OFAC issues new regulations regarding travel to Cuba.
In addition, the Associated Press reports on a crack down on Cuba travel:
WASHINGTON (AP) - Students wanting to travel to Cuba for educational purposes would have to show that the trip is for academic course work, the Treasury Department said in a revised rule.
Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces a longstanding U.S. embargo against Cuba, said it would no longer issue new licenses for ``people-to-people educational exchanges.''
Those licenses, which were authorized on a case-by-case basis, ended up becoming a loophole for groups to travel to Cuba when the educational aspect was barely evident, said Treasury Department spokesman Tony Fratto.
He said that many travel agents packaged trips to the country, which were essentially tourists trips, using the license that was available for people-to-people educational exchanges.
Such exchanges can include a vast array of activities, including learning more about Cuba's culture, Fratto said. The licenses that already have been granted would be honored, but no new licenses or renewals of existing ones will be granted, Treasury said.
OFAC also is expanding the list of humanitarian activities for which a license to travel to Cuba would be available.
``The list of licensable humanitarian activities is enlarged to include construction projects intended to benefit legitimately independent civil society groups and ... educational training within Cuba and elsewhere on topics including civic education, journalism, advocacy and organizing,'' according to the interim rule.
Treasury said the rule follows up on President Bush's ``new Cuba'' initiative last year when he outlined a list of tough conditions for lifting the U.S. trade embargo.
(Associated Press, reported by National Lawyers' Guild)
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