The New York Times reports that a Bethesda-based contractor has been detained by authorities in Cuba. The contractor, who was working on a contract with the U.S. government, was detained for entering Cuba without proper papers. The man’s agenda in Cuba may have irritated authorities. He was reportedly disseminating cellphones and laptops “on behalf of the Obama administration,” ostensibly for the purposes outlined by his organization‘s mission statement: “to make a lasting difference in the world by helping developing nations become more prosperous, fairer and more just, cleaner, safer, healthier, more stable, more efficient, and better governed.” President Barack Obama has also challenged the status quo in Cuba, freeing telecommunications firms to work there (despite renewing the embargo) and even doing a stint as a guest blogger (!) for Cuba’s most notorious government critic. These activities aren’t openly tolerated in Cuba, and detention is a very serious matter for Cuban dissidents and artists. Detaining a Washington-area resident is a different kind of serious matter, though, and it would be a tension-ratcheting decision for Cuba to continue to hold this contractor. Here’s hoping that he returns safely to the States before the start of the holidays.

Meanwhile, can anyone explain how the Cuba travel embargo works? A friend recently said quite matter-of-factly that she plans to travel there to conduct an affair. Obama administration contractors may apparently travel there, too. Do I need a U.S. AID contract to buy a ticket, or will a hot Latin lover suffice?