Bush To Stand Firm On Cuba Embargo

May 20, 2002

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush on Monday will propose allowing direct mail service between the United States and Cuba and relaxing restrictions on U.S. religious and other non-profit groups to provide humanitarian aid to the Cuban people, but he will vow to keep the U.S. economic embargo and travel ban in place until Cuba adopts major democratic reforms.

The president will outline what the White House calls a "New Initiative for Cuba" in Washington on Monday morning and then again in Miami's Little Havana later in the day as part of a marking of pre-Castro Cuban Independence Day and the courting of a constituency the administration views as critical in Florida.

The White House late Sunday released highlights of the policy and excerpts of the president's speech.

Even before former President Jimmy Carter visited the island, criticism of the four-decade-old embargo was mounting, even from some staunchly anti-Castro conservatives who say the policy has simply failed to weaken the hold of the communist government.

But Bush, according to the speech excerpts, will say the only hope for lifting the embargo in his current term is if Cuba holds competitive National Assembly elections next year and frees political prisoners so that their parties and organizations can compete freely in democratic elections.

"Without major steps by Cuba to open up its political system and its economic system, trade with Cuba will not help the Cuban people -- it will merely enrich Castro and his cronies and prop up their dictatorship," Bush said in the excerpts.

"Full normalization of relations with Cuba -- diplomatic recognition, open trade and a robust aid program -- will only be possible when Cuba has a new government that is fully democratic, when the rule of law is respected and when the human rights of all Cubans are fully protected."

From John King, CNN Washington Bureau
http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/05/20/cuba.bush/index.html