Cuba offers 19 ways Obama can loosen US embargo

[Judi Lynn]

Cuba offers 19 ways Obama can loosen US embargo
Updated: September 16, 2010, 1:25 PM

HAVANA (AP) - Cuba is offering a series of small but specific steps the administration of President Barack Obama can take to soften the United States' 48-year-old trade embargo, including expanding flights and establishing ferry service between both countries and dropping bank bans that keep U.S. credit cards from working on the island.

The 19 suggestions are a new - and perhaps conciliatory addition - to the communist government's annual report criticizing Washington's trade sanctions. Cuba produces the report every year ahead of an annual United Nations vote in which the world overwhelmingly condemns the embargo.

The 56-page report acknowledges that Obama cannot scrap the full embargo without approval from Congress, but uses pages 4 through 7 to discuss steps his administration can take unilaterally.

Among them are doing away with rules that prohibit Cuban-Americans and other authorized U.S. visitors from carrying home Cuban gifts - such as the island's famous rum and cigars - and dropping restrictions that limit such travelers from spending more than $179 per day on lodging, food and transportation. Also included is a suggestion that Obama increase "people-to-people" exchanges with Cuba, expanding opportunities for American students, educators and researchers.

More:
http://www.buffalonews.com/business/24-hour-business-news/article192260.ece

[Judi Lynn]

1. Cuba Says U.S. Embargo Has Toughened Under Obama

Cuba Says U.S. Embargo Has Toughened Under Obama
By REUTERS
Published: September 15, 2010

HAVANA (Reuters) - The U.S. trade embargo against Cuba has gotten tougher under U.S. President Barack Obama, not more lenient as many had expected when he took office, a top Cuban official said on Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, in the Cuban government's annual update on the 48-year-old embargo, said the United States is levying bigger fines, applying sanctions more firmly and pursuing embargo-busting financial transactions more vigorously under Obama.

"The embargo policy in the last two years, which is to say under the government of President Obama, has not changed at all," Rodriguez said in a press conference. "In some aspects, it has even hardened."

In terms of U.S. policy toward Cuba, Obama had performed "below expectations that had been created in the international community and American public opinion," Rodriguez said.

More:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/09/15/world/international-us-cuba-usa-embargo.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

[naaman fletcher]

3. a crying shame /nt

[flamingdem]

2. This is a hot potato until after the elections, if the dems lose it's toast nt

[bherrera]

4. The USA should relax that trade embargo

Without this embargo, then we can see if the Cubans can make their primitive version of socialism work. I think it will not work, but it may be a good experiment to watch.

[CJvR]

5. There is one way...

There is one way inFidel could speed up the process, it wont happen until he does.

[Billy Burnett]

6. Well it's not Fidel's choice (or doing) then, is it?

Tio Sam is the perp in this case. Clear as glass.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Truly. There's never been any doubt about who's resposible for the longest economic war

on another country in history.

In October the U.N. General Assembly will vote almost unanymously AGAIN to censure the embargo, with the exception of the U.S., and whatever country it can arm-twist into voting with the U.S. against the censure. Usually it's just Israel, and a tiny country like Palau.

####ing pathetic.

[bherrera]

8. i think Fidel Castro ratired?

That old guy is retired now. So he has no official power. But I assume he has some, because recently he said the Cuban economic model does not work, and this caused a lot of comments. I think the old man realizes he made a mistake to become a marxist leninist, following a model which is not useable and yields very bad results. Maybe now his brother will make changes, but that is hard to say. I think firing those government workers is a good idea, but they should start by creating the legal system to allow free enterprise to flourish, so those guys who are fired can get work. It appears they will fire 1 million government employees but do not have the system to allow capitalism and a new middle class to evolve out of the ashes of communism.