Shaking Down American Travelers Common Dreams News Center 1 Sep 2001

A couple of years ago Los Angeles guitarist Ry Cooder made a documentary film in Havana called "The Buena Vista Social Club." It was nominated for an Academy Award and was seen by millions of Americans. Some have said it has done more to improve relations between US and Cuba than 42 years of rhetoric by the politicians on both sides of the Florida Straits. An August 18 report in the Santa Monica Daily Breeze indicates that Cooder has now been fined $25,000 by the US Treasury Department for spending money in Cuba without its permission.