106 Days Since Opening Of Four Points By Sheraton Havana... Still Has Most Restrictive Reservation Rule; No US Credit Cards- Even Stonegate. Why?

According to company in June 2016... "We expect to be able to offer additional options in the near future."

In 2016, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury granted a license(s) to Stamford, Connecticut-based Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide (2015 revenues exceeded US$5.7 billion) to manage properties owned by Republic of Cuba government-operated entities located in the city of Havana, Republic of Cuba.  The properties are Gran Caribe-owned Hotel Inglaterra; Habaguanex-owned Hotel Santa Isabel and Hotel Quinta Avenida (re-branded as Four Points by Sheraton Havana).

In September 2016, Bethesda, Maryland-based Marriott International (2015 revenues exceeded US$14 billion) acquired Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and confirms its discussions with Republic of Cuba government-operated companies to identify property-management opportunities within the Republic of Cuba.

Four Points by Sheraton Havana
Avenida 5ta A 76 - 80,
Miramar District
Havana, Cuba

SPG Category 6

10 October 2016
Payment and Cancellations

"Reservations for this hotel are prepaid and there are NO REFUNDS for changes or cancellation for any guests, including SPG members. Additional charges at the Hotel are NOT payable with US credit cards and must be paid in CASH or with non US issued credit cards."

30 June 2016
Payment and Cancellations

“Reservations for this hotel are prepaid and there are NO REFUNDS for changes or cancellation. Additional charges at the Hotel are NOT payable with US credit cards and must be paid in CASH or with non US issued credit cards.” LINK TO SCREEN SHOT IN PDF FORMAT

30 June 2016
Blog Post

Why Did Starwood Initiate A Reservations Policy More Restrictive Than French & Spanish Competitors In Cuba?

For the Four Points By Sheraton Havana property, which commenced operations on 27 June 2016, the following statement is on its reservations portal:

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/fourpoints/property/overview/index.html?language=en_US&propertyID=4531

“Reservations for this hotel are prepaid and there are NO REFUNDS for changes or cancellation. Additional charges at the Hotel are NOT payable with US credit cards and must be paid in CASH or with non US issued credit cards.”

According to Stamford, Connecticut-based Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide (2015 revenues exceeded US$5.7 billion), "The current reservation policies are the result of Starwood’s assessment of market conditions.  We are conscious of the issues resulting from cash requirements and the limitations on payment methods. Thus, we are working to accept as many payment methods as possible based on what has been made available under the current regulatory framework.  We expect to be able to offer additional options in the near future."

When making a reservation at a property located within the Republic of Cuba using the online portal of the management company, for example Spain-based Melia Hotels International (2015 revenues exceeded US$2 billion) and France-based AccorHotels (2015 revenues exceeded US$5 billion), a reservation may be changed or cancelled and may be prepaid using a non-United States-based financial institution-issued credit/debit card, but may not (yet) be prepaid using a credit card/debit card issued by a United States-based financial institution.

Regulations Do Not Require

There are no regulations issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury that prevent prepayment or require prepayment, that prevent refunds for changes or cancellation.  The OFAC has authorized credit cards and debit cards issued by United States-based financial institutions (including American Express, VISA, MasterCard, Discover, Diners Club, etc.) for use in the Republic of Cuba.

Are the Four Points by Sheraton Havana payment policies a reflection of requirements by Republic of Cuba government-operated Gaviota (controlled by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of the Republic of Cuba), the Central Bank of the Republic of Cuba, the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Cuba?

Pompano Beach, Florida-based Stonegate Bank is authorized by the OFAC and Central Bank of the Republic of Cuba to have its MasterCard credit/debit card valid for use in the Republic of Cuba.  San Juan, Puerto Rico-based Banco Popular of Puerto Rico has announced plans [now operational] to have its MasterCard credit/debit card valid for use in the Republic of Cuba.

In 2016, the OFAC granted a license(s) to Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide to manage properties owned by Republic of Cuba government-operated entities located in the city of Havana, Republic of Cuba.  The properties are Gran Caribe-owned Hotel Inglaterra; Habaguanex-owned Hotel Santa Isabel and Hotel Quinta Avenida (re-branded as Four Points by Sheraton Havana).

Bethesda, Maryland-based Marriott International (2015 revenues exceeded US$14 billion) is acquiring Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and confirms its discussions with Republic of Cuba government-operated companies to identify property-management opportunities within the Republic of Cuba.

An Update From Airbnb About Its Operations In Cuba... 10,000 Listings

As of 3 October 2016, Airbnb had approximately 10,000 listings throughout the Republic of Cuba.

1) What is the total value of the rental revenue paid to the owners of the residences since Airbnb commenced operations in the Republic of Cuba?

Our typical fee structure from around the world applies in Cuba, details here: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/384/what-are-the-service-fees. From there, Airbnb hosts in Cuba will be expected to follow the same rules that apply to all owners of casas particulares in Cuba. Currently, those who use the system of private houses in Cuba must pay 10% of what is earned per month to the government.

2) What is the average per night rate for the properties in the Republic of Cuba?  In Havana?

We don’t disclose average per night rate as that can vary greatly depending on the type of listing (entire house, private room, shared room, etc) and won’t give an accurate picture. However, we can confirm that the average booking in Cuba is about US $250, that’s game-changing income for ordinary Cubans.

3) How are the funds delivered from Airbnb to the owners of the properties in the Republic of Cuba?

Through intermediaries we are able to deposit funds into many of our Cuban hosts’ bank accounts. For hosts who aren’t able to accept funds this way we have partnered with a 3rd party to remit payments in the manner that our Cuban hosts select including door-to-door delivery of payments. As banking infrastructure in Cuba evolves we will reevaluate our payment procedures to suit the needs of our Cuban host community.

Guest service fee

We add a percentage-based service fee to guest payments every time a reservation is booked. This helps cover the cost of running our site and services.

The exact percentage depends on the subtotal of the reservation. The higher the subtotal, the lower the percentage so you can save money when booking large reservations. You'll see the exact amount in the price breakdown on the checkout page before you confirm and pay, and on your billing receipt.

If you cancel a reservation you booked as a guest, the service fee is non-refundable. If your reservation is canceled by the host and you choose to be refunded, the service fee is refunded in full.

To help cover the costs of running Airbnb, we charge guests a service fee every time a reservation is confirmed. The amount of this service fee varies and is based on a percentage of the reservation subtotal (before fees and taxes).

The exact amount of the service fee is displayed before guests confirm a booking. Guest service fees are typically 6-12% but can be higher or lower depending on the specifics of the reservation. The higher the subtotal, the lower the percentage so you can save money when booking large reservations.

We also charge hosts a host service fee to cover the cost of processing payments.

Host service fee

We deduct a 3% service fee from host payouts every time a reservation is booked at their listing. This helps cover the cost of processing guest payments.

You can see the exact amount by clicking on the reservation code in your Transaction History from the desktop version of Airbnb.
VAT

Depending on the country of residence of the host or guest, VAT on the service fees may be included as an additional amount over and above the total Airbnb service fee. Your guest or host service fee includes VAT, when applicable.
Conversion fee

For guests paying in a currency different from the default currency of the country where the listing is located, a 3% currency conversion fee applies in addition to any system wide base exchange rate in effect.

UPDATE: Dr. Jill Biden To Visit Cuba... Don't Be Surprised If Her Husband Visits Too

From The White House

DR. BIDEN TO TRAVEL TO THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

From The White House:
 
"Dr. Jill Biden is traveling to Havana and Camaguey, Cuba, from Thursday, October 6 through Sunday, October 9, 2016. Dr. Biden is joined by Catherine M. Russell, United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, and Evan Ryan, United States Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Together, they will meet with government officials and engage with a diverse range of Cubans on topics related to culture, education, and health.

On Thursday evening, upon arrival in Havana, Cuba, Dr. Biden will attend a welcome reception at the U.S. Chief of Mission’s residence in Havana, hosted by Ambassador Jeff DeLaurentis, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy. This event is closed press.

On Friday morning, Dr. Biden will visit the Universidad de Ciencias Pedagógicas "Enrique José Varona" and participate in a discussion with students, school administrators, and professors focused on teaching. This event is pooled press.

Dr. Biden will then visit Old Havana to view cultural performances and engage with students at a local trade school. In addition, Dr. Biden will attend a performance by the female chamber orchestra Camerata Romeu at the Basílica Menor de San Francisco de Asis. The visit will be pooled press.
 
In the afternoon, Dr. Biden will have lunch with Cuban women leaders. This event will be closed press.

After lunch, Dr. Biden will attend the first friendly soccer match between the U.S. Men’s National Team and the Cuban Men’s National Team since 1947 at the Estadio Pedro Marrero. This event will be open press.

On Saturday morning, Dr. Biden will participate in a discussion with Cuban entrepreneurs. This event is closed press.  She will then attend a cultural performance by Habana Compás Dance company.  This event will be pooled press.

Afterwards, Dr. Biden will depart Havana, Cuba en route to Camaguey, Cuba. Upon arrival, Dr. Biden will visit the Camaguey Ballet and view a rehearsal of the dancers from the company. This event is open press.

In the evening, Dr. Biden will visit the art gallery and workshop of Camaguey artist Martha Jiménez Pérez. This event is official photographers only.

On Sunday, Dr. Biden will visit historic central Camaguey, recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, during which she will visit Camaguey’s Casa de la Diversidad Cultural and view a cultural performance. This event is pooled press.

In the afternoon, Dr. Biden will visit the Casa de Cultura Amalia Simoni, a museum and women’s center, allowing her to meet with women from Camaguey. This event is pooled press.

Afterwards, Dr. Biden will depart Cuba en route to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic."

NOTE: Not surprising would be a visit to the Republic of Cuba by Vice President Joseph Biden before 20 January 2016.  The purpose of a visit would be to discuss efforts by Republic of Cuba government-operated companies to develop treatments for cancer.  Another purpose of a visit would be to attempt to bring operational more of the Obama Administration initiatives that the government of the Republic of Cuba has yet to authorize.

NOTE: Dr. Biden stayed and employees of the United States government stayed at the Parque Central Hotel, managed by Spain-based Iberostar Hotels & Resorts rather than at the residence of the United States Charges d'Affaires or at the Four Points by Sheraton Habana, managed by Stamford, Connecticut-based Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, a subsidiary of Bethesda, Maryland-based Marriott International.

By The End Of This Week, 7 Members Of President Obama's Cabinet Will Have Visited Cuba

For the period 17 December 2014 through 5 October 2016, seven (7) members of President Barack Obama's Cabinet (including those with Cabinet-rank) have visited the Republic of Cuba.

From The White House:

Established in Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, the Cabinet's role is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office.

The tradition of the Cabinet dates back to the beginnings of the Presidency itself. Established in Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, the Cabinet's role is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office.

The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments — the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Attorney General.

In order of succession to the Presidency:

Vice President of the United States
Joseph R. Biden

Department of State (2015/2016)
Secretary John Kerry
state.gov

Department of the Treasury
Secretary Jack Lew
treasury.gov

Department of Defense
Secretary Ashton Carter
defense.gov

Department of Justice
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch
usdoj.gov

Department of the Interior
Secretary Sally Jewell
doi.gov
 
Department of Agriculture (2015/2016)
Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack
usda.gov
 
Department of Commerce (2015/2016)
Secretary Penny Pritzker
commerce.gov

Department of Labor
Secretary Thomas E. Perez
dol.gov

Department of Health and Human Services
Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell
hhs.gov
 
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary Julián Castro
hud.gov
 
Department of Transportation (2016-2)
Secretary Anthony Foxx
dot.gov
 
Department of Energy
Secretary Ernest Moniz
energy.gov
 
Department of Education
Secretary John King
ed.gov
 
Department of Veterans Affairs
Secretary Robert McDonald
va.gov
 
Department of Homeland Security
Secretary Jeh Johnson
dhs.gov

The following positions have the status of Cabinet-rank:
 
White House Chief of Staff
Denis McDonough

Environmental Protection Agency (2016)
Administrator Gina McCarthy
epa.gov

Office of Management & Budget
Director Shaun L.S. Donovan
whitehouse.gov/omb

United States Trade Representative (2016)
Ambassador Michael Froman
ustr.gov

United States Mission to the United Nations
Ambassador Samantha Power
usun.state.gov

Council of Economic Advisers
Chairman Jason Furman
whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/cea
 
Small Business Administration (2016)
Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet
sba.gov

Secretary Kerry To Visit Cuba This Month.... Trying To "Close The Deal"

The Honorable John Kerry, United States Secretary of State, will visit the Republic of Cuba in October 2016, probably 12 October 2016 to 14 October 2016.

Mrs. Josefina de la Caridad Vidal Ferreiro, the Director General (since 2013) of the Department of the United States at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba, reported that from October 2016 through December 2016 seven high-level visits by both officials of the government of the Republic of Cuba and delegations from the United States were scheduled to be held in Washington, DC, and in Havana.  The United States Department of State has not mentioned the number of visits.

A goal will be to discuss how to implement as many of the Obama Administration initiatives as possible by 20 January 2017... explain the new regulations that are expected to be announced, and attempt to conclude agreements relating to, among other topics, certified claims.

Secretary Kerry may establish the foundation for a visit by Vice President Joseph Biden.

For 50 CUC's Per Day... You Too Can Be A Taxi Driver In Havana

Republic of Cuba nationals can rent a vehicle for approximately 50 CUC's per day (approximately US$56.00) from Republic of Cuba government-operated Agencia de TAXI and earn from ferrying passengers throughout the city of Havana. 

The vehicles are from China and South Korea, clean, air conditioned, and not too pricey (for Republic of Cuba standards today). 

There are no meters, but the fares are generally consistent.  Always remember to agree on the fare before getting into the vehicle.

Louisiana Governor Will Be 17th To Visit Cuba Since 1999; More Than 920,000 MT Of Food/Ag Exports Since 2010

BATON ROUGE, La. (Press Release) — Gov. John Bel Edwards [D] will lead a Louisiana trade mission to Cuba next week, setting the stage for greater economic and cultural exchanges between the Caribbean nation and its leading trade partner among U.S. states. Louisiana Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson and Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Secretary Shawn Wilson will join Governor Edwards and approximately 50 other state, regional, local, educational and private business leaders on the mission.

The Oct. 3-7 trip will place high priorities on expanding trade and commerce between Cuba and Louisiana, with executives from five Louisiana port districts participating in the trip and meeting with government ministers who lead trade, agriculture and foreign affairs for Cuba. The historic trip represents the first visit by a Louisiana governor since former Gov. Kathleen Blanco led a three-day mission in 2005, one that created greater trading of agricultural products between the two economies.

For the past decade, Louisiana has ranked as the No. 1 exporting state to Cuba, with more than $1.4 billion in cumulative exports. Virginia is second at $424 million. Significantly, the trip follows President Barack Obama’s decision in December 2014 to normalize relations with Cuba, which led to the March 2016 visit of President Obama and his family to Cuba, the first by a U.S. president in nearly 90 years. In July, Commissioner Strain led a Louisiana delegation on an exploratory trip to Cuba to lay the foundation for the governor’s trip next week.

“While we experienced significant levels of trade with Cuba in recent years, the sanctions in place over the past half-century have largely limited that trade to essential items, such as food and medicine,” Gov. Edwards said. “There remains much work to be done before our nation’s embargo on broader trade with Cuba is lifted. However, there are new opportunities that can benefit Louisiana, and I am optimistic that we will be able to build on our existing trade partnership with Cuba following this bipartisan visit. We want Louisiana to be first in line to any new opportunities with Cuba, particularly the import, export and foreign direct investment possibilities that could range into the billions of dollars in the coming years. For those reasons, we are eager to embark on this trade mission and to place Louisiana in a unique position of leadership with respect to Cuba.”

Gov. Edwards plans to depart for Havana on Monday, with an opening reception and dinner planned with Cuban officials that night. Tuesday’s agenda includes scheduled meetings with the Cuban ministers of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Foreign Investment, along with the National Port Administration of Cuba.

Wednesday’s schedule will include meetings at the Port of Mariel and the Port of Havana, where Cuban and Louisiana port officials will exchange information about their capabilities and market opportunities. Louisiana executives from the Port of New Orleans, Port of South Louisiana, Port of Greater Baton Rouge, Port of Lake Charles and the Louisiana Offshore Terminal Authority will participate in the mission with Cuban port and trade leaders. In addition, the LED Office of International Commerce and the DOTD Office of Multimodal Commerce will support efforts to generate more trade and foreign direct investment exchanges between Cuba and Louisiana.

“Louisiana’s commercial, transportation and cultural ties with Cuba run deep and offer great common ground for our new engagement with Cuba,” LED Secretary Pierson said. “This year, the Louisiana Legislature charged LED with developing a plan for the State of Louisiana that tackles two big goals: one, the development and improvement of trade relations with Cuba; and, two, a strategic analysis that identifies Louisiana’s unique economic opportunities relative to Cuba. This delegation led by Gov. Edwards will go a long way toward informing our analysis for the Legislature, which we will provide early next year. We’re also indebted to Commissioner Strain for leading the July trip to Cuba and for continuing his collaboration with us to maximize Louisiana’s opportunities in Cuba.”

On Thursday, the trade mission will focus on agriculture, with visits to private, state and cooperative farms; a planned meeting with the Cuban minister of agriculture; tours of local agricultural markets; a visit to Havana’s school of veterinary medicine; and meetings with other university leaders.

“Cuba imports 80 percent of its produce and Cuba is in great need of quality products Louisiana can provide,” said Commissioner Strain, who leads Louisiana’s Department of Agriculture and Forestry. “For example, Cubans are the largest consumers of rice per capita in the Western Hemisphere. High-quality rice is one of many agricultural products we grow. With the proximity of our ports, we are an obvious trading partner with Cuba. We hope to continue to build this relationship with Cuba and provide its people and visitors with Louisiana products. Currently, Cuba imports $2 billion in agricultural products each year. They need wheat, corn, rice, pork, poultry, soybeans, petroleum and mechanical implements. This exchange could be truly beneficial for both Louisiana and Cuba.”

Following a farewell dinner Thursday night, the Louisiana delegation will depart Havana for New Orleans on Friday morning. The State of Louisiana engaged U.S.-based Cuba Education Travel to coordinate travel arrangements and secure participant visas for the weeklong trip to Cuba.

In addition to the state government agencies, other groups represented on the Cuban trade mission include the Committee of 100 for Economic Development, LSU, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, the Water Institute of the Gulf and a variety of leading Louisiana businesses.

US & Cuba Bilateral Commission Meeting Statements- Striking Differences (Again)

United States and Cuba Hold Fourth Bilateral Commission Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
September 30, 2016

The United States and Cuba held the fourth Bilateral Commission in Washington, D.C., on Friday, September 30. Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Mari Carmen Aponte led the U.S. delegation, supported by Chargé d’Affaires Jeffrey DeLaurentis, Deputy Assistant Secretary John Creamer, and Chief of Staff and Director of Policy Planning Jon Finer. The Cuban delegation was led by Josefina Vidal, the Foreign Ministry’s Director General for U.S. Affairs, supported by Cuban Ambassador to the United States Jose Ramon Cabanas.

The Bilateral Commission advances the normalization process between the United States and Cuba. The meeting took place in a cooperative and productive environment. The U.S. and Cuban delegations discussed the way forward on key issues such as agriculture, health, environmental protection, economic engagement, science and technology, civil aviation, regulatory affairs, claims, culture and education, law enforcement, nonproliferation, trafficking in persons, human rights, maritime borders, and migration. The delegations also discussed prospects for upcoming high-level visits and their shared desire to achieve as much progress as possible by the end of the year.

The United States looks forward to the next Bilateral Commission Meeting in Havana in December 2016.

From the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba

Delegations presided over respectively by Josefina Vidal Ferreiro, Director General of the US Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Mari Carmen Aponte, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, and Jonathan Finer, Chief of Staff and Director of Policy Planning for the Secretary of State, met on September 30 in Washington on the occasion of the fourth meeting of the Cuba-US Bilateral Commission.

During the meeting, a review was made on the implementation of the agreements reached at the third meeting of the Commission held in May in Havana and both parties identified the bilateral steps that they intend to take before the end of this year.

The meeting found that there had been progress in the areas of diplomatic relations and cooperation on issues of common interest, namely, the exchange of high level visits; the resumption of scheduled flights between both countries; the adoption of agreements in the areas of health, the combat of drug-trafficking and the deployment of air marshals on board of charter and scheduled flights; the holding of technical meetings on environmental issues, geodesics and hydrography, air safety and security, terrorism, drug trafficking, traffic in persons and migration fraud, legal cooperation, flow of persons and goods safety and cybersecurity; as well as the implementation of the program to teach English in Cuba.  During this period, dialogues on regulations and mutual compensations continued to be held and negotiations between Cuba, the United States and Mexico to delimit the Eastern Gap in the Gulf of Mexico were initiated.

The Cuban delegation emphasized that little results have been achieved in the economic area due to the enforcement of the blockade and reaffirmed that in order to move forward in the economic, commercial and financial relations, this policy needs to be eliminated, as was expressed by the Cuban representatives to the first Economic Dialogue –the mechanism created by the Bilateral Commission to address these issues-, on September 12 last. Likewise, it insisted that in order to advance towards the improvement of relations, it will also be necessary that the territory illegally occupied by the Guantanamo Naval Base be returned to Cuba and other interfering policies which are harmful to our sovereignty and are still in force be eliminated, such as the implementation of programs aimed at promoting internal changes in Cuba and the use of ICTs with political purposes. The current US preferential migration policy, expressed through the application of the Cuban Adjustment Act, the wet foot/dry foot program and the Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program, which encourage illegal and unsafe migration of our citizens, deprive Cuba from vital human resources and create increasing difficulties to other countries need to be modified.

For the next three months both delegations agreed to continue promoting high level visits, move on to the negotiation of new agreements in areas such as seismology, meteorology, land protected areas, marine pollution resulting from spills of hydrocarbons and other substances, law enforcement and search and rescue; celebrate technical meetings on cybercrimes and money laundering and between Cuban Border Guard and the US Coast Guard Service; as well as hold dialogues on disarmament and non-proliferation and human rights.

The Cuban delegation reiterated the Cuban Government willingness to continue moving on in the bilateral relations in the next few months and suggested to hold the fifth meeting of the Bilateral Commission in December, 2016, in Havana. (Cubaminrex)

US & Cuba Have A Meeting... Only Cuba Reports It

From the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba

HAVANA, September 29, 2016. On Wednesday September 28, took place in the US capital the first meeting on the safety of flows of people and goods between the two countries and mutual concerns about cybersecurity.

This meeting is part of the dialogue on implementation and enforcement, initiated between Cuba and the United States in November 2015.

The meeting took place in a climate of respect and professionalism.

The Cuban delegation was composed of representatives of the Ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs, Transport and the General Customs of the Republic. The US side was represented by officials from the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice and State.

Both delegations agreed on the importance of advancing cooperation in this area and the need to sign bilateral instruments, and agreed to continue these technical meetings in the future.

(Cubaminrex)

United States and Cuba to Hold Fourth Bilateral Commission Meeting in Washington, D.C.

United States and Cuba to Hold Fourth Bilateral Commission Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC

September 29, 2016

The United States and Cuba will hold the fourth Bilateral Commission in Washington, D.C., on Friday, September 30. Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Mari Carmen Aponte and Chief of Staff and Director of Policy Planning Jon Finer will co-chair the U.S. delegation. Chargé d’Affaires Jeffrey DeLaurentis and Deputy Assistant Secretary John Creamer will also attend for the United States. The Cuban delegation will be led by Josefina Vidal, the Foreign Ministry’s Director General for U.S. Affairs.

The Secretary places a top priority on deepening our dialogue with the Government of Cuba, the primary mechanism for which is the Bilateral Commission. The meeting will provide an opportunity to review progress on a number of shared priorities since the last Bilateral Commission meeting in May 2016, including public health, counternarcotics, and the resumption of scheduled commercial flights between the United States and Cuba. The United States and Cuba expect to plan continued engagements on economic issues, human rights, claims, environmental protection, agriculture, law enforcement, health, migration, educational and cultural exchanges, trafficking in persons, and regulatory issues for the remainder of 2016.

From The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba

HAVANA, 28 September 2016. Delegations of Cuba and the United States will hold the fourth meeting of the Bilateral Commission on Friday, September 30, in Washington.

The Cuban delegation will be chaired by the director general US the Foreign Ministry, Josefina Vidal Ferreiro, and the US by the Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere, Mari Carmen Aponte and Jonathan Finer, Director of Policy Planning, both the State Department.

the results achieved since the conclusion of the previous meeting will be reviewed, on May 16, 2016, in Havana and the new steps that both sides will for the rest of the year to advance the process of improving relations be agreed, including the realization of high-level visits in both directions, conducting technical meetings, adoption of new cooperation agreements in areas of common interest and holding dialogues on issues of bilateral and multilateral interest.

The Cuban delegation will reiterate the need for the blockade to be lifted, the Cuban sovereignty is returned the territory illegally occupied by the Guantanamo Naval Base, an end to the preferential migration policy towards Cuban citizens and other policies that affect deleting a Cuba, so you can have normal relations between Cuba and the United States.

President Obama Nominates An Ambassador To Cuba... We Were 7 Months Early

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 27, 2016

President Obama Announces Another Key Administration Post

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key Administration post:  Jeffrey DeLaurentis – Ambassador to the Republic of Cuba

President Obama said, “Today, I am proud to nominate Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis to be the first U.S. Ambassador to Cuba in more than 50 years. Jeff’s leadership has been vital throughout the normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba, and the appointment of an ambassador is a common sense step forward toward a more normal and productive relationship between our two countries. There is no public servant better suited to improve our ability to engage the Cuban people and advance U.S. interests in Cuba than Jeff.  A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Jeff has extensive experience in Cuba and Latin America.  He has served as our Chief of Mission in Havana since August 2014, and was posted to Havana twice before.  Jeff is already working with Cuba on issues that advance U.S. national interests, such as law enforcement, counternarcotics, environmental protection, combatting trafficking in persons, expanding commercial and agricultural opportunities, and cooperation in science and health.  He engages broadly with the Cuban people and expresses the United States’ strong support for universal values and human rights in Cuba.  Jeff also has extensive experience working with the United Nations.  During his most recent service at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations he served for three years as Ambassador, Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs.  Having an ambassador will make it easier to advocate for our interests, and will deepen our understanding even when we know that we will continue to have differences with the Cuban government.  He is exactly the type of person we want to represent the United States in Cuba, and we only hurt ourselves by not being represented by an Ambassador.  If confirmed by the Senate, I know Jeff will build on the changes he helped bring about to better support the Cuban people and advance America’s interests.”

President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key Administration post:

Jeffrey DeLaurentis, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Cuba, Department of State

Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, is the Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba, a position he has held since 2015.  He served as Chief of Mission at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, Cuba from 2014 to 2015.  Prior to that, Ambassador DeLaurentis served as Ambassador and Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations from 2011 to 2014.  Prior to that posting, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.  Ambassador DeLaurentis was previously Minister Counselor for Political Affairs and Security Council Coordinator at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.  Since beginning his State Department career in 1991, Ambassador DeLaurentis has served in a number of overseas posts, including twice before in Havana, first as consular officer from 1991 to 1993, then as Political-Economic Section Chief from 1999 to 2002.  He also served as Political Counselor at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, and Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota.  In Washington, Ambassador DeLaurentis served as Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Director of Inter-American Affairs at the National Security Council, and as an International Relations Officer in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs.  Prior to entering the Foreign Service, he held a senior staff position at the Council on Foreign Relations.  Ambassador DeLaurentis received a B.S. from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and an M.A. from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

As predicted in a Blog Post in February 2016....

Change To OFAC Banking Regulation Long Overdue; No Rationale For Delay

The Obama Administration appears to finally be making a far-too-unnecessarily-long-awaited change to financial regulations relating to the moving of funds from the United States to the Republic of Cuba and from the Republic of Cuba to the United States.  

This specific change was discussed in 2015 and earlier in 2016; there is no rationale provided for the delays.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury is expected to authorize by general license Republic of Cuba government-operated financial institutions to have correspondent accounts with financial institutions located in the United States.

Currently, the OFAC does not authorize Republic of Cuba-based financial institutions to have accounts at United States-based financial institutions.

A Republic of Cuba government-operated financial institution would need to apply for a specific license from the OFAC; they likely won't, however, due to the perceptual issue of the OFAC authorizing United States-based financial institutions to have accounts in the Republic of Cuba, but no authorization for Republic of Cuba-based financial institutions to have accounts in the United States.

The purpose of the regulatory change by the OFAC is to further the efficiency of the commercial payment process for exports to the Republic of Cuba and imports from the the Republic of Cuba; and for the transfer of funds related to travel by companies and individuals subject to United States jurisdiction- credit/debit card issuers, air carriers, travel agents, tour operators, hotel management companies, cruise ship operators, and air cargo services among others.

There remains concern that funds contained in an account established in the United States by a Republic of Cuba government-operated financial institution (or other entity) could be subject to civil action by an individual or company with a claim against the government of the Republic of Cuba. 

An OFAC policy of commercial prior restraint, dispensed as a proactive mechanism to prevent risk should be alien to the capitalist marketplace.   Evaluating any legal potentiality is best determined by the parties involved rather than by the United States government. 

United States-based companies have advocated to the OFAC that they, the companies, should be the determinant of any Republic of Cuba-related risk, rather than the United States government.  

Removing the regulatory impediment to Republic of Cuba government-operated financial institutions having correspondent accounts with United States-based financial institutions will remove an item from the list of issues maintained by the government of the Republic of Cuba as reasons for not seeking to fully-engage United States-based companies.  The impediment is by choice, not by statute. 

Removing the regulation does not solve the problem, but removing the regulation makes the problem less relevant and assists the Republic of Cuba with re-establishing and establishing financial relationships with other countries, which assists United States-based entities.

In 2015, Pompano Beach, Florida-based Stonegate Bank (2015 assets exceeded US$2.3 billion) signed a Direct Correspondent Banking Agreement (DCBA) with Republic of Cuba government-operated Banco Internacional de Comercio SA (BICSA), a member of Republic of Cuba government-operated Grupo Nuevo Banca SA, created by Corporate Charter No. 49 on 29 October 1993 and commenced operation on 3 January 1994.

Stonegate Bank also provides commercial operating accounts for the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in Washington, DC.

However, even though Stonegate Bank has a DCBA with BICSA, regulations issued by the OFAC continue to require financial institution transactions relating to the Republic of Cuba to be subject to an inefficient triangular payment process using Panama City, Panama-based Multibank, which has extensive dealings (and an office in Havana) with Republic of Cuba-based entities.

For example, a Republic of Cuba-based entity places an order with a United States-based company.  The Republic of Cuba-based entity then either transfers funds from the Republic of Cuba to a third country financial institution or uses existing funds in a third country financial institution.  The third country financial institution transfers the funds to a financial institution (either within the United States or another country) selected by the United States-based company.  This process can take up to five days (if a weekend, for example) and there are higher-then-normal transfer costs to the Republic of Cuba-based entity and United States-based company.

With a fully-implemented DCBA, Stonegate Bank and BICSA would transfer funds (using SWIFT codes) from their respective accounts.   

After the arrival of funds from the Republic of Cuba, there would be a transfer from Stonegate to the financial institution selected by the United States-based company.  The process generally can be confirmed during a business day; and the transfer costs are lower for both seller and buyer.

Currently, Stonegate Bank uses Multibank to route payments to and from BICSA.  The average transaction time is one to two days.  The current retail cost to transfer US$100,000.00 is approximately US$250.00 (.3%), which would decrease if the process was two-way instead of three-way.

There are two prohibitions in the Cuba Assets Control Regulations (CACR) that prevent the establishment of correspondent accounts at United States financial institutions for Republic of Cuba government-operated financial institutions unless specifically licensed by the OFAC: 31 C.F.R. §515.201(a)(1) and §515.201(b)(1).

Title 31 → Subtitle B → Chapter V → Part 515 → Subpart B
Title 31: Money and Finance: Treasury
PART 515—CUBAN ASSETS CONTROL REGULATIONS
Subpart B—Prohibitions

§515.201   Transactions involving designated foreign countries or their nationals; effective date.

(a) All of the following transactions are prohibited, except as specifically authorized by the Secretary of the Treasury (or any person, agency, or instrumentality designated by him) by means of regulations, rulings, instructions, licenses, or otherwise, if either such transactions are by, or on behalf of, or pursuant to the direction of a foreign country designated under this part, or any national thereof, or such transactions involve property in which a foreign country designated under this part, or any national thereof, has at any time on or since the effective date of this section had any interest of any nature whatsoever, direct or indirect:

(1) All transfers of credit and all payments between, by, through, or to any banking institution or banking institutions wheresoever located, with respect to any property subject to the jurisdiction of the United States or by any person (including a banking institution) subject to the jurisdiction of the United States;

(2) All transactions in foreign exchange by any person within the United States; and

(3) The exportation or withdrawal from the United States of gold or silver coin or bullion, currency or securities, or the earmarking of any such property, by any person within the United States.

(b) All of the following transactions are prohibited, except as specifically authorized by the Secretary of the Treasury (or any person, agency, or instrumentality designated by him) by means of regulations, rulings, instructions, licenses, or otherwise, if such transactions involve property in which any foreign country designated under this part, or any national thereof, has at any time on or since the effective date of this section had any interest of any nature whatsoever, direct or indirect:

(1) All dealings in, including, without limitation, transfers, withdrawals, or exportations of, any property or evidences of indebtedness or evidences of ownership of property by any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States; and

(2) All transfers outside the United States with regard to any property or property interest subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

[28 FR 6974, July 9, 1963, as amended at 62 FR 45106, Aug. 25, 1997]

What President Castro Thinks About What President Obama Has Done... And Still Needs To Do

Excerpts Of Remarks by H.E. Raul Castro Ruz, President of the Republic of Cuba, during the 17th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, held on Margarita Island, in Venezuela

September 17, 2016

Esteemed compañero Nicolás Maduro Moros, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; Heads of state and government; Esteemed ministers, delegates, and guests; Ladies and gentlemen:

Esteemed President Maduro,

Twenty-one months have passed since our simultaneous announcement with President Barack Obama of the decision to reestablish diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States.

There has been some progress, mostly in the diplomatic area and cooperation on issues of mutual interest, but the same cannot be said of the economic or commercial spheres due to the limited, albeit positive, scope of the measures so far adopted by the U.S. government.

Cuba will persevere with its demand to have the economic, commercial and financial blockade lifted, a blockade that brings so much damage and hardship to our people, and which also has a negative impact on many other countries due to its extraterritorial implementation. By the same token, Cuba will continue urging the return to our sovereignty of territory illegally occupied by the United States Naval Base in Guantanamo.

There will not be normal relations before this issue is resolved, and other policies harmful to Cuba’s sovereignty still in force are terminated, such as interventionist and subversive programs.

We reaffirm our disposition to engage the United States government in a civilized relationship, but Cuba will neither renounce any of its principles nor compromise on its sovereignty and independence. Cuba will not cease defending its revolutionary and anti-imperialist ideals, or supporting the self-determination of all peoples.

Compañero Maduro,

We wish our sister Republic of Venezuela full success in the leadership of non-aligned nations. At the same time, we congratulate the Islamic Republic of Iran on its good work during this past term at the head of the Movement.

Our only alternative given the enormous dangers and challenges we face is unity and solidarity, in defense of our common objectives and interests.

Thank you, very much.

(Cubaminrex)

Secretary of State John Kerry to Travel to Colombia; Likely Meeting With Cuba Official(s)

Press Statement

John Kirby
Assistant Secretary and Department Spokesperson, Bureau of Public Affairs
Washington, DC

September 19, 2016

"U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Cartagena, ‎Colombia, on September 26. He will lead the United States delegation at the signing of the peace accord between the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to end over 50 years of conflict. He will also participate in bilateral meetings with regional counterparts. The Secretary's presence follows years of U.S. engagement to facilitate the negotiations."

Secretary Kerry is expected to meet with whomever is the representative(s) from the government of the Republic of Cuba in what could be the final high-ranking meeting during the final days (123 and counting down) of the Obama Administration between an official of the government of the United States and official of the government of the Republic of Cuba.

Video- Senator Marco Rubio (R- FL) mentioning U.S-Cuba Trade and Economic Council in his speech on Senate floor

14 September 2016

"Back in May, the Assistant Secretary for Policy, at the Department of Homeland Security told the House Homeland Security Committee that new scheduled air service from the United States to Cuba and vice versa was not going to start until air marshals were allowed to be on board those flights. In August, the TSA provided the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council as well as reporters a statement, and they said that the United States and Cuba had entered into an aviation security agreement that sets forth the legal framework for the deployment of air marshals on board certain flights to and from Cuba.

Well, today at a hearing in the house, a top TSA official divulged for the first time that Cuba has yet to agree to allow air marshals aboard scheduled airline flights between the two countries, meaning there have been no air marshals on board thus far despite the fact that the administration said there would be.

So basically what we have here is an outright lie.

Last month, to great fanfare the administration announced that the agreement had been reached that there was going to be air marshals on the flights to and from Cuba, on the commercial flights. And today, they confirmed that they weren't telling the truth. There was no agreement finalized. On most if not all of these flights there are no air marshals, and this is endangering U.S. passengers. 

This is a startling admission from the administration; it's a startling admission by the TSA, and to the American people that they lied. They told us these flights would not begin until they had reached an agreement with the Cuban government to have air marshals and other security measures in place. And today only because they were asked -- only because they were asked -- did they admit that this is not happening.

It’s incumbent upon the TSA to lock down a federal air marshal agreement before these flights started taking off to begin with. That’s what they told us they were going to do. That’s what they said or implied was happening. And unless that question had been specifically asked today at that hearing, we would not have known about this.

And my friends, this is the latest example of an administration that is so intent on burnishing its legacy, on getting credit for this opening that they're willing to throw everything else out the window. They already are ignoring the human rights violations. We had one of the leading dissidents in Cuba on the verge of death because of a hunger strike and this administration hasn’t said a word about it. They don’t do anything about it. They don’t highlight that case.

Instead they're celebrating and popping corks of champagne on these new flights that they told us we’re going to be safe because they were going to have air marshals and today because they were specifically asked we find out it's not true. This is outrageous.

The TSA, under the Obama administration, has lied to us about the status of the security.

Last week I filed a bill that would stop all flights to Cuba, commercial flights, until this agreement was in place, until adequate security is in place. And now we know for a fact that adequate security is not in place. These flights should be suspended until such time as this agreement is signed. And I want you to think about what this means if it doesn’t happen. What it means is that these are now flights that are vulnerable. There’s a reason why we have air marshals on flights, because of the experience of 9/11 that we just commemorated the anniversary of on Sunday.

And you now have flights 90 miles from our shores that could theoretically be commandeered and you could have a repeat of that, particularly South Florida which is just minutes away from the airport in Havana. This is just unacceptable.

Forget how you feel about Cuba policy for a moment. They have lied to the American people and congress and they were only caught today because they were specifically asked about the status of this. This puts us in incredible danger. And by the way it is important for everyone to remember years ago there were no metal detectors even at airports. You know why they started putting metal detectors at airports 35, 30 years ago? Because of hijackings to Cuba. There's a reason.

And so now here you have this situation where theoretically some terrorist can travel from any country in the world into Cuba and then try to come into the United States, commandeer an aircraft and I don't need to tell you what can happen next. This is an incredibly dangerous situation.

I think we need to unite across the aisle and basically say no matter how you feel about Cuba policy, we all agree that travel to Cuba should be safe, no less safe than travel to the Bahamas, no less safe than travel to the Dominican Republic, no less safe than travel to Mexico. Why does the Cuban government and why are we allowing them to conduct flights without the same conditions that we have on allies of the United States? Cuba is not an ally of the United States. The Cuban government hosts intelligence facilities for both the Chinese and Russians. The Cuban government harbors fugitives of the American justice. The Cuban government helped North Korea evade U.N. sanctions on missile technology and weapons. And yet we have allies in this hemisphere who have to comply with all of this, but not Cuba? This is absurd.

The TSA has lied. It leaves this nation vulnerable and those commercial flights need to be immediately suspended until such time as these security measures are put in place. And I hope that – this is something that just broke hours ago – and I hope that we can come together here and actually deal with it irrespective of how you may feel about the issue of Cuba."

From Inside US Trade: Lawmaker Pledges To Push Ahead On Cuba Trade Bill After House Hearing

Inside US Trade
Arlington, VA
14 September 2016

Lawmaker Pledges To Push Ahead On Cuba Trade Bill After House Hearing

A Republican lawmaker from Arkansas will continue to push forward on his bill allowing private companies to extend credit to Cuba to purchase U.S. agricultural products following a Sept. 14 House Agriculture Committee hearing on trade with that country.

Rep. Rick Crawford indicated during the hearing on trade with Cuba that he is willing to meet with opponents to discuss changes to a bill allowing the issuing of private credit to Cuba to purchase agricultural products from the United States. A staffer in Crawford's office said he's hopeful there's enough support to move the bill during a potential lame-duck session later this year, but added the congressman will offer the bill again next year if it fails to get a vote this year.

The hearing comes after Crawford was promised a path forward for his bill in exchange for not proposing it as an amendment to a House financial services appropriations bill in July. That promise included a committee markup for the stand-alone bill.

Members raised several issues with Crawford's bill, H.R. 3687, including that private money from the U.S. will go to the Castro brothers or the Cuban military; that U.S. agricultural products will be traded through ports and property seized from American companies by the Cuban government; and that the U.S. will not see enough economic concessions in return for easing the embargo.

Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway (R-TX) and ranking member Collin Peterson (D-MN) both said they support the legislation. A handful of other members, both Republicans and Democrats, either specifically said they back Crawford's bill, or want their states' agricultural industries to have improved access to Cuba.

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) was one of the most vocal opponents to the legislation on the committee, saying the bill does not create new demand for U.S. products, and instead the U.S. would supplant imports from another market. Critics also said the bill only shifts existing U.S. exports from one market to another.

Crawford indicated he is willing to work with opponents of his bill to try strike a compromise on the language.

During an exchange with witness Mauricio Claver-Carone, executive director of Cuba Democracy Advocates, Crawford asked if the anti-Castro activist was willing to continue discussing the legislation outside the hearing. Claver-Carone said he would be open to such discussions and reiterated that he believes the bill needs stronger language ensuring private credit does not end up in the hands of the Castro government, and is instead issued to private citizens and business.

Such a policy would force Cuba to make significant economic changes, especially since all imports currently go through Alimport, a government-owned entity, and not through private companies.

“With all the sincerity, would you be willing to continue the dialogue to bring this to the satisfaction to the folks in south Florida? If we can do that, we can move forward to reaching an agreement,” Crawford said.

Claver-Carone cautioned the committee against voting for the bill in response to a drastic decrease in U.S. agricultural exports to Cuba since 2009. While several nations including China, Korea and Brazil allow the extension of credit that is backed by their respective governments, which gives their agricultural industries an advantage over the U.S., he added Cuba has a history of trying to influence foreign lawmakers through spending and changing its import practices to target specific congressional districts or industries. He added Cuba also has a history of failing to pay its bills on time.

If the U.S. does scale back elements of its existing trade embargo, Claver-Carone said, it needs to see concrete changes in Cuban policies, such as lifting a current prohibition on U.S. companies working directly with privately owned businesses.

“The Castro regime does not allow that currently,” Claver-Carone said. “We want to encourage that -- private ownership. If Congress sent that message to the regime, 'please allow your people to be independent entrepreneurs, have property rights and to trade freely with the United States'… if were going to export our principles, we should do it under the conditions and terms that are consistent with those principles.”

A key question that was not answered during the hearing is whether private export companies or banks are willing to extend credit to Cuba.

Witness Karen Lowe, senior vice president and agriculture export finance division head at CoBank ACB, a company that provides agriculture credit, said anyone issuing credit will want to know whether they are working with Alimport or another entity. U.S. companies will also want more access to financial and credit information, especially because any credit issued will not be backed by the U.S. government.

That is a key difference between the U.S. and other governments, Lowe pointed out. Other governments have backed the credit their private industries extended to Cuba.

“In the very short-term, the impact this bill has will be somewhat limited, but it does create a level playing field,” Lowe said. “More things need to happen -- particularly with the credit worthiness of the importing agency in Cuba.”

John Kavulich, president of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, a group that analyzes U.S.-Cuban policies, said nothing new came out of the hearing regarding U.S.-Cuban relations. Kavulich maintained his position that lawmakers are wasting their time focusing on Crawford's bill, especially since no legislation on Cuba has passed in nearly 16 years. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and key members of the Senate have also opposed easing the embargo.

Instead, Kavulich said more pressure should be directed at the Obama administration to issue changes to the embargo as President Obama prepares to leave office in January, especially since Cuba will be a low priority under a new administration.

It will also be easier for lawmakers to wait until 2018, when Raul Castro is expected to step down from power, in order to build support for any Cuba-centric legislation. Current law limits what can be done under the embargo as long as the Castros remain in power.

“For many members of Congress, there are only two people that live on that 800-mile-long archipelago, and they're both named Castro,” Kavulich said, referring to brothers Raul and Fidel Castro, who have run the one-party communist state for decades. “That makes it easier for some members of Congress who are just vehemently opposed to what the Castros stand for, to help 11.3 million people whose names are not Castro.” -- Nate Robson

US & Cuba Hold Discussions On Intellectual Property

From The United States Department of State
15 September 2016

The initial meeting between the U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator and Cuban officials on Intellectual Property Rights was held on September 8 and 9. The process of normalization relations has allowed the U.S. and Cuba to discuss a broad range of issues. Our engagement approach is working, and the United States and Cuba have made significant progress on issues like the environment, transportation, agriculture, health, law enforcement, and educational and cultural exchange.

From the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba
12 September 2016

La Habana, 12 de septiembre de 2016. Los días 8 y 9 de septiembre, visitó Cuba una delegación de los Estados Unidos, presidida por Daniel Marti, coordinador de la Oficina Ejecutiva del Presidente de ese país para los temas de la Propiedad Intelectual, y que estuvo integrada por funcionarios del Departamento de Estado, de la Oficina de Derecho de Autor y de la Oficina de Patentes y Marcas de Estados Unidos.

Los visitantes fueron recibidos por representantes de la Oficina Cubana de la Propiedad Industrial, el Centro Nacional de Derecho de Autor, la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad de La Habana, el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, el Ministerio de Comercio Exterior y la Inversión Extranjera y los bufetes internacionales CLAIM S.A. y LEX S.A.

En este primer encuentro oficial entre Cuba y los Estados Unidos en materia de Propiedad Intelectual, ambas partes intercambiaron opiniones sobre las regulaciones vigentes en los respectivos países en esta área y el marco jurídico de los dos Estados para la protección de marcas, patentes y el derecho de autor.

Los funcionarios cubanos, tras explicar las garantías existentes en nuestro país para la protección de la Propiedad Industrial, que se expresa en el registro de más de seis mil marcas estadounidenses, reiteraron la profunda preocupación del Gobierno de Cuba por la vigencia en los Estados Unidos de leyes, como las del bloqueo y la conocida como Sección 211, que afectan el reconocimiento de los derechos marcarios de empresas y entidades cubanas, incluyendo sobre marcas notorias como Havana Club y Cohiba.

Enfatizaron, además, que la protección recíproca de marcas y patentes será un aspecto esencial para el mejoramiento de las relaciones bilaterales, en particular, en la esfera económico-comercial, y expresaron su disposición a continuar los intercambios en esta materia. (Cubaminrex)

From Google Translate:

Havana, September 12, 2016. On 8 and 9 September, a delegation visited Cuba from the United States, chaired by Daniel Marti, coordinator of the Executive Office of the President of that country for Intellectual Property issues, and which included officials from the State Department, Office of Copyright and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The visitors were welcomed by representatives of the Cuban Office of Industrial Property, the National Center of Copyright, the Faculty of Law of the University of Havana, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment and international law CLAIM SA and LEX S.A.

In this first official meeting between Cuba and the United States on intellectual property, both sides exchanged views on the current regulations in the respective countries in this area and the legal framework of the two States for the protection of trademarks, patents and law copyright.

Cuban officials, after explaining the guarantees in our country for the Protection of Industrial Property, which is expressed in the registration of more than six thousand American brands, reiterated the deep concern of the Government of Cuba by force in the United States laws, such as the blockade and known as Section 211, which affect the recognition of trademark rights of companies and Cuban entities, including on well-known marks as Havana Club and Cohiba.

They further emphasized that the reciprocal protection of trademarks and patents will be essential for the improvement of bilateral relations, particularly in trade and economic sphere aspect, and expressed willingness to continue exchanges in this field. (Cubaminrex)

U.S.-Cuba Legal Cooperation Working Group To Meet In Havana

From The United States Department Of State

U.S.-Cuba Legal Cooperation Working Group to Meet in Havana, Cuba

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
September 14, 2016

The United States and Cuba will hold the first Legal Cooperation Technical Exchange in Havana, Cuba, on September 15. The U.S. delegation will include working-level representatives from the Department of Justice, the Department of State, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security.

Improving legal cooperation between our two countries has been one of several important topics discussed as part of the Law Enforcement Dialogue between the United States and Cuba. We welcome the opportunity to bring together technical experts to discuss this topic of common interest.

From The Government Of The Republic Of Cuba

CUBA.- On September 15, 2016 was held in the Cuban capital the first meeting on cooperation in criminal matters between the authorities of Cuba and the United States, with the aim of exploring mechanisms that contribute to effective action against the perpetrators of crimes and the timely exchange of investigative procedures.

The meeting took place in a climate of respect and professionalism.

Both delegations agreed on the usefulness of the meeting and agreed to hold talks in the future. (Cubaminrex)

US & Cuba Hold Inaugural Economic Dialogue... Different Perspectives

From The United States:

United States and Cuba Hold Inaugural Economic Dialogue in Washington, D.C.

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
September 12, 2016

The United States and Cuba held the inaugural Economic Dialogue in Washington, D.C., today. Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs Charles Rivkin led the opening of the dialogue. U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs John Creamer, Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs Ziad Haider, and U.S. Department of Commerce Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Industry and Security Matthew Borman co-chaired the U.S. delegation. Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment Vice Minister of Commercial Policy Ileana Nunez Mordoche led the Cuban delegation.

The Economic Dialogue’s goal is to discuss long-term bilateral engagement on a wide range of topics as part of the ongoing normalization process between our two countries. The delegations discussed trade and investment, labor and employment, renewable energy and energy efficiency, small business, intellectual property rights, economic policy, regulatory and banking matters, and telecommunications and internet access.

Both parties agreed to continue the dialogue and, under its auspices, convene working groups to continue technical discussions in the coming months.

From The Republic Of Cuba:

Cuba and the United States hold the first economic bilateral dialogue

HAVANA, September 12, 2016. Representatives from Cuba and the United States held on September 12, in Washington, the first meeting of the Bilateral Economic Dialogue, a mechanism established under the Cuba-US Bilateral Commission to address economic, commercial and financial issues of mutual interest, including those issues that may emerge in a post-blockade scenario.

The Cuban delegation was led by Deputy Minister for Foreign Trade and Investment, Ileana Núñez Mordoche, and the US delegation was presided over by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, John Creamer. The Cuban delegation included high-ranking officials of the Ministry for Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, the Cuban Central Bank and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From the US side attended the meeting representatives of the Department of Commerce, the Treasury Department, the State Department, the Departments of Agriculture, Transportation and Energy, among others, and the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

As a result of this first meeting and to follow up on specific issues of mutual interest, different working groups were established. Said groups will meet periodically in alternate venues.

The Cuban delegation reaffirmed that lifting the blockade is essential in order to make progress in economic, commercial and financial relations and toward the normalization of bilateral ties, as it affects the development of our economy and causes damages and privations to the Cuban people. (Cubaminrex)