|
The
President announced today his Initiative for a New Cuba. This initiative, the
result of a policy review conducted by the White House, is an effort to bring
Cuba into the Western Hemisphere's community of democracies.
 The
Initiative calls on the Cuban government to undertake political and economic
reforms and conduct free and fair elections next year for the National
Assembly.
The
Initiative challenges the Cuban government to open its economy, allow
independent trade unions, and end discriminatory practices against Cuban
workers.
If
the Cuban government takes these concrete steps toward democracy, President Bush
will work with the United States Congress to ease the ban on trade and travel
between the United States and Cuba.
With
reform, trade can benefit the Cuban people and allow them to share in the
progress of our time. Without major reform, trade with Cuba will only help the
Castro regime, not the Cuban people.
The
United States has long maintained that the Cuban government must move to a
democratic system that fully respects the human rights of its people. This will
remain the Administration's policy.
The
Initiative for a New Cuba reaches out to the Cuban people immediately with the
following new steps to make life better for people living under Castro's rule:
Facilitating
meaningful humanitarian assistance to the Cuban people by American religious and
other non-governmental groups;
Providing
direct assistance to the Cuban people through non-governmental
organizations;
Calling
for the resumption of direct mail service to and from Cuba; and
Establishing
scholarships in the United States for Cuban students and professionals trying to
build independent civil institutions and for family members of political
prisoners.
The
Initiative for a New Cuba also states that the United States is not a threat to
Cuban sovereignty.
Under
the Initiative for a New Cuba, the Administration will continue to work to
mitigate the suffering of the Cuban people. This Initiative is the beginning of
an ongoing, flexible, and responsive campaign designed to generate rapid and
peaceful change within Cuba.
Revista INTER-FORUM is affiliated with
(ICCAP) Any reproduction in part or whole is strictly forbidden without the authors written authorization
Top 
May
22, 2002
| 
