TRAVEL TO CUBA
U.S. could ease restrictions on `purposeful' visits to Cuba
President Barack Obama will announce some increases in Cuba travel
permissions in the next two weeks, sources say.
BY JUAN O. TAMAYO
jtamayo@ElNuevoHerald.com
The Obama administration will soon ease some restrictions on U.S. travel
to Cuba and other sanctions following Havana's promise to free political
prisoners, according to people close to the administration.
Two people told El Nuevo Herald on Friday the decision has been made and
will be announced in the next two weeks. Another said he has heard the
reports but cautioned they could be ``trial balloons.''
The key change will be an expansion of educational and cultural travel,
which accounted for about 2,000 visits in 2009, said two of the sources.
Many academics have urged President Barack Obama to expand those visits,
drastically trimmed by the George W. Bush administration.
One of them added that Obama also will restore the broader
``people-to-people'' category of travel, which allows ``purposeful''
visits to increase contacts between U.S. and Cuban citizens.
Though that category requires prior U.S. licenses for the trips, it is
fuzzy enough to allow for much expanded travel to Cuba, the source
added. All asked for anonymity because they did not want to be seen as
preempting a White House announcement.
The people-to-people category was established by the Clinton
administration but was closed in 2003 by Bush, both because of his more
aggressive policies toward Cuba and complaints that too many people were
abusing it for tourist trips.
An estimated 150,000-200,000 U.S. travelers visited the island in 2001.
The figure dropped to 120,000 during Bush's last year in office, but
rebounded to 200,000 in 2009 after Obama lifted nearly all restrictions
on Cuban-Americans' travel to the island.
Another change will be permission for U.S.-Cuba flights from all of the
approximately 35 U.S. airports that have top-level security
arrangements, according to two of the sources. Cuba flights are now
approved only for Miami, Los Angeles and John F. Kennedy airport in New
York.
Obama also will make it easier to pay in the United States for telephone
and other services rendered in Cuba, the sources added, in hopes of
increasing communications between the island and Cuban exiles.
Francisco ``Pepe'' Hernandez, president of the Cuban-American National
Foundation, told El Nuevo Herald he could not confirm the reports but
noted that CANF opposes U.S. tourism in Cuba but favors easing the
travel restrictions.
``For a long time we have been making an effort with the [Obama]
administration to extend the licenses and spectrum of people-to-people
travel because we believe this is a proactive measure that is going to
help to provide people in Cuba with the support they need,'' he said.
Mike Hammer, spokesman for the White House's National Security Council,
said only that the Obama administration ``will continue to pursue
policies that advance the U.S. national interest and support the Cuban
people's desire to freely determine their country's future.''
But the reports drew quick condemnations from opponents of easing
sanctions, who all noted that U.S. government subcontractor Alan Gross
and at least 30 political prisoners remain jailed in Cuba.
``This is not time to ease the pressure on the Castro regime. They have
made no significant concessions that should be rewarded,'' said Sen. Bob
Menendez of New Jersey, a Cuban-American and head of the Democratic
Senate Campaign Committee, a powerful post in an election year.
``Promoting travel and widespread remittances will give the regime a
much-needed infusion of dollars that will only allow the Castro brothers
to extend their reign of oppression and human rights violations,''
Menendez added in a statement.
Said Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Fla.: ``Concessions to tyrants like
Fidel Castro simply embolden them in their ruthless brutality. History
teaches that lesson. . . . But President Obama continues to err.''
U.S. regulations allow only 12 categories of travel to Cuba, including
family reunification, official U.S. government business, journalism,
professional research and meetings, educational and religious
activities, and performances or athletic competitions.
Some fall under ``general licenses'' that do not require prior U.S.
approval, but most require applications for ``specific licenses'' issued
by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The ``people-to-people'' travel, if it is restored, would require
specific licenses, but the president has the power to change it into
general license, said Robert Muse, a Washington lawyer who follows U.S.
sanctions on Cuba closely.
Congress has been considering a bill that would lift all U.S.
restrictions on travel to Cuba. Its backers insist it has a good chance
of passing, though congressional staffers monitoring the bill say it's
short of the needed votes.
One of the three sources said the easing of the travel and other
restrictions is the Obama administration's ``calibrated response'' to
the Raúl Castro government's promise to free at least 52 political
prisoners by September. More than 20 already are free.
Because the changes will be the result of presidential decisions, rather
than changes in the maze of U.S. laws regulating relations with Cuba,
Obama ``can backtrack if it all goes bad,'' he said.
One Democratic Party operative in Miami said, however, that any decision
to ease the restrictions would not be a reply to the Castro promise, but
rather a continuation of the Obama policy of doing whatever he believes
benefits U.S. interests in Cuba, no matter what Castro does.
The operative said he was not worried that Cuba might complain that the
Obama changes would be a too-meager response to Castro's promise to free
the 52 political prisoners -- the biggest such release since 1998.
``The last thing we want is Cuba saying, `Thanks, Obama,' '' said the
man, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to
speak on Obama policies.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/06/v-fullstory/1765507/us-could-ease-restrictions-on.html
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