wfn.org | Lift travel restrictions to Cuba for religious groups

["Philip Jenks" <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

Kinnamon, McCullough ask President Obama

to end restrictions on religious travel to Cuba

New York, May 5, 2010 -- The staff heads of the National Council of  Churches 
and Church World Service have written to President Obama to ask  for an end to 
restrictions on religious travel to Cuba.

In early 2005, the Bush administration's new interpretation and  application of 
the U.S. Code governing travel to Cuba by religious  groups resulted in a 
tightening of restrictions on religious travel.  As  a result of the tightened 
restrictions, national religious organizations  like NCC and Church World 
Service, and their member denominations,  became eligible to travel to Cuba no 
more than once per quarter, and  were subject to other limitations.
 
The religious agency heads complained that "these impractical  restrictions 
have reduced our ability to send religious delegations to  Cuba, limited our 
opportunities to accompany and support our Cuban  church partners and have the 
effect of severely limiting participation  in Cuba missions by U.S. churches 
and congregants." 

The letter, signed by the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, NCC General  Secretary, 
and the Rev. John L. McCullough, Executive Director and CEO  of CWS, said, 
"Churches across the theological spectrum have called for  the elimination of 
these restrictions which have now interrupted  relationships, fellowship, and 
exchanges which began more than 125 years  ago."

Travel regulations to Cuba are maintained by the U.S. Treasury's Office  of 
Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

The office is empowered to grant two-year licenses to religious  organizations 
to travel to Cuba, but many religious institutions have  been unable to attain 
licenses or have experienced long delays in  getting them renewed.

"Since 2005, U.S. church denominations, mission agencies and ecumenical  
organizations at the national and regional levels have suffered from  severe 
restrictions on religious travel," Kinnamon and McCullough stated  in their 
joint letter.

"Our institutions are currently eligible only for very limited licenses.  Some 
of our institutions have been unable to secure even these limited  licenses."

The letter reminded Mr. Obama of his "expressed willingness to review  and 
revise long-standing U.S. policy toward Cuba" and welcomed the  removal of 
restrictions on Cuban-American travel.

Noting that Congressional action is not required to lift the travel  
restrictions imposed on religious groups, the letter asked the President  to 
take direct action.

The letter also asked the President to work with Congress to end the  travel 
ban to Cuba for all Americans.

"We are convinced that it is time to change this ineffective and  
counter-productive U.S. policy toward Cuba."

The full text of the Kinnamon-McCullough letter can be found at  
www.ncccusa.org/news/100505cubatravel.html

NCC News contact:  Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228 (office),  646-853-4212 
(cell), pjenks@ncccusa.org