White House Fact Sheet: Cuba Policy

[Cees Binkhorst]

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Keep it up Barack ;)

Groet / Cees

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/us/politics/13cuba-factsheet.html
April 13, 2009
Text
White House Fact Sheet: Cuba Policy

The White House announced that it is abandoning longstanding restrictions
on family travel, remittances and gifts to Cuba, and is also taking steps
to open up telecommunications with the island, a significant shift in
policy that fulfills a promise President Obama made during his election
campaign. Following is a fact sheet provided by the White House:

FACT SHEET: REACHING OUT TO THE CUBAN PEOPLE

Today, the Obama administration announced a series of changes in U.S.
policy to reach out to the Cuban people in support of their desire to
freely determine their country's future. In taking these steps to help
bridge the gap among divided Cuban families and promote the freer flow of
information and humanitarian items to the Cuban people, President Obama is
working to fulfill the goals he identified both during his presidential
campaign and since taking office.

All who embrace core democratic values long for a Cuba that respects basic
human, political and economic rights of all its citizens. President Obama
believes these measures will help make that goal a reality.

Cuban American connections to family in Cuba are not only a basic right in
humanitarian terms, but also our best tool for helping to foster the
beginnings of grassroots democracy on the island. There are no better
ambassadors for freedom than Cuban Americans. Accordingly, President Obama
will direct the Secretaries of State, Treasury, and Commerce to support
the Cuban people's desire for freedom and self-determination by lifting
all restrictions on family visits and remittances as well as taking steps
that will facilitate greater contact between separated family members in
the United States and Cuba and increase the flow of information and
humanitarian resources directly to the Cuban people. The President is also
calling on the Cuban government to reduce the charges it levies on cash
remittances sent to the island so family members can be assured they are
receiving the support sent to them.

Specifically, the President has directed the Secretaries of State,
Treasury, and Commerce to take the needed steps to:

· Lift all restrictions on transactions related to the travel of family
members to Cuba.

· Remove restrictions on remittances to family members in Cuba.

· Authorize U.S. telecommunications network providers to enter into
agreements to establish fiber-optic cable and satellite telecommunications
facilities linking the United States and Cuba.

· License U.S. telecommunications service providers to enter into roaming
service agreements with Cuba's telecommunications service providers.

· License U.S. satellite radio and satellite television service providers
to engage in transactions necessary to provide services to customers in
Cuba.

· License persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction to activate and pay U.S.
and third-country service providers for telecommunications, satellite
radio and satellite television services provided to individuals in Cuba.

· Authorize the donation of certain consumer telecommunication devices
without a license.

· Add certain humanitarian items to the list of items eligible for export
through licensing exceptions.

REACHING OUT TO THE CUBAN PEOPLE

Supporting the Cuban people's desire to freely determine their future and
that of their country is in the national interest of the United States.
The Obama administration is taking steps to promote greater contact
between separated family members in the United States and Cuba and
increase the flow of remittances and information to the Cuban people.

Lift All Restrictions on Family Visits to Cuba

We will lift all restrictions on family visits to Cuba by authorizing such
transactions by a general license, which will strengthen contacts and
promote American good will. We will ensure the positive reach of this
effort by:

· Defining family members who may be visited to be persons within three
degrees of family relationship (e.g., second cousins) and to allow
individuals who share a common dwelling as a family with an authorized
traveler to accompany them;

· Removing limitations on the frequency of visits;

· Removing limitations on the duration of a visit;

· Authorizing expenditure amounts that are the same as non-family travel; and

· Removing the 44-pound limitation on accompanied baggage.

Remove Restrictions on Remittances

We will remove restrictions on remittances to a person's family member in
Cuba to increase Cubans' access to resources to help create opportunities
for them by:

· Authorizing remittances to individuals within three degrees of family
relationship (e.g., second cousins) provided that no remittances shall be
authorized to currently prohibited members of the Government of Cuba or
currently prohibited members of the Cuban Communist Party;

· Removing limits on frequency of remittances;

· Removing limits on the amount of remittances;

· Authorizing travelers to carry up to $3,000 in remittances; and

· Establishing general license for banks and other depository institutions
to forward remittances.

Authorize Greater Telecommunications Links with Cuba

We will authorize greater telecommunications links with Cuba to advance
people-to-people interaction at no cost to the U.S. government. This will
increase the means through which Cubans on the island can communicate with
each other and with persons outside of Cuba.

· Authorize U.S. telecommunications network providers to enter into
agreements to establish fiber-optic cable and satellite telecommunications
facilities linking the United States and Cuba.

· License U.S. telecommunications service providers to enter into and
operate under roaming service agreements with Cuba's telecommunications
service providers.

· License U.S. satellite radio and satellite television service providers
to engage in transactions necessary to provide services to customers in
Cuba.

· License persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction to activate and pay U.S.
and third-country service providers for telecommunications, satellite
radio and satellite television services provided to individuals in Cuba,
except certain senior Communist Party and Cuban government officials.

· Authorize, consistent with national security concerns, the export or
re-export to Cuba of donated personal communications devices such as
mobile phone systems, computers and software, and satellite receivers
through a license exception.

Revise Gift Parcel Regulations

We will expand the scope of humanitarian donations eligible for export
through license exceptions by:

· Restoring clothing, personal hygiene items, seeds, veterinary medicines
and supplies, fishing equipment and supplies, and soap-making equipment to
the list of items eligible to be included in gift parcel donations;

· Restoring items normally exchanged as gifts by individuals in "usual and
reasonable" quantities to the list of items eligible to be included in
gift parcel donations;

· Expanding the scope of eligible gift parcel donors to include any
individual;

· Expanding the scope of eligible gift parcel donees to include
individuals other than Cuban Communist Party officials or Cuban government
officials already prohibited from receiving gift parcels, or charitable,
educational or religious organizations not administered or controlled by
the Cuban government; and

· Increasing the value limit on non-food items to $800.

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