Outreach to the Cuban People

In January 1999, a year after the historic visit to Cuba of Pope John Paul II and his request that the "world open up to Cuba," former President Clinton announced new U.S. measures to reach out to the Cuban people to ease their plight and help them prepare for a democratic future. As he said, the measures "demonstrate the United States' compassion for the Cuban people, our strong interest in building bonds between citizens of our nations, and our determination to provide the Cuban people with hope in their struggle."

In announcing additional measures in furtherance of this policy, the Department of State stressed that "our goal is to encourage the development in Cuba of peaceful, civic activities that are independent of the government and that will help the Cuban people prepare for the day when their country is once again free." The following measures were authorized by the President in consultation with the Congress to reach out to the Cuban people:

• Expansion of remittances by allowing any U.S. resident (not only those with families in Cuba) to send limited funds to individual Cuban families as well as to organizations independent of the government.
• Expansion of people-to-people contact through two-way exchanges among academics, athletes, scientists, and others, including streamlining the approval process for such visits.
• Authorization of the sale of food and agricultural products to independent nongovernmental entities, including religious groups and Cuba's emerging private sector, such as family restaurants and private farmers.
• Authorization of charter passenger flights to cities in Cuba other than Havana and from some cities in the United States other than Miami in order to facilitate family reunification for persons living outside those cities.

While announcing these measures, the Department also reiterated that these steps are neither designed nor expected to alter our relations with the Cuban Government. But taken together, they constitute a major advance in our effort to reach out to the Cuban people. They should help all Cubans to understand that the United States is on their side in the search for economic choice and prosperity, in the quest for freedom of religion, expression and thought, and in the desire to fulfill Jose Marti's dream of a Cuba where all may participate freely in the political life of their country.