Monday, December 19, 2022

US Opposes New Cable to Cuba

 

U.S. Justice Recommends Preventing Submarine Cable from Connecting U.S. with Cuba

The ARCOS-1 USA Inc. underwater cable system made the request to the FCC to adapt its network to include the first and only connection of its kind between the U.S. and Cuba

 

The U.S. Department of Justice recommended Wednesday to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deny a permit for  the installation of the first submarine telecommunications cable that would connect the United States with Cuba.

The Cuban government represents a "counterintelligence threat" to the US and, given that the state communications company Etecsa would manage the cable landing system, Havana could "access sensitive US data traveling through the new cable segment," the US Justice explained in a statement cited by the Efe agency.

"As long as the Government of Cuba remains a counterintelligence threat to the United States and is allied with others doing the same, the risks to our infrastructure are simply very great," Deputy Homeland Security Attorney Matthew G. Olsen said in a statement.

According to the Department of Justice, Cuba's relations with other "foreign adversaries" such as China or Russia, represent a risk to the government if there were such a connection.

Olsen noted that the U.S., however, "supports a secure, reliable and open Internet network around the world, including Cuba."

The ARCOS-1 USA Inc. underwater cable system made the request to the FCC to adapt its network to include the first and only connection of its kind between the U.S. and Cuba.

The ARCOS-1 network connects 24 landing points in 15 countries on the continent, including the U.S., Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua and Mexico.

The U.S. has criticized Cuba's government for limiting internet access on the island, especially after protests erupted on the island this summer. Havana, for its part, maintains that the embargo imposed by the US governments has prevented it from accessing any of the dozens of cables that pass near its coasts.

Efe/OnCuba.

U.S. Justice Recommends Preventing Submarine Cable from Connecting U.S. with Cuba | OnCubaNews

 

 

Deputy Foreign Minister Accepts pro Private Sector US Policies

 

Cuba would not oppose easing the blockade if only to benefit the private sector

The Cuban deputy foreign minister declared that if partial exceptions to the blockade allow "greater prosperity for any sector of the economy, we will not put up obstacles."

 

Cuba would not oppose any initiative to relax the economic and financial sanctions imposed by the United States government, even if it only brings benefits to the emerging private sector on the island.

"If exceptions to the blockade are introduced with the dream of ending the Revolution, we are not going to oppose it," Carlos Fernández de Cossío, deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Minrex), said Wednesday during his speech at an academic forum dedicated to analyzing the state of relations between Cuba and the United States in the current international context.

01:17

The diplomat acknowledged that these steps would be aimed at "subverting the country's political system" and described the idea as a "major mistake."

The push for greater support for Cuban private entrepreneurs is among the measures announced last May by the administration of Democrat Joe Biden, something that the Cuban government describes as "a political weapon."

Fernández de Cossío explained that the purposes are not focused on contributing to the economic development of the country, nor to the improvement of the living conditions of a broad sector of the population.

"If this allows greater prosperity of any sector of the economy, we will not put up obstacles. If they manage to devise exceptions that benefit some and continue to punish others, we will not try to prevent it either," he said.

On the current scenario of relations between Cuba and the United States, the Cuban deputy foreign minister said that "it has not had perceptible changes," although he acknowledged that during 2022 important steps were taken, and that these were not unilateral.

He mentioned the exchanges on migration issues held in May in Washington, and then in Havana last November, because it is a phenomenon that "affects both countries."

In turn, he recalled that this type of meetings had not been held since July 2018, and that during all that time the United States did not honor the agreements signed by both countries.

He also valued the talks as "constructive", since they served "to verify the validity of the agreements, reiterate the mutual political commitment, identify areas that require greater attention, and analyze issues that are not included in the agreements, but have great influence on the agreements."

Fernández de Cossío confirmed that at the end of the most recent fiscal year the US government complied with the delivery of at least 20,000 visas, something that had not happened since 2017, and considered as positive the announcement that as of next January the US embassy in Havana would resume all consular services interrupted by the government of Donald Trump.

The diplomat highlighted other exchanges held this year, including that of experts on false documentation, and that of specialists from the Guard Troops of the Ministry of the Interior (Minint) and the United States Coast Guard, which maintains the safe repatriation to the island of people intercepted at sea.

The Cuban diplomat also referred to other dialogues held in the area of confronting oil spills at sea, in the area of health, and announced that others related to the protection of the environment are being prepared.

"There has been a greater degree of dialogue between Minrex and the State Department and other agencies. They are mutual steps of some importance that cannot be ignored," he said.

In the opposite direction

Fernández de Cossío also emphasized issues in which the relationship between the two countries has not been able to advance. He mentioned among them the inclusion of Cuba in a list of nations in which there is concern about religious freedom, accusations that, he said, were made "without foundation and with dishonest arguments."

He also referred to other steps announced "with much fanfare" and without the commitment to dismantle the sanctions imposed by the Trump administration, such as the relaxation in the sending of remittances to Cuba.

"There is still no regular flow of remittances... and if it happens in the near future, it is due to steps that Cuba has taken and not to decisions taken by the United States," he said.

The deputy minister also considered as incoherent the objective of the United States to promote Internet connectivity in Cuba, "because it is the decision of that government that many private commercial sites in your country are prohibited in Cuba," he said.

To illustrate this contradiction, he also referred to the recent negative recommendation of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the installation of the first submarine telecommunications cable that would connect the United States and Cuba.

As a measure taken in the right direction, he explained the reopening of flights from the United States to several Cuban provinces and the facilities promised for group travel for U.S. citizens, which have worked well so far.

"They are a contrast to the last two years of the Trump administration and to the year 2021, and it is part of what describes the bilateral relationship," he said.

However, the diplomat described the current Democratic administration as the one that "with more aggressiveness and effectiveness has applied the blockade" against Cuba, adding that these sanctions "continue to be the central and defining factor of the bilateral relationship between Cuba and the United States."

Cuba would not oppose easing the blockade if only to benefit the private sector | OnCubaNews

 

Cuba no se opondría a flexibilización del bloqueo aunque sea solo para beneficiar al sector privado

El vicecanciller cubano declaró que si excepciones parciales al bloqueo permiten "una mayor prosperidad de cualquier sector de la economía, no vamos a poner obstáculos."

por Foto del avatar Redacción OnCuba

 diciembre 15, 2022

en Cuba

 0

El vicecanciller cubano Carlos Fernández de Cossío. | Foto: Otmaro Rodriguez / Archivo OnCuba.

El vicecanciller cubano Carlos Fernández de Cossío. | Foto: Otmaro Rodriguez / Archivo OnCuba.

 

Cuba no se opondría a ninguna iniciativa para flexibilizar las sanciones económicas y financieras impuestas por el gobierno de Estados Unidos, aunque solo suponga beneficios para el emergente sector privado en la Isla.

“Si se introducen excepciones al bloqueo con el sueño de acabar con la Revolución, no nos vamos a oponer”, expuso este miércoles Carlos Fernández de Cossío, vice titular del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Minrex), durante su intervención en un foro académico dedicado a analizar el estado de la relaciones entre Cuba y Estados Unidos en el actual contexto internacional.

Video Player

00:00

01:17

El diplomático reconoció que esos pasos estarían encaminados a «subvertir el sistema político del país» y calificó la idea como un «error mayúsculo».

El impulso a un mayor apoyo a los emprendedores privados cubanos está entre las medidas anunciadas el pasado mes de mayo por la administración del demócrata Joe Biden, algo que el gobierno cubano califica como “un arma política”.

Fernández de Cossío explicó que los propósitos no están enfocados en contribuir con el desarrollo económico del país, ni al mejoramiento de las condiciones de vida de un amplio sector de la población.

“Si esto permite una mayor prosperidad de cualquier sector de la economía, no vamos a poner obstáculos. Si logran concebir excepciones que beneficien a unos y continúen castigando a otros, tampoco vamos a tratar de impedirlo”, afirmó.

Sobre el actual escenario de las relaciones entre Cuba y Estados Unidos, el vice canciller cubano afirmó que “no ha tenido cambios perceptibles”, aunque reconoció que durante el 2022 se dieron pasos importantes, y que estos no fueron unilaterales.

Mencionó los intercambios en temas migratorios realizados en el mes de mayo en Washington, y luego en La Habana durante el pasado mes de noviembre, pues se trata de un fenómenos que “afecta a ambos países”.

A su vez, recordó que este tipo de encuentros no se realizaban desde julio de 2018, y que durante todo ese tiempo Estados Unidos no honró los acuerdos suscritos por ambos países.

También valoró como “constructivas” las conversaciones, pues sirvieron “para comprobar la validez de los acuerdos, reiterar el compromiso político mutuo, identificar áreas que requieren mayor atención, y analizar temas que no están recogidos en los acuerdos, pero tienen gran influencia en los acuerdos”.

Fernández de Cossío confirmó que al concluir el más reciente año fiscal el gobierno estadounidense cumplió con la entrega de al menos 20 000 visas, algo que no sucedía desde 2017, y consideró como positivo el anuncio de que a partir del próximo mes de enero la embajada de Estados Unidos en La Habana retomaría todos servicios consulares interrumpidos por el gobierno de Donald Trump.

El diplomático puso en valor otros intercambios celebrados durante el presente año, entre ellos el de expertos sobre documentación falsa, y el de especialistas de las Tropas Guardafornteras del Ministerio del Interior (Minint) y el Servicio de Guardacostas de Estados Unidos, que mantiene la repatriación segura hacia la Isla de las personas interceptadas en el mar.

El diplomático cubano también se refirió a otros diálogos sostenidos en materia de enfrentamiento a derrames de petróleo en el mar, en el área de salud, y adelantó que se preparan otros relacionadas con la protección del medio ambiente.

«Ha existido un mayor grado de interlocución entre el Minrex y el Departamento de Estado y otras agencias. Son pasos mutuos de cierta importancia que no pueden desconocerse», aseguró.

En la dirección contraria

Fernández de Cossío también hizo énfasis en temas en los que las relación entre ambos países no ha podido avanzar. Mencionó entre ellas la inclusión de Cuba en un listado de naciones en las que existe preocupación por la libertad religiosa, acusaciones que, según dijo, fueron hechas «sin fundamento y con argumentos deshonestos».

También se refirió a otros pasos anunciados «con mucha fanfarria» y sin el compromiso de desmantelar las sanciones impuestas por la administración Trump, como la flexibilización en el envío de remesas a Cuba.

«Todavía no existe un flujo regular de remesa… y si llega a haber en un futuro cercano, se debe a pasos que ha dado Cuba y no a decisiones tomadas por Estados Unidos», dijo.

El viceministro también consideró como incoherente el objetivo de Estados Unidos por impulsar la conectividad a Internet en Cuba, «porque es decisión de ese gobierno que muchos sitios comerciales privados de su país estén prohibidos en Cuba», afirmó.

Para ilustrar esta contradicción, se refirió también a la reciente recomendación negativa de la Comisión Federal de Comunicaciones (FCC) para la instalación del primer cable de telecomunicaciones submarino que conectaría a Estados Unidos y Cuba.

Como medida adoptadas en la dirección correcta expuso la reapertura de vuelos desde Estados Unidos hacia varias provincias cubanas y las facilidad prometidas para la realización de viajes en grupo para ciudadanos estadounidenses, que hasta el momento han funcionado bien.

«Son un contraste con los dos últimos años del gobierno de Trump y con el año 2021, y es parte de lo que describe la relación bilateral», sentenció.

Sin embargo, el diplomático calificó a la actual administración demócrata como la que «con más agresividad y eficacia ha aplicado el bloqueo» contra Cuba, y añadió que esas sanciones «continúan siendo el factor central y definitorio de la relación bilateral entre Cuba y Estados Unidos».

Cuba no se opondría a flexibilización del bloqueo aunque sea solo para beneficiar al sector privado | OnCubaNews