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February 18, 1999
 
 
Cuba may consider U.S. moves to modify embargo
 

                  HAVANA (Reuters) -- Cuba said on Thursday it was ready to consider
                  U.S. moves to modify its existing economic embargo against the
                  communist-ruled Caribbean island, but only if these were not "subversive" in
                  their intent.

                  Cuban authorities, who this week announced a tough new anti-subversion
                  law, were adopting a wait-and-see attitude to modifications of the U.S.
                  embargo announced by President Bill Clinton last month, Foreign Ministry
                  spokesman Alejandro Gonzalez said.

                  "The modifications are not there yet, the application is not there. We will see.
                  In each specific case, we will analyse what is meant," Gonzalez said at a
                  weekly news briefing.

                  Havana was not opposed to increased bilateral visits and exchanges in the
                  areas of sports, culture or science, nor to possible commercial initiatives. But
                  it would not accept any measures whose intent was to "subvert internal
                  order," Gonzalez said.

                  He was replying to queries on whether the anti-subversion law, which targets
                  those in Cuba judged to be "collaborating" with the U.S. embargo policy
                  against the island, implied a total rejection by Havana of each and every one
                  of the U.S.

                  measures announced by Clinton on Jan. 5.

                  These had included a widening of approval for flights and cash remittances
                  to Cuba, increased people-to-people contacts, a proposal to establish direct
                  postal links and authorisation for the possible sale of U.S. food and farm
                  supplies to private individuals or non-government entities on the island.

                  U.S. officials said the intention of the measures was to enhance human
                  communication and ease the effects of the U.S.

                  sanctions on the Cuban people, while maintaining the embargo's economic
                  and political squeeze on the Cuban government.

                  Gonzalez, repeating the public Cuban position already expressed by
                  President Fidel Castro and other officials, said the U.S. measures were a
                  "big fraud" aimed at duping the world community into thinking the embargo
                  was being eased.

                  He said the new "Law for the Protection of National Independence and
                  Economy" aimed to resist all U.S. efforts to foment subversion in Cuba
                  through providing U.S. financial or other support for anti-government
                  dissidents

                  The Cuban legislation establishes jails terms of up to 20 years for anyone
                  judged to be collaborating with the 1996 Helms-Burton Law, which tightens
                  the long-running U.S. embargo against Cuba, and all other forms of U.S.
                  hostility against the island, such as "economic war" and "subversion."

                  "Counterrevolutionaries are not going to like this law. The U.S. government
                  is not going to like this law (because) it is specifically designed to block its
                  hostility," Gonzalez said.

                  The new Cuban legislation appeared to be directly aimed at curbing the
                  activities of political dissidents and independent journalists on the island who
                  oppose and criticise Castro's one-party communist government.

                  Asked about international reaction, Gonzalez said: "The law can be
                  interpreted as good, moderate or bad or whatever. But it is our law." He
                  said those in Cuba willing to "sell their soul" to the United States should
                  "respect it (the law) or assume the consequences."

                     Copyright 1999 Reuters.