FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: K.B. Forbes 202-320-1212

Thursday, April 28, 2005 Lourdes Galvan 323-221-2357

HISPANIC GROUP ASKS U.S. TO REVOKE TRAVEL PRIVILEGES OF

FIDEL CASTRO FRONT GROUPS

Havana Entity Works With U.S. Based Groups that Help Issue “Clergy” Credentials to U.S. Citizens and Residents

Under the Guise of “Religious” Travel

MIAMI, FL—In a letter to the Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of Treasury, K.B. Forbes, the Executive Director of the Consejo de Latinos Unidos, a national non-profit advocacy group that educates and assists Hispanics, called on the office to look into known associates of “the Yoruba Cultural Association (Asociación Cultural Yoruba de Cuba)—an organization based in Havana, Cuba that appears to collect hard-currency and useful intelligence for the dreadful dictatorship of Fidel Castro, an organization that appears to fraudulently masquerade itself as a ‘cultural’ group.”

In his letter, Forbes writes, “All travel privileges to Cuba under the auspices of Yoruba Cultural Association[’s] known associates in the United States should be revoked immediately.”

In conversations with investigators of the Office of Foreign Assets Control, Forbes informed them of US-based groups which appear to have close ties to the Yoruba Cultural Association. The groups and not Churches appear to dish-out credentials to anyone who claims to be a clergy member, even letting so-called clergy apply online at their website.”

Since new, stricter travel guidelines to Cuba were established last year, some “religious” organizations have been letting pleasure seekers travel to Cuba by offering them “membership” or “clergy status” in exchange for a “donation.” Some of these so-called “religious groups” have agreements and close ties with the Cuban dictatorship.

In recent weeks, the Office of Foreign Assets Control has been cracking down on religious organizations that abuse the travel privileges to Cuba.

The U.S. Department of Treasury Press Office may be reached at (202) 622-2960.

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