name of moving forward socially, culturally and foreign relationally, the visit of Hollywood folks to Cuba is a positive move.

As the world begins to face much larger problems, like the global economic crisis and the climate change issues that affect everyone, working together across borders is much more important than fighting to keep them closed.