Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba*

Reports to the President:  2004 - 2006

 

2004

2006

$36 million was recommended and subsequently allocated to “strengthen the opposition” in Cuba.

$41 million is recommended to “support independent civil society” including $10 million education fund for “disadvantaged students” who are recommended by dissident groups.

Travel to Cuba was severely restricted. Travel for educational experiences, sports competitions, sister city activities, cultural events were essentially eliminated.

Increased enforcement of travel restrictions and targeting groups “found to have been involved in organizing or facilitating unlicensed travel.” An obvious reference to Pastors for Peace, Venceremos Brigade, and US/Cuba Labor Exchange travel challenges.

Cuban Americans’ travel to Cuba was severely restricted, reducing legal travel from once a year to once every three years with no exceptions for family crises.  The Cuban family was redefined to include only parents, grandparents, spouses and siblings.

Although the report doesn’t mention Cuban-American travel, recently the State Department announced that it is considering making it easier for Cuban residents in the U.S. to bring family members in. They are also considering making it easier for Cuban professionals working in other countries to enter the U.S.

$18 million was allocated to have a C-130 (similar to the C-230 combat plane) circle Cuba to beam Radio and TV Marti into the island.

$24 million recommended for increased efforts to transmit Miami-based Radio & TV Marti programs to the Cuban people.

2004 efforts to “deny revenue to the Castro Regime” focused on reducing tourism, cutting off access to Venezuelan oil and reducing income from family remittances.

The 2006 report recommends targeting “traffickers” in Cuban trade – tourism, oil, nickel, tobacco and rum. These commodities, of course, fund the government’s health, education, energy and housing programs.

$5 million was allocated for “encouraging international diplomatic efforts to challenge the Castro regime.

$15 million is recommended as “support for international efforts at strengthening civil society and in transition planning.”

The 2004 Report “welcomes an active role for the Cuban American community” in the transition. It also states that the U.S. cannot, by law, support any government that doesn’t “bar Fidel and Raul Castro from any role in a future government.”

The 2006 Report refers 57 times in its 85 page report to giving assistance “if requested.”  It repeatedly states that all decisions must be made by the Cuban people and yet is clear that no U.S. support will be given to a government that includes members of the current government.

Both reports see the Cuba/Venezuela friendship as a danger to “U.S. interests.”  Venezuela is mentioned 16 times in the 2006 report in the rationalization for U.S. plans to undermine the Cuban government.

The 350 page 2004 report uses “regime” 318 times to refer to the Cuban government - “Cuban government” is never used.

The 85 page 2006 report uses “regime” 142 times – “Cuban government” 0 times.

In the 2004 Report there’s a distinct gap between the strategies to “hasten the end of the Castro dictatorship” and the detailed description of the U.S. “aid” to a U.S. model government for Cuba.

The 2006 Report states:  “This is an unclassified report.  For reasons of national security and effective implementation, some recommendations are contained in a separate classified annex.”

The major potion of both reports is dedicated in great detail to the phenomenally generous assistance the U.S. will provide for the transition government – aid that is now denied by the blockade.


From:
Karen Lee Wald
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2006 11:26 PM
To: Cuba-Inside-Out@googlegroups.com
Subject: Cuba Inside Out One page analysis/comparison Bush Cuba Report 2005 and 2006
Importance: High

I usually try not to send attachments, but in this case the material is so important, and the material difficult to duplicate in a text message, that I think it is worth it. Nancy Abbey has drawn up a concise, one-page comparison of the main points of the Bush Commission plans to overthrow the Cuban Revolution .... feel free to distribute widely, use for discussion groups, etc.\

Karen