BY NAOMI CRAINE
In an executive order announced October 6, the Clinton administration slightly eased aspects of Washington's restrictions on travel to Cuba and on Cuban-Americans sending remittances to relatives on the island. At the same time, Clinton vowed to step up enforcement of the tight economic embargo that has been in place against Cuba for more than three decades. The U.S. president said the order would end a ban on U.S. news organizations opening offices in Cuba and would loosen restrictions imposed last year on travel to Cuba by Cuban-Americans as well as academic, religious, and "human rights" groups. The full text of the new regulations is not available yet.
Ricardo Alarcón, president of Cuba's National Assembly, said Washington has "made a big noise over something that is absolutely nothing." He noted that the executive order does little more than allow emergency visits for Cuban exiles who want to visit ill or dying relatives on the island. "The rest is to financially aid and train so- called human rights groups with subversive ends to undermine the revolution from within," Alarcón said.
The Clinton administration also announced a $500,000 grant to Freedom House, a U.S.-based group that backs anti- government organizations in Cuba, as part of the package.
Republican presidential candidates Robert Dole, Phil Gramm and Patrick Buchanan denounced Clinton's order. Dole said the initiative is evidence of adminstration weakness toward Cuba and called for an early vote in the Senate on the Helms-Burton bill.