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U.S. NEWSSaturday 12 March 2016
With Cuba trip, Obama aims to make renewed ties irreversible
JOSH LEDERMAN A worker wipes a representation of the The Great Seal of the United States at the U.S. Embassy proval soon and plans to
Associated Press in Havana, Cuba. President Barack Obama will use his historic trip to Cuba to chip away at key sail to Cuba starting May 1.
WASHINGTON (AP) — remaining U.S. obstacles to travel and commerce with the communist island. The White House declined
President Barack Obama to comment on any po-
will use his historic trip to (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) tential announcements
Cuba to chip away at key related to Cuba policy or
remaining U.S. obstacles Department in the coming managing the famed Ho- from Treasury’s Office of Obama’s trip. But it has
to travel and commerce days to operate hotels in tel Saratoga in central Ha- Foreign Assets Control, stressed that Obama plan
with the communist island, Cuba, following extensive vana, said the individuals, which would allow it to do s to meet while I Havana
working to push his diplo- conversations with both who weren’t authorized to business in Cuba despite with Cuban dissidents that
matic relaunch past the Cuban and U.S. officials. discuss the plans publicly congressional sanctions. the White House, not the
point of no return before If successful, Starwood and requested anonym- A Marriott spokesman said Cuban government, has
he leaves office. would become the first ity. Starwood is one of a that chain was also hoping picked. The Obama ad-
The three-day trip to Ha- and only U.S. hotel compa- number of major U.S. hotel to “get a green light soon” ministration is also poised to
vana beginning next ny with operations in Cuba. chains actively working on from the U.S. to operate remove yet another road-
weekend marks the first The chain, which is being plans to expand to Cuba. Marriott-branded hotels in block for those who wish
time a sitting president will purchased by Marriott, is Starwood declined to of- Cuba, adding that chief to visit Cuba by allowing
set foot in Cuba in nearly exploring numerous possi- fer specifics but confirmed executive Arne Sorenson Americans to travel inde-
nine decades. It also is one bilities for Cuba that include it has applied for a license planned to travel there for pendently, rather than in
of Obama’s final opportu- Obama’s trip. And Carni- organized, group trips. Al-
nities to lock in the sharp val Cruise Line, which al- ready, Obama has eased
reversal in policy toward ready has U.S. approval, travel restrictions by allow-
Cuba that his administra- said it expects Cuban ap- ing Americans traveling for
tion launched. In a bid to one of 12 approved pur-
show growing momentum, poses to go without obtain-
the Obama administration ing a specific license, but
is preparing to further ease the forthcoming regulatory
restrictions and greenlight tweaks will remove the re-
projects by U.S. companies quirement that Americans
in connection with the trip, go through structured trips
according to a half-dozen with set itineraries, the in-
individuals familiar with the dividuals said. Getting to
administration’s plans. Cuba remains tricky; char-
Starwood, the hotel chain tered flights are currently
whose brands include the only option. Last month
Sheraton and Westin, is the U.S. and Cuba signed
expected to receive a li- a deal restoring commer-
cense from the Treasury cial flights for the first time
in five decades, trigger-
ing a flood of applications
from U.S. airlines.
Diplomat: 100-plus nations reject
U.S. sanctions against Venezuela
DAVE BRYAN tions by executive order on
Wednesday.
Associated Press “We are continuing to
move forward and re-
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — ject these measures from
the U.S.,” the ambassador
Venezuela’s U.N. ambas- said.
The countries have had
sador on Friday accused stormy relations since the
late Hugo Chavez became
the Obama administration president of Venezuela in
1999.
of trying to “destabilize our A year ago, Obama sanc-
tioned seven Venezuelan
country and our govern- officials, accusing them of
perpetrating human rights
ment” by renewing sanc- violations and corruption
in the socialist-governed
tions on several of his coun- country. All seven came
from the top echelon of
try’s top officials over hu- the state security appara-
tus responsible for cracking
man rights violations, and down on anti-government
protests that rocked Vene-
he read out a statement zuela in 2014 and for pursu-
ing charges against lead-
from more than 100 devel- ing opponents.
oping countries backing
him up.
Ambassador Rafael
Ramirez read out to re-
porters the statement from
the Non-Aligned Move-
ment of 120 countries not
formally linked to any ma-
jor power bloc. The state-
ment expressed support for
Venezuela and criticized
President Barack Obama,
who renewed the sanc-
