Obama´s measures deemed “positive”
Havana 16/01/2011. Radio Progreso Alternativa (RPA). “Positive though they are (…)the measures do not modify the policy against Cuba”, a note from the Cuban Foreign Affairs Ministry declares as it epitomizes and reflects upon the new arrangements announced by the White House on January 14th.
These proceedings, whose real range of action will depend on accompanying regulations, are the result of “the effort of broad sectors of the American society which have for years claimed for the suspension of the genocidal blockade against Cuba as well as for the elimination of the absurd prohibition of travels to our country.”
The above cited official statement points out that the measures also indicate an “admission of the failure in U.S policies against Cuba and a search for new ways to accomplish its historical objectives of subduing our people”.
This is the statement from the Cuban Foreign Ministry on Jan. 16:
On Jan. 14, 2011, the Government of the United States announced new measures regarding Cuba. Although we shall have to wait for the regulations to be published in order to learn their true meaning, according to preliminary information released by the White House Press Office, the measures consist of:
• Authorizing the travel by Americans to Cuba for academic, educational, cultural and religious purposes.
• Allowing American citizens to send remittances to Cuban citizens in limited amounts.
• Authorizing U.S. international airports to request permission to operate, under certain conditions, direct charter flights to Cuba.
The adoption of these measures is the result of the effort of broad sectors of the American society which for years have claimed for the suspension of the genocidal blockade against Cuba and the elimination of the absurd prohibition of travels to our country.
It is also an expression of admission of the failure in U.S policies against Cuba as well as its intention to look for new ways to accomplish its historical goals of subduing our people
Positive though they are, the measures remain well below those just demands, have a very limited range and do not modify the policy against Cuba.
The White House announcement is limited, essentially, to restoring some of the stipulations that were in force in the 1990s under the Clinton administration, and were gradually eliminated by George W. Bush from 2003 on.
Those measures benefit only certain categories of Americans and do not restore the right to travel to Cuba of every American citizen, who will continue to be the only ones in the world who cannot freely visit our country.
These measures confirm that there is no willingness to change the policy of blockade and destabilization against Cuba. The officials of the United States Government made it quite clear, as they announced them, that the blockade will remain intact and that they intend to use the new measures to strengthen the instruments of subversion and interference in Cuba´s internal affairs. This confirms the allegation contained in the Foreign Ministry statement from January 13th.
Cuba has always favored exchanges with American people, universities, academic, scientific and religious institutions. All the obstacles that hinder visits by Americans to Cuba have always been, and are to this day, on the side of the Government of the United States.
If there were a real interest in expanding and facilitating the contacts between our peoples, the United States should lift the blockade and eliminate the prohibition that makes Cuba the only country to which Americans cannot travel.
Havana, January 16th 2011
RPA
