[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 111 (Tuesday, September 19, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S8756]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




REPORT ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS PAYMENTS MADE TO CUBA PURSUANT TO TREASURY 
   DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC LICENSES--MESSAGES FROM THE PRESIDENT--PM 128

  The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message 
from the President of the United States, together with an accompanying 
report; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

To the Congress of the United States:
  As required by section 1705(e)(6) of the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992, 
22 U.S.C. 6004(e)(6), as amended by section 102(g) of the Cuban Liberty 
and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996, Public Law 104-114, 
110 Stat. 785, I transmit herewith a semiannual report detailing 
payments made to Cuba as a result of the provision of 
telecommunications services pursuant to Department of the Treasury 
specific licenses.
                                                  William J. Clinton.  
                                   The White House, September 19, 2000.

President's Periodic Report on Telecommunications Payments Made to Cuba 
           Pursuant to Treasury Department Specific Licenses

       This report is submitted pursuant to section 1705(e)(6) of 
     the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992, 22 U.S.C. 6004(e)(6) (the 
     ``CDA''), as amended by Section 102(g) of the Cuban Liberty 
     and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996, Public Law 
     104-114, 110 Stat. 785, 22 U.S.C. 6021-91 (March 12, 1996) 
     (the ``LIBERTAD Act''), which requires that I ``submit to the 
     Congress on a semiannual basis a report detailing payments 
     made to Cuba by any United States person as a result of the 
     provision of telecommunications services authorized by this 
     subsection.
       The CDA, which provides that telecommunications services 
     are permitted between the United States and Cuba, 
     specifically authorizes the President to provide for these 
     payments by license. The CDA states that licenses may be 
     issued for full or partial payment of amounts due as a result 
     of provision of telecommunications services authorized by 
     this subsection, but shall not require any withdrawal from a 
     blocked account. Following enactment of the CDA on October 
     23, 1992, a number of U.S. telecommunications companies 
     successfully negotiated agreements to provide 
     telecommunications services between the United States and 
     Cuba consistent with policy guidelines developed by the 
     Department of State and the Federal Communications 
     Commission.
       Subsequent to enactment of the CDA, the Department of the 
     Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (``OFAC'') 
     amended the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 
     515 (the ``CACR''), to provide for specific licensing on a 
     case-by-case basis for certain transactions incident to the 
     receipt or transmission of telecommunications between the 
     United States and Cuba, 31 C.F.R. 515.542(c), including 
     settlement of charges under traffic agreements.
       OFAC has issued eight (8) licenses authorizing transactions 
     incident to the receipt of transmission of telecommunications 
     between the United States and Cuba since the enactment of the 
     CDA. None of these licenses permits payments from a blocked 
     account. The licenses are AT&T Corporation (formerly, 
     American Telephone and Telegraph Company), AT&T de Puerto 
     Rico, IDB WorldCom Services, Inc. (formerly, IDB 
     Communications, Inc.), MCI International, Inc. (formerly, MCI 
     Communications Corporation), Telefonica Larga Distancia de 
     Puerto Rico, Inc., WilTel, Inc. (Formerly, WilTel Underseas 
     Cable, Inc.), WorldCom, Inc. (formerly, LDDS Communications, 
     Inc.), and Sprint Communications Company, L.P. (formerly, 
     Global One, and prior to that, Sprint Incorporated).
       During the period January 1 through June 30, 2000, the 
     licensees transferred funds to the Cuban telecommunications 
     company Empresa de Telecommunicaciones de Cuba, S.A. 
     (``ETECSA'') to settle current charges for its portion of 
     jointly provided international telecommunications services. 
     In addition, many of the licenseses transferred funds earned 
     by ETECSA in prior periods but not transferred in those prior 
     periods due to pending litigation (Alejandre v. the Republic 
     of Cuba et al.). Pursuant to changes in corporate accounting 
     practices, payments on behalf of AT&T de Puerto Rico are now 
     being disbursed by AT&T Corporation. The aggregated funds 
     transferred during the period January 1 through June 30, 2000 
     totaled:

AT&T Corporation (formerly, American Telephone and Telegraph$17,331,979
Sprint Communications Company, L.P. (formerly Global One, Sprint 
  Incorporated)...............................................6,033,989
IDB WorldCom Services, Inc. (formerly, IDB Communications, Inc1,234,773
MCI International, Inc. (formerly, MCI Communications Corporat4,373,238
Telefonica Larga Distancia de Puerto Rico, Inc..................367,936
WilTel, Inc. (formerly, WilTel Underseas Cable, Inc.)...........897,435
WorldCom, Inc. (formerly, LDDS Communications, Inc.)..........4,496,465
                                                       ________________
                                                       
      Total..................................................34,735,815

       I shall continue to report semiannually on OFAC-licensed 
     telecommunications payments.

                          ____________________