06 January 1999
(Six fact sheets outline policies on food sales, mail, flights, etc.)
(1570)
WASHINGTON -- Following is the text of a series of fact sheets issued
by the Department of State on U.S. policies covering food sales,
remittances, direct flights, people-to-people contacts, direct mail,
and public diplomacy:
(begin text)
FACT SHEET: FOOD SALES
U.S. Policy:
-- On January 5 the President announced his decision to authorize
licensing of sales of food and agricultural inputs to independent
entities in Cuba.
-- As the President has said, we want to continue to find ways to
assist and support the Cuban people without strengthening the regime.
Our objective, building on the visit of the Pontiff to Cuba and
following up on the measures we announced last March 20, is to promote
the development and evolution of peaceful independent activity and
civil society. This will help promote a transition to a free,
independent, and prosperous nation, and will help prepare the Cuban
people for that goal.
New Measures:
-- Licensing, on a case-by-case basis, sales of food to entities
independent of the Cuban government. This could include religious
groups, private restaurants, and other such entities.
-- Licensing, on a case-by-case basis, the sales of agricultural
inputs to entities independent of the Cuban government. This could
include private farmers, farmers in cooperatives raising food for sale
in private markets, and other such entities.
-- U.S. Government financing for such exports will not be authorized.
-- The Departments of Commerce, the Treasury, and State will develop
licensing procedures in the coming weeks.
Background:
-- Sales of food and agricultural inputs were suspended in 1963.
-- Sales to independent entities and non-governmental organizations
will be licensed as a way to promote the development of activity
independent of the government in order to encourage a peaceful
democratic transition.
-- The embargo remains in place, except for licensed activity, and
will continue to be enforced.
FACT SHEET: REMITTANCES
U.S. Policy
-- On January 5 the President announced his decision to expand legal
remittances to the Cuban people.
-- As the President has said, we want to continue to find ways to
support the Cuban people without strengthening the regime. Our
objective, building on the visit of the Pontiff to Cuba, is to support
the development of peaceful independent activity and civil society in
order to help promote a transition to a free, independent, and
democratic state.
New Measures:
-- Under the general license, any U.S. citizen will be authorized to
send up to $300 each quarter of the year to any Cuban family, except
for senior-level Cuban government and communist party officials.
Cuban-Americans will continue to be permitted to send remittances to
family members.
-- Remittances may be sent for humanitarian purposes, i.e., to support
Cuban families.
-- U.S. citizens and non-governmental organizations will be licensed,
on a case-by-case basis, to send larger remittances to entities in
Cuba that are independent of the Cuban government.
-- The Department of the Treasury and State will develop licensing and
monitoring procedures.
Background:
-- Legal remittances by Cuban-Americans to close family members in
Cuba for humanitarian purposes were reinstituted in March 1998.
-- Many Cubans are able to meet the most basic necessities of life for
their families only by receiving humanitarian packages and financial
assistance from relatives in the U.S.
-- Expanding remittances helps promote greater individual freedom.
Recipients will be less dependent on the state and less subject to its
economic pressures.
-- Expanding remittances beyond close family members of
Cuban-Americans to other Cubans helps them for humanitarian purposes,
reduces their dependence on the State and promotes independent civil
society.
FACT SHEET: DIRECT FLIGHTS
U.S. Policy:
-- On January 5 the President announced his decision to expand direct
passenger charter flights to Cuba.
-- As the President has said, we want to continue to find ways to
support the Cuban people without strengthening the regime. Our
objective, building on the visit of the Pontiff to Cuba, is to support
the development of peaceful independent activity and civil society in
order to help the Cuban people prepare for a transition to a free,
independent, and prosperous nation.
New Measures:
-- In addition to the existing licensed direct passenger charter
flights to Havana from Miami, departures from some other U.S. cities
will be authorized. In order to facilitate the licensed travel of
individuals whose relatives live outside of Havana, direct flights
will also be authorized to Cuban cities other than Havana.
-- The Departments of the Treasury, Commerce, and State will develop
implementing procedures in the coming weeks, and will continue to
license qualified carrier service providers.
Background:
-- The U.S. is expanding direct passenger charter flights as a way to
facilitate family reunification and to promote people-to-people
exchanges through licensed travel.
-- This will promote the development of peaceful independent activity
and civil society within Cuba.
-- Travelers on all flights must be licensed. In addition to persons
travelling once a year to visit close relatives, by far the largest
category, other licensable travel includes persons travelling for
clearly defined religious or educational activities, cultural
activities, persons belonging to recognized human rights organizations
and other non-governmental groups, journalists, and official U.S.
Government travelers, among others.
FACT SHEET: INCREASED PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE CONTACTS
U.S. Policy:
-- On January 5 the President announced his decision to expand
people-to-people contacts.
-- As the President has said, we want to continue to find ways to
support the Cuban people without strengthening the regime. Our
objective, building on the visit of the Pontiff to Cuba, is to support
the development of peaceful independent activity and civil society in
order to help the Cuban people prepare for a transition to a free,
independent, and prosperous nation.
New Measures:
-- We wish to encourage an expansion of educational, cultural,
humanitarian, religious, journalistic and athletic exchange, and other
appropriate people-to-people contacts. For example, the Baltimore
Orioles organization will be licensed to explore the possibility of
playing exhibition games where profits would benefit Caritas-Cuba.
-- These people-to-people contacts will be expanded in two ways: by
facilitating travel of persons from Cuba to the U.S. who qualify for
visas; and by streamlining licensing procedures for qualified U.S.
persons travelling to Cuba.
-- Travel from Cuba to the U.S.:
Qualified Cubans who are not senior members of the Cuban government or
party will continue to be given visas.
The visa process will be streamlined and accelerated.
-- Travel to Cuba from the U.S.:
Licensing procedures will be streamlined for qualified U.S. persons
travelling to Cuba.
We will also develop procedures to license multiple visits for
qualified individuals and groups in the above mentioned categories.
Travel for recreation or tourism, or travel otherwise in contravention
of the embargo, continues to be prohibited.
-- The Departments of Treasury, Justice, and State will develop
licensing procedures.
Background:
-- Expanding educational, cultural, journalistic, athletic, religious
and humanitarian exchanges to and from Cuba will facilitate
people-to-people contacts, specifically supporting the development of
peaceful activities in Cuba independent of the Cuban government and
promoting a peaceful transition to democracy.
-- The revised visa procedures are not intended to expand contacts or
relations between the U.S. and Cuban governments. Visa applications by
senior-level Cuban officials will continue to be reviewed in
Washington on a case-by-case basis.
FACT SHEET: DIRECT MAIL
U.S. Policy:
-- On January 5 the President announced his decision to seek to
re-establish direct mail service with Cuba.
-- As the President has said, we want to continue to find ways to
support the Cuban people without supporting the regime. Our objective,
building on the visit of the Pontiff to Cuba, is to support the
development of peaceful independent activity and civil society in
order to help the Cuban people prepare for a transition to a free,
independent, and prosperous nation.
New Measures:
-- The U.S. government will contact the Cuban government to work out
the details of establishing direct mail service.
Background:
-- Direct mail between the U.S. and Cuba is authorized by the Cuban
Democracy Act of 1992. It was suspended in 1962.
-- Currently mail is sent to and from Cuba via third countries,
causing significant delays and sometimes losses.
-- Establishing direct mail will facilitate people-to-people contacts,
and will significantly expand the flow of information to the Cuban
people.
FACT SHEET: INCRE~ASED PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
U.S. Policy:
-- The U.S. has an active public diplomacy effort around the world
focusing on the deplorable human rights situation in Cuba.
-- As the President has said, we want to continue to find ways to
support the Cuban people without supporting the regime, support the
development of peaceful independent activity and civil society. The
U.S. will intensify efforts to bring the reality of Cuba to the
attention of the world public opinion and world governments.
New Measures:
-- USIA will study alternative broadcast sites in order to try to
improve reception of Radio Marti and TV Marti.
-- We will seek to identify funding for a new aerostat for TV Marti
broadcasts to Cuba.
-- A new Presidential Advisory Board on Broadcasting to Cuba will be
named.
-- USIA and the State Department will enhance public diplomacy
programs to better inform Latin America and the EU countries on the
reality of Cuba today.
(end text)