The Carters do the salsa

Dennie Quill, Contributor

So the Carters created quite a stir in neighbouring Cuba last week. In case you haven't heard about it, entertainment's mega couple, Beyoncé and Jay-Z (real name Shawn Carter) were in Havana on a cultural trip which coincided neatly with their fifth wedding anniversary.

According to one report, as the couple strolled about Old Havana, they were swarmed by thousands of fans they didn't even know they had. Therein lies the immense power of media. Beyoncé and Jay-Z are among the most media-exposed couples in the world. Though no official announcement of their visit was made, people recognised the Carters and the news spread like wildfire.

The trip, which seemed like a family celebration, since the couple's mothers went along for the ride, has angered the Cuban-American community and their congressional representatives have been asking questions.

Of course, the US embargo against Cuba, which is 53 years old, only permits academic, religious and cultural exchanges and participants must have a schedule of activities "that will result in meaningful people-to-people interaction" between the visitors and individuals in Cuba.

TOURIST ACTIVITIES FROWNED UPON

Tourist activities which would include basking on the beach or scuba diving are prohibited for they are seen as propping up the communist regime principally because of the US dollars which the visitors are likely to spend in the country.

In response to queries from Florida Republicans Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart, the US Department of Treasury has said the Carters' trip was a cultural one and was fully licensed by the department. That has raised some grumblings that the couple's friendship with the Obama administration played a part in this approval.

There are reports that an increasing number of Americans are visiting Cuba as tourists and without seeking any permission. Civil penalties for unauthorised travel to Cuba can reach US$7,500 for the first visit and US$10,000 for subsequent trips. For example, between 2001 and 2004, more than 200 cases were settled with travellers paying a paltry sum of US$1,000; many were not even fined.

Celebrities like Sean Penn have visited Cuba before, and I predict that the Carters will be followed by a string of other celebrities. First of all, people with money hate to be denied access to anything. Cuba is that forbidden tropical fruit to Americans and they will find a way around any embargo.

Second, let us not forget that the entertainment industry has the power to transform society, especially with the explosion in social media. Throughout the ages, entertainers, including actors, musicians and artistes, have been at the forefront of pushing the limits on rights and freedoms of individuals and societies. Cuba must be seen as a magnet for entertainers who are likely to be trying to figure out why the embargo has lasted so long and how it can be ended.

The Carters' foray into Cuba came right about as the well-known American author Jeffrey Robinson was warning the Caribbean of a "financial tsunami" that will sweep the region in a few years.

Robinson is the author of 27 books and is noted for uncovering the extent of global money laundering in his book The Laundrymen. While urging the region to plan their response now, Robinson is predicting a huge business invasion of Cuba, which he describes as a blank canvas for tourism investors looking for new markets. At the same time, he foresees the displacement that will usher in a new period of money laundering in the Caribbean.

Surely, we have heard this warning before - many times - and from different voices. And what have we done to prepare? Nothing.

Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and denniequill@hotmail.com.