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WORLD NEWSThursday 8 October 2015

US official says Cuba should develop private sector

HAVANA (AP) — U.S. Com- She started her visit Tues- make it easier for Cuban on Cuba. A trade embargo also taking steps to update
merce Secretary Penny day with a stop at the Mari- citizens to trade and travel remains in place under U.S. its regulatory system and re-
Pritzker on Wednesday el free trade zone outside more freely, to enjoy the law, but Obama is now al- form the economy in ways
called on the Cuban gov- the capital of Havana. fruits of their labor, to ac- lowing U.S. firms to send that support continued de-
ernment to let private en- The commerce secretary cess the Internet and to supplies to private Cuban velopment of the Cuban
terprise thrive on the com- is the most senior U.S. offi- (be) hired directly by for- businesses and export tele- private sector and increase
munist-ruled island and to cial to travel to Cuba since eign companies,” she said phones, computers and In- the prosperity of the Cuban
grant its citizens greater ac- Secretary of State John Wednesday at the start of ternet technology. people.” Cuba’s foreign
cess to the Internet. Kerry visited on Aug. 14 for meetings between officials The U.S. government has ministry said in a statement
Pritzker was visiting Cuba a flag-raising ceremony from both countries. also eliminated the previ- that the goal of the meet-
for two days, leading a del- outside the U.S. diplomatic Since the Dec. 17 an- ous limit on remittances ings is an “exchange over
egation of officials from the mission in Havana, which is nouncement that the for- that people can send to the reach and limitations of
U.S. Treasury, Commerce now upgraded to a full em- mer Cold War foes would relatives on the island, the measures recently tak-
and State departments for bassy following restoration work toward normalization among other measures. en by the U.S. government
meetings with officials from of relations in July. of relations, the Obama The impact of those moves, to modify some aspects of
Cuban government minis- “We urge President Cas- administration has eased Pritzer said, “will depend the application of the em-
tries and businesses. tro and his government to some economic restrictions on the Cuban government bargo against Cuba.” q

Kerry pays visit to Haiti to discuss election preparations

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, center, shakes hand with Haiti’s President Michel Martelly at the States said the irregularities ment and jobs.
National Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Kerry stopped briefly in Haiti to discuss preparations for were not enough to invali- He said the U.S. and the
the country’s upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections. date overall results. rest of the international
“Haiti needs governing community hope that the
( AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) institutions that are legiti- Oct. 25 elections will be a
mate and representative, “smoother process” than
DAVID McFADDEN country’s upcoming elec- were so plagued with disor- and those cannot come what took place in August.
Associated Press tions and encourage peo- der and voter intimidation into being without free and In a Caribbean country
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) ple to refrain from disrupting that makeup elections will fair elections that take part that has undergone more
— U.S. Secretary of State balloting after a messy par- have to be held in more without intimidation, with- than 30 coups in 200 years,
John Kerry stopped in Hai- liamentary first round in Au- than two dozen constitu- out violence,” Kerry said Kerry stressed that it was
ti’s capital on Tuesday to gust. In some districts, legis- encies. Monitors with the on the grounds of Haiti’s only through holding elec-
discuss preparations for the lative elections held Aug. 9 Organization of American National Palace in Port-au- tions that a “legitimate
Prince. Haiti will hold its first transfer of power can take
round of presidential elec- place.”
tions on Oct. 25 at the same Martelly thanked Kerry for
time as runoffs for legisla- Washington’s support with
tive seats. With none of the helping to finance elec-
54 presidential candidates tions, strengthen the rough-
likely to dominate voting, ly 12,000-member national
this month’s election is ex- police force and boost
pected to force the two the chronically struggling
highest vote-getters into a economy. The U.S. is Haiti’s
Dec. 27 runoff to become largest international donor,
Haiti’s next leader. providing more than $30
With outgoing President Mi- million to support this year’s
chel Martelly at his side, Ker- electoral process alone.
ry encouraged Haitians to Acknowledging that the
listen to those candidates Aug. 9 elections were “far
who offer “real plans” to from perfect,” Martelly said
advance the country, not- that the upcoming vote on
ing there needs to be con- Oct. 25 “should be better”
fidence in the political sys- organized by election au-
tem to help attract invest- thorities. q

37 accused of smuggling drugs through Puerto Rico’s airport

DANICA COTO do, Baltimore, Philadelphia and that they often carried investigation that began of smuggling millions of
Associated Press and Connecticut. U.S. At- cash on their trips back to in December 2014 with the dollars’ worth of drugs on
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico torney Rosa Emilia Rodri- Puerto Rico. cooperation of some couri- commercial flights. Among
(AP) — Federal authorities guez said the group is ac- So far, no airline employees ers, said James Doby, act- the accused were former
issued arrest warrants on cused of making at least 40 or airport workers appear ing special agent in charge airline employees. Puerto
Wednesday for 37 Puerto trips originating from Puerto to be involved, Rodriguez of the Caribbean division Rico Public Affairs Secretary
Ricans they say ran a ring Rico’s main international said, though the investiga- of the Drug Enforcement Jesus Manuel Ortiz said this
that smuggled drugs on airport and paying drug tion is continuing. Administration. The opera- week that cocaine seizures
commercial flights from the mules to hide vacuum- One suspect was arrested tion, dubbed “Bad Trip,” so far this year are up by 63
island to the U.S. mainland. packed cocaine in suitcas- in Orlando and at least 28 comes roughly three years percent, heroin seizures by
The group is accused of es since May 2013. Prosecu- were arrested in Puerto after federal authorities 100 percent and marijuana
transporting 180 kilograms tors said the couriers would Rico as of Wednesday af- raided Puerto Rico’s main seizures by more than 150
(397 pounds) of cocaine receive anywhere from ternoon, authorities said. airport and arrested more percent compared with all
to places including Orlan- $200 to $1,500 per suitcase, The arrests come after an than 30 people accused of last year.q