November 8, 2002

Folks:

Several people have received letters from the Office of Foreign Assets Control regarding their (alleged) participation in last year's (alleged) USCSCA conference in Cuba.

We are honored to have a dynamic and outstanding national legal team eagerly responding on any (alleged) participant's behalf.

HOWEVER time is of the essence, and therefore we are asking every local delegation leader TO CALL any (alleged) participants they are aware of, and to share this email with others, as OFAC is contacting people who (allegedly) did NOT attend as well. PLEASE do this, as folks you'd least expect maybe the most vulnerable to getting these annoying letters, as well as the least knowledgeable about how to respond.

These letters are meant to intimidate people, as well as gather information about other people they might go after, and are part of increased government harassment stepped up under this administration in its attempts to erode relations between our nations. It is not acceptable, nor is it constitutional. We will not be cowed.

Many organizations besides ourselves are reporting a marked increase in harassment from OFAC regarding their legitimate activities with Cuba.

If you are one of the 'lucky' people who have received such a letter, aside from notifying us IMMEDIATELY, you can proudly frame your letter, because someday, when your grandchildren ask what you did to defend your country, you will be able to respond that after 9/11, in confusing times, you were one of the many US citizens who held firm and defended the constitution, and the right for 'the people'  to not be disenfranchised from foreign policy or international relations.

Congress is with us on this one, and needs examples like these letters to restrict the abuses and the 'liberties' OFAC is taking with our fundamental rights.

Lastly, we would appreciate some response from each of you, to let us know you are aware of this 'witch hunt' and alerted to the need to notify us should you get such a letter. We cannot know how widespread a phenomena this is without your help.

Thank you all for complying with this request and we are sorry for any inconvenience this causes you. You may email USCSCA@aol.com.

On behalf of the USCSCA executive board,

Sincerely,

Lisa Valanti
President
US-CUBA Sister Cities Association, Inc.

October 23, 2002

Dear Sister City Supporters:

Please share this with your membership. We are getting scattered reports that OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) is sending letters of "Requirement to Furnish Information" pertaining to our sister city gathering in Cuba.

People who did not participate in any way are getting these (scary and lengthy) letters as well as several sister city delegates.

It is VERY important that you do not try and answer these letters without legal council. Right now, we are asking you to inform Arthur Heitzer, an attorney from Milwaukee, and our office, and the organization that provided your travel license, of any letters you receive so that we can determine the best multi-organizational legal response to this ridiculous harassment. (Witch hunt.) Once we assess the scope of this, we will collectively develop a response that everyone can fully participate in. If you have lawyers in your community who are interested in these constitutional issues, please have them contact Art. We would like to extend the "Wall of Lawyers."

Please understand, if you should receive such a letter, it is not an attack on you personally, rather, it is an attempt to discourage people from becoming widely involved in citizen diplomacy, and is a not-so-subtle attack on all sincere and genuine people-to-people exchanges. The questions they ask are reminiscent of McCarthyism.

OFAC needs to know we will not allow intimidation or infringement of our human and constitutional rights based on the political frustrations of the current administration.

This type of 'abuse' of powers clearly demonstrates exactly what Congress has been addressing in its recent votes to cut off funding for OFAC. It is tragic that especially after 9/11, OFAC has nothing better to do with tax payer money than to harass U.S. citizens who are working as citizens diplomats through their community organizations to further the hopes for peace in our hemisphere. OFAC is supposed to be tracking down real terrorists!

Civilization advances through the continual challenge to change laws that impede or isolate the free flow of information, association, and people from experiencing their world firsthand, etc.

At the moment, we may no longer be able to claim we come from the "Land of the free," but we will clearly demonstrate that we still come from the "Home of the brave." There can be no retreat from our commitment and our human right to pursue people-to-people relations with our Cuban neighbors and to protect and advance our own democratic and constitutional rights.

The fact that Jeb Bush is having a rough fight to maintain his seat in Florida, and that this administration, in total opposition to the majority will of the people of the U.S. and even Congress, to move towards some normalization of relations with Cuba, has pledged to be 'hard-line' for its ultra-right constituency, could be why we may be seeing across the board, a dramatic increase in OFAC's attempts to punish US citizens, enforcing 'laws' which as President Jimmy Carter has stated, violate our own constitutional and human rights.

Obviously, maintaining our organizational mission in the current environment will require patience and perseverance and fortitude. Together, we have what it takes. We are in this for the long haul, and nobody said it would be easy. Hang in there. Keep on, keep'en on! Thank you for all your hard work! Keep the faith!

On behalf of the USCSCA executive board,

Sincerely,

Lisa Valanti
President
US-CUBA Sister Cities Association, Inc.