US Lifts
Restrictions On Travel, Money Transfers To
Cuba
Bolivian President Calls
On Obama To
Listen at Summit of Americas
Cuba's Absence In OAS
"Anomaly": Brazilian FM
Venezuelan, Colombian
Presidents to
Meet On Bilateral Economic Ties
US Lifts
Restrictions On Travel, Money Transfers To
Cuba
Washington - U.S. President Barack Obama on
Monday lifted restrictions on travel and
money transfers by Cuban-Americans to Cuba,
said the White House in a statement.
"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," said the statement.
"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," said the
statement.
According to the statement, President Obama
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 and to remove restrictions
on remittances to family members in Cuba.
The administration has been asked to
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.
The administration has also been asked to
license U.S. telecommunications service
providers to enter into roaming service
agreements with Cuba's telecommunications
service providers, and to license U.S.
satellite radio and satellite television
service providers to engage in transactions
necessary to provide services to customers
in the country.
Although the easing of restriction, which
would affect some 1.5million Americans with
family members in Cuba, has not eliminated
U.S. trade embargo against Cuba imposed 47
years ago, it has been seen as a major
policy shift from the Bush administration's
hawkish approach.
Since the 1959 Cuban Revolution, the
U.S.-Cuba relations have deteriorated with
sustaining tension and confrontation. The
previous U.S. administration under President
George W. Bush imposed restrictions on
travel and money transfers to Cuba for
Cuban-Americans.
In his campaign speech last May, Obama said
he wanted to remove the restrictions so that
Americans could visit relatives and transfer
money to their families in Cuba, and that he
would be willing to speak with Cuban leaders
"without preconditions."
On Friday, Obama will participate in the
Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and
Tobago and discuss topics ranging from the
global economic crisis to regional security
with other 33 national leaders in the
hemisphere.
The issue of Cuba will likely become a topic
of discussion.
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