Los Angeles Times. Wednesday, June 7, 2000

LOS ANGELES--State Department officials are hoping that person-to-person contacts between U.S. and Cuban citizens will help lead to a smooth transition to a new Cuban government sometime this century, Ambassador Vicki Huddleston said at a Town Hall Los Angeles meeting Tuesday.

The idea behind the "people-to-people" program is to allow American tourists and groups to meet with Cubans and promote democracy until Fidel Castro dies or hands over control of his Communist government, said Huddleston, principal officer at the U.S. Interest Section in Havana.

"We want to meet with Cuban officials, with Cuban people and see what they think about the situation and get information and ideas into Cuba," Huddleston said. "No island can remain an island with open communication."

The department's plan, she said, will consist of not only promoting democracy, but also promoting human rights, open economic systems and communications. U.S. organizations have sent about $2 billion in humanitarian donations to Cuba since 1992, she said.

Copyright 2000 Los Angeles Times

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