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Report: Obama should loosen Cuba embargo by executive fiat
President Obama should unilaterally act to promote free-market growth in communist Cuba by easing a series of financial and travel restrictions, a pair of international policy groups contends in a new report.
Already, steps taken by the Obama administration and the Cuban government have helped to spawn a budding independent private sector, the Americas Society and Council of the Americas determined following three years of talks and research. But progress has stalled, the business-backed undertaking concluded.
“Unfortunately, the changes on both sides have not gone far enough,” the groups found. “The two countries remain in diplomatic deadlock—creating an opportunity for private groups to provide channels to share information and build contacts.”
The report, issued Wednesday, lays out a series of steps that Obama can take without backing from Congress.
The president could create exceptions to trade prohibitions that would allow American businesses and vendors to buy art, merchandise and other products from verifiably independent Cuban sellers, according to the report.
The report also calls for expanded licensed travel for U.S. executives, legal experts and organizations that could help to create an infrastructure to support increased free-market trade.
Other recommendations call for sales of telecommunications hardware to Cuba and an allowance for the nation to request technical help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the International Development (IDB) in the area of market reforms.
