On March 11, President Obama signed into law an appropriations bill containing a provision that permits Americans who travel to
On April 13, President Obama announced that Cuban Americans would be able to travel to
The same day, he announced that the government would permit three types of telecommunications transactions with Cuba, including roaming agreements so that if
None of these policies have gone into effect because the Treasury Department has not issued the necessary regulations.
21 comments:
and why would the Treasury be so delayed in issuing the licenses? intentional or simply incompetence. Treasury has never been a friend of any cuban changes, and are still filled with right wingnuts.
come on obama, kick some ass down there.
How lond did it take Treasury to issue regulations after the enactment of the Torricelli act, Helms-Burton, etc?
Vecino de NF
oye apurate obama! que no tengo mucha paciencia mi amigo!
nothing gives greater satisfaction than to see Peters frustrated...
don't feel too bad, Phil, the lion hasn't lied down with the sheep either
Regarding Phil's complaint about a lack of U.S. action on Obana's offer to provide unlimited telecommunications services, he is barking up the wrong tree.
It is the Government of the Supreme Leader(s) which has ignored Obama's offer.
Note to Phil (after 50 years of ample lessons): the Castros base their rule on hostility to the U.S. So Obama's peace offering is a THREAT to the Castros. That is why, even before Obama took office, the Cuban propaganda machine was insisting that Obama is "just as bad" as Nixon, Bush II, Hitler, etc.
After 50 years of this nonsense it is time to wake up and smell the coffee. Lefty doesn't want to smell the coffee for ideological reasons. What is your excuse, Phil?
For some time now, the new OFAC regulations have been undergoing a process of inter-agency review, i.e. the departments of State, the Treasury, Commerce and the FCC.
The bureaucrats are trying to walk the fine line between, on the one hand, fulfilling the directives issued by the president, and on the other hand, complying with existing legislation such as the Cuban Democracy Act and Helms-Burton.
My suspicion is that new regulations will soon be released that deal with both the Omnibus spending bill and the April 13 announcement. All eyes on Washington, to be sure. But don't just blame OFAC--it's bigger than that.
To clarify:
Nobody is blaming OFAC around here.
As for Cuba's response to the telecom opening, 1) Obama didn't offer "unlimited telecom services," 2) of course Cuba won't automatically agree to deals in all three areas (roaming, Internet connection, satellite radio/tv) and I have said so already, although I would think that roaming agreements with US cell phone companies would be attractive because Cuba would make a lot of money from them, and 3) there's nothing for Cuba to respond to until the regulations are issued, because only then can US companies proceed to make real offers.
My comment not to just blame OFAC was a response to the first comment in this chain, "Treasury has never been a friend of any Cuban changes, and are still filled with right wing nuts."
I'm not say you're blaming OFAC, but the first commentator was implying as much.
the "sound of crickets chirping" and "no one's blaming OFAC here"...whatever you say Phil.
Phil Peters closed the original posting saying "None of these policies have gone into effect because the Treasury Department has not issued the necessary regulations." and then opens his clarification by saying "Nobody is blaming OFAC around here." OK, so who's at fault? Geithner? If in the words of Gov.Dukakis, a fish rots from the head then Geithner must be slacking on Cuba while wasting his time with TARP, the auto bailout, health care reform, etc? To paraphrase Tom Friedman may be there are many in the US that wish that the US would be Cuba for a day!
My experience with regs is that it takes at least a year to issue new regs for a piece of legislation. So guys remember...
You cant hurry love
No, you just have to wait
She said love dont come easy
Its a game of give and take
You cant hurry love
No, you just have to wait
You got to trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes ...
All together now!
Vecino de NF
I wonder why Phil Peters who loves to post pictures of all of Cuba, never has seen fit to post any pictures of the Pedro Borrás Astorga Hospital the old Municipal Hospital for Pediatry in Havana? Could it be because today that wonderful hospital lies in ruins and is falling apart? Maybe the reason is that he does not want to show any pictures that may damage the reputation of the Castro regime.
It is shameful that this hospital that served hundreds of thousnds of Cubans in the past was allowed to deteriorate and its building is falling apart brick by brick.
Like everything else the communist regime touches from agriculture, to industry and food production, the Castro regime has the Midas touch but in reverse. Everything it touches it turns to shit.
Phil wrote: "As for Cuba's response to the telecom opening, 1) Obama didn't offer 'unlimited telecom services...'"
Phil, you are going out of your way to be obtuse, as if you are a graduate of the Leftside School of Debating Dodges.
The Castros regard greater access to internet, cell phones and cable TV the same way that Dracula does a crucifix. Obama's offer to ease of U.S. restrictions, no matter how broad it may be, is a threat to them. They know this, even if you don't.
For this reason, the Castros have IGNORED Obama's offer and continue to complain about being the innocent victims of "informational genocide", or whatever term they use, to dodge any possible opening.
anon 353; it is a shame the cuban govt has allowed the deterioration of hospitals and other buildings, i'm sure it wishes there were sufficient resources to maintain these structures to your satisfaction. unless you are saying it is deliberate.
unlike the USA with all its resources and first world tech, allowing such a great city like New Orleans to be murdered, then to do nothing about it, to this day. that is deliberate.
so the shit seems to be tu, comer mierda
the USA does its best to strangle the cuban economy and these assholes say its because the cubans don't want it. Cubanology alive and well and still living in the same dream world as always.
Anon, 3:53, for kicks I googled "Pedro Borrás Astorga Hospital." It certainlly appears to me to be in pretty fine condition (not laying "in ruins and falling apart." I also found that a group of medical school students from the University of Michigan recently visited this hospital. Here is what they reported:
• This was a large outpatient pediatric facility, which had an extensive array of specialties housed under the same roof. Specialties include: Neurology, cardiology, gastroenterology, urology, otolaryngology.
• There were several additional healthcare services available, including: physical therapy, hydrotherapy and complimentary alternative medicine.
• Procedures carried out at the facility include EEGs, X-ray, colonoscopy and other minor surgeries.
• We toured the hospital (guided by Dr. Nilson) and observed patients being treated by physicians at the hospital.
• This is also a clinical research facility, with many faculty working on a variety of projects. The research includes a focus on complimentary and alternative medicine, such as Chinese therapy ball.
yes that's right, apologists, Cuba's disfunction has nothing to do with disfunctional command economic policies, it's ALL the U.S.'s fault...oh you love your comfortable capitalist existence but what's good for you isn't good enough for the Cuban people. You vile excuses for human beings make me want to puke.
Peters will never do anything to jeopardize his access to Cuba. Because if he did his left-wing foundation grants would dry up and then what would he do with his life? All you a--holes out there who bitch about the profitability of the "anti-Castro industry" never seem to recognize the same thing occurs on the other side. what hypocrisy...
leftcrank, and Lincoln Steffens saw the "working" future in his trips to the USSR. and history just keeps repeating itself...
Good thing Obama, I mean Raul Castro, has you looking out for his interests, Phil.
For all of you apologists and leftists who deny that the hospital I entioned above is in ruins and inhabitable here are the pictures whcih are many from different angles. They show the building in total ruins.
http://eufratesdelvalle.blogspot.com/
Oh, wait I can hear Leftoid already: "they are Photoshop and not valid"
What a wonderful bunch of communist assholes, comemierdas and apologists for a regime that has destroyed Cuba beyond any recognition. No se puede tapar el sol con un dedo comemierdas!
A proud rabid gusano.
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