New Cuba Travel, Trade Rules Will Start Friday: U.S. Government

[Judi Lynn]

New Cuba Travel, Trade Rules Will Start Friday: U.S. Government
First published January 15th 2015, 8:34 am

Decades of U.S. trade and travel restrictions on Cuba will come to an end on Friday, the government announced in the first tangible step towards restoring diplomatic ties between Washington and Havana.

New rules will allow Americans to travel to the country without a license, as long as they go for approved reasons, the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Treasury said in a statement.

Travel agents and airlines will be authorized to provide services without needing a specific permit.

Cubans living in the U.S. will also have their quarterly remittances increased from $500 to $2,000 per quarter, allowing them to send home more money.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/new-cuba-travel-trade-rules-will-start-friday-u-s-n286721

(Short article, no more at link.)

[Judi Lynn]

1. New Cuba rules to take effect Friday

New Cuba rules to take effect Friday
By Lesley Clark
McClatchy Washington BureauJanuary 15, 2015 Updated 15 minutes ago

New rules that will make it easier to travel to Cuba - and bring back Cuban cigars - will go into effect Friday, less than a month after President Barack Obama announced plans to restore long-severed diplomatic ties with the communist-led island.
The new Treasury and Commerce Department regulations -- to be published Friday in the Federal Register -- include making it easier to travel to Cuba and raising the limits on how much money can be sent to Cuba.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest called the changes a “significant step forward” in carrying out Obama’s new policy.
“These changes will immediately enable the American people to provide more resources to empower the Cuban population to become less dependent upon the state-driven economy, and help facilitate our growing relationship with the Cuban people,” Earnest said in a statement.

The changes will mean that travelers who meet certain categories will no longer need to apply for a license to travel to Cuba. The categories include family visits, official U.S. or foreign governments, journalistic, professional research and professional meetings; educational activities; religious activities; public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions; support for the Cuban people; humanitarian projects; activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes; export, import, or transmission of information.

The per diem rate previously imposed on travelers will no longer apply, and there will be no specific dollar limit on authorized expenses. Travelers also will be allowed to use U.S. credit and debit cards in Cuba.

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/01/15/253209/new-cuba-rules-to-take-effect.html#storylink=cpy

[Mika]

5. The End of Policy

The End of Policy

{snippet}

Regime change can only be accomplished in one of two ways: One is to force the Cuban regime into an economic and political collapse. The other is to force the Cuban government to change so profoundly that it will no longer be recognizable as what it was. Regime change has its limitations. If we break it we own it.

More --> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carlos-a-saladrigas/the-end-of-policy_b_6444944.html

[Judi Lynn]

6. The paragraph following your snippet is excellent, also:

Therein lies an irony: the tough sanctions that are intended to force change in Cuba actually prevent Cuba from changing. As Cuba is on the verge of a major and inevitable transition, it needs to change its economic model. Yet, that is precisely what the embargo does not allow. Cuba cannot embrace the markets and implement needed macroeconomic reforms when faced with the onerous sanctions of the embargo. It is precluded from accessing international financial institutions, and barred from its most logical market.

I think it was always the storm-trooping reich-wing's intention to entention to create a situation which would allow them the excuse to attack the island, (as in the Joint Chief of Staff's Operation Northwoods) claiming it was necessary to save the Cuban people, then to destroy the government and ALL its health, educational, housing, employment, etc. programs, just as they've worked on in Florida, working on their "Post-Castro" schemes at taxpayers' great expense.

If they had planned to eventually just lay waste to things with an invasion, logic wouldn't matter at all any longer, and they wouldn't have to explain it to anyone, just as it has worked everywhere else they invaded.

[Mika]

2. Here's the new list of restrictions on Cuba travel, trade, remittances, etc ...

US Dept of Treasury

Treasury and Commerce Announce Regulatory Amendments to the Cuba Sanctions

http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl9740.aspx

[Judi Lynn]

3. Wow. Complex. They've worked on this one, haven't they?

Was so surprised seeing they changed this one:

In addition, a general license will authorize foreign vessels to enter the United States after engaging in certain trade with Cuba.

Sounds so little, but involves so MUCH.

Easy to see there's a whole lot of "wiggle room" for people with the right friends in government.

I guess Senator Robert Torricelli, and racist Senator Jesse Helms are both spinning in their graves after all their hard work.

Thank you, Mika.

I'm keeping this link for future reference.

[Mika]

4. Engaging in "certain" trade?

That means ships that deliver goods to Cuba from US ports. Still excludes non US trade shipping.

The new list of restrictions rings soundly with "America first"-ism, until we (Wall Street) seize Cuba.

[Judi Lynn]

7. I've got it, now.

You're right! "America first" does ooze out of it. So many opportunities to run right over them.