In March of 2004 I boarded what would become the last direct flight from Miami to Cuba. While commercial aviation to Cuba has been forbidden for years, educational trips could fly direct.
Most likely conforming to the misguided whims of everybody’s favorite Cuban lobby, which somehow seems to promote policies that hurt the Cuban people more than Fidel Castro, George Bush passed into law a bill that restricted even educational exchanges between our two countries.
While that sucks for everyone else, I managed to squeeze in before the deadline with my motley crew of Columbia Business School classmates. Most people just go through Jamaica or some other country to get to Cuba. So these laws are more of a nuisance than anything else. And if we really want to topple Castro, shouldn’t we promote the free flow and exchange of ideas that come with direct travel to Cuba. Isn’t the pen, or mouth, mightier than the sword?
Needless to say, Cuba is a cool, wacky place. And I like cool wacky places. So I will be putting up some video footage from our trip, starting with the old men of the mountains of central Cuba. Ibrahim Ferrer in concert is on its way as well. I’ll also put up some lectures with leading Cuban officials. Some of what they say is party line, some more creative and interesting.
- Peter
