WORLD TRADE WT/L/219
18June1997
ORGANIZATION(97-2493)
Original: English
DENUNCIATION OFNEW ACTIONS AGAINST CUBA
INTHE UNITED STATES CONGRESS
Communication from Cuba
Thefollowing communication, dated 2June1997, hasbeenreceived bytheDirector-General
fromtheMinister ofForeign Affairs ofCuba, withtherequest thatitbecirculated toWTO Members.
_______________
Ihavethehonour, inconnection withtheEuropean Communities 'caseagainst theUnited States
brought before theDispute Settlement Body, tobring toyourattention the"Denunciation ofthenew
actions against Cuba intheCongress oftheUnited States", released bytheGovernment ofCuba on
29May1997.
OurGovernment considers thatbothyou,Mr.Director-General, andalltheMember States
ofourOrganization should bemade aware ofthereaction oftheCuban authorities tocertain particularly
harmful initiatives submitted totheCongress oftheUnited States -andalready approved bytheForeign
Affairs Committee ofitsHouse ofRepresentatives -which, ifpassed intolaw,willconstitute flagrant
newviolations, bothofkeyprovisions oftheWTO, andoffundamental principles andnorms of
international lawingeneral.
Suchactions notonlyreinforce theinterventionist content oftheso-called Helms-Burton Act
inrespect ofCuba'sinternal affairs, butalsounderscore theintention toenforce thelegislation ofthat
country extraterritorially, disregarding thesovereign powers andprerogatives ofalltheother States.
These initiatives alsodemonstrate thefragility ofthe"understanding" reached bythe"Parties"
inthiscaseonlyafewweeks ago,andinternationally publicized, since some ofthem areclearly
designed toimpede theeffective implementation ofthat"Understanding".WT/L/219
Page2
On6Maylast,theForeign Affairs Committee oftheHouse ofRepresentatives oftheUS
Congress passed tendrafts aimed atreinforcing theblockade against Cuba andfostering domestic
subversion inCuba. While inanumber ofcases these amendments areadditions totheHelms-Burton
Lawandinothers theymodify earlier legislation, allthese actions maybeconsidered asyetanother
expression ofthesamescheme ofaggression against Cuba which characterizes theHelms-Burton Law.
Approved sections wereincluded asamendments totheForeign Service Reform Law. This
Lawincludes resources forforeign aid,thebudget oftheDepartment ofStateandother international
programmes, aswellastherestructuring oftheUSforeign service. Several ofthetentextsadopted
-themainfeatures ofwhich areattached1-areadditions totheHelms-Burton Lawandothers modify
previous legislation, butseenasawhole theyarepartandparcel oftheincreased hostility and
interventionist intentions codified intolawbymeans oftheHelms-Burton Act.
Fourmain characteristics maybeidentified inthisprocess. First, thesecrecy withwhich it
hasbeencarried out,evenintheCongress itself, where several legislators linked totheCuban issue
werenotevenaware oftheirapproval. Thepress, withtheexception ofwhatconcerns theInternational
Atomic Energy Agency, hastotally silenced thisprocess. Second, theintention toconstantly keep
theAdministration inadefensive position bydemanding thesubmission ofperiodic reports, thus
depriving itofthealready narrow margin ofdiscretion which itenjoyed regarding itspolicy towards
Cuba. Third, itscontradiction withthe"understanding" reached withtheEuropean Union, including
theUSpromise ofseeking amodification oftheHelms-Burton Law, giving italarger degree of
flexibility, specifically withregard toChapter IV.Fourth, linked withtheabove, theclearmessage
itentails thattheforces which sponsored theLawarenotready toallow itssoftening andareonly
inaposition ofmodifying itinorder tomake itmore intrusive andextraterritorial.
Thetactics ofsilence, previously usedbytheanti-Cuban lobby, facilitate thefinalapproval
oftheamendments, asthearguments thatmayberaised against themwillhavetofaceafaitaccompli ,
onlyafterthose amendments hadalready passed withacertain levelofapproval most ofthebodies
ofthecumbersome Congressional legislative process.
Ontheother hand, anti-Cuban lawmakers arealready boasting thattheyareworking onanew
initiative towiden theeffects oftheHelms-Burton Law, byallowing thelevying oftaxesintheUnited
States onthird-country companies doing business withCuba, andthatthose innon-compliance would
beprosecuted inUScourts oflaw.
Twoadditional draftlegislations prepared bytheForeign Relations Committee andaimed at
strengthening theHelms-Burton Lawwithregard tothepower oftheUSPresident toapply "waivers"
tothelegaldemands embodied initsChapter III,havealsobeencirculated. Oneofthemtotally removes
suchapower asofJune1997; theother continues toallow itprovided thatUStrade partners comply
withseven specific conditions, including thewithdrawal ofanypresent orfuture challenge tothe
Helms-Burton Lawbefore theWTO. Theother conditions areofasimilar extraterritorial nature and
alsoviolate thesovereignty ofthirdcountries.
Theaimofthese newactions istoupgrade evenfurther Washington 'soffensive against Cuba
byincreasing thecontrol already exerted byCongress overdecision-making withregard totheUS
policy towards ourcountry. These intentions, ifsuccessful, would make theextraterritorial effects
already imposed against Europe andtherestoftheworld more offensive, andallowing nopossibility
whatsoever forboththepresent aswellasfuture Administrations tointroduce changes insuchpolicy.
1Reproduced asanAnnex tothisdocument.WT/L/219
Page3
Noreaction bytheAdministration isyetknown withrespect tothese Congressional measures,
norhastherebeenaresponse incomplying withthecommitments theUSentered intowithitsallies.
Cuba denounces thesedevelopments before theinternational community, astheyareonceagain
ademonstration ofthearrogant andhegemonic character inherent inUSforeign policy, tothedetriment
ofthekeyprinciples ofinternational coexistence, enshrined intheCharter oftheUnited Nations and
International Law.
Thispolicy against Cuba, towhich theUnited States isattempting tomake others joinwith
baseless pretexts, istoday thegreatest andmost present danger facing thesovereignty ofallStates.WT/L/219
Page4
ANNEX
Amended Sections ofHR-1486
Foreign Policy Reform Act
1. Section 308: Withholding United States assistance tocountries thataidtheGovernment of
Cuba
Itdefines withfurther details whattheyconsider asengaging in"non-market based trade" with
theGovernment ofCuba, which poses areinforcement oftherestrictions sanctioned inTitleIofthe
"Helms-Burton Act"andfurthers therestraints totrade withourcountry.
Itdecrees thatnotlaterthan180daysafterthedateofenactment oftheAct,thePresident
shallwithhold assistance toanygovernment providing economic, development, orsecurity assistance
for,orengaging innon-market based trade.
2. Section 506:Availability ofamounts for"Cuban Liberty andDemocratic Solidarity (Liberatad)
Actof1996" andthe"Cuban Democracy Actof1992"
Itallocates "notless" thanUS$2 million for1998 and1999 each, fortheenactment ofboth
acts,which willbemade available, toalarge extent, forfinancing counter-revolutionary groups bent
ondomestic subversion.
3. Section 513: Requirement onassistance totheRussian Federation
Itconditions assistance totheRussian Federation onitsrefraining fromassisting Cuba innuclear
matters. Tobeabletogrant theassistance, thePresident mustdetermine andreport totheCongress
thattheRussianFederationhasterminatedallofficialcooperationwithCubaandhastakenallappropriate
steps toprevent cooperation with, andtransfers ofgoods andtechnologies totheJuragua project.
4. Section 577: Withholding ofassistance tocountries thatprovide nuclear fueltoCuba
Withholding ofallocated amounts tocountries thatinthefuture sellnuclear fueltoCuba, for
anamount equal totheaggregate value ofnuclear fuel,related assistance andcredits provided bythat
country toCuba.
5. Section 705: Local assistance tohuman rights groups inCuba
Itamends Section 109ofthe"Helms-Burton Act"byadding formal specifications providing
abetter coverage intheuseoffunds forthose purposes. Itenacts aprocess ofcertification bythe
USInterests Section inHavana providing theUSrepresentative powers tomonitor illegal activities.
6. Section 1106: United States Informational, Educational, andCultural Programmes
Itendows more thanUS$22 million in1998and1999totheRadio andTelevision Broadcasting
toCuba Programme.
7. Section 1261: Reports toCongress concerning Cuban emigration policies
Itestablishes thattheSecretary ofState shallprepare areport every subsequent sixmonths
accounting forthefulfilment oftheUnited States-Cuba Migratory Agreements ofSeptember 1994andWT/L/219
Page5
May1995. Thus, theCongress isentitled tomonitor oneofthefewareas thattheExecutive hasunder
itscontrol.
8. Section 1412: Authorities oftheBroadcasting Board ofGovernors
Itintroduces aformal technicality inthe"United States International Broadcasting Act"on
thebroadcasts ofMarti Radio andTelevision toCuba.
9. Section 1705: Reports ondeterminations under TitleIVofthe"Liberty Act"
Itamends Section 401ofthe"Helms-Burton Act"inorder toexert aharsher control onthe
denial ofvisas tothose "trafficking" inexpropriated properties. TheSecretary ofState shallsubmit
adetailed report, every three months thereafter, ontheimplementation ofTitleIV,providing alist
ofdataonthesubjects ofpenalties, andspecifying theparagraphs tobereported inaclassified or
unclassified way.
10. Section 1709: Programmes orprojects oftheInternational Atomic Energy Agency inCuba
Itconditions theauthorization ofUSshares ofassistance toIAEA onthetermination ofits
assistance toCuba andsetsforththeopposition oftheSecretary ofStatetosuchprojects inourcountry,
aswellasthesubmission ofannual reports ontheissue totheCongress.