Senior Policy Advisor, Dr. Andy Gomez, Talks US-Cuba Policy with the Los Angeles Times

Dr. Andy Gomez, a Senior Policy Advisor at Poblete Tamargo, was recently quoted in a Los Angeles Times article about U.S.-Cuba policy and the prospects as to whether the U.S. government would ease economic sanctions in the near future.

“Andy Gomez, senior fellow at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies at the University of Miami, said the community in South Florida has applauded Obama’s easing of family travel and academic exchanges with the island. He doesn’t see prospects for improvement much beyond that unless and until the Castros are gone. Even then, Gomez said, it will take years for Cubans to break the state stranglehold on the economy and acquire respect for civil and human rights. “We’ve learned that we can’t export American values and attitudes to countries that don’t have the institutions to support them, and Cuba doesn’t,” Gomez said.

Read the entire article here.

Poblete Discusses 2012 Elections on NTN24 News Later Today

On Monday, November 5, 2012 (3:00PM – 4:00PM EST) Jason Poblete will be a guest commentator on NTN24 News — an international news station with an emphasis on political and economic events from throughout the Western Hemisphere. Poblete will discuss the latest developments of the 2012 elections as well as possible policy scenarios that may result depending on who wins tomorrow.

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Brasseler USA Settles with US for Alleged Violation of Iran Sanctions

In addition, the OFAC announcement states that “[t]he settlement amount reflects OFAC’s consideration of the following facts and circumstances, pursuant to the General Factors under OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines, 31 C.F.R. part 501, App. A:

  1. Brasseler’s conduct demonstrated reckless disregard for U.S. sanctions requirements; 
  2. Brasseler’s conduct involved a pattern of concealment whereby the company masked the identities of its Iranian customers; 
  3. management level staff at Brasseler were involved with, and/or were aware of, both the reckless conduct and the fact that the goods or services were destined for Iran; 
  4. Brasseler did not have a compliance program in place at the time of these alleged violations;
  5. The exports at issue likely would have been licensed by OFAC under existing licensing policy; 
  6. Brasseler has not been the subject of prior OFAC enforcement action; 
  7. Brasseler cooperated with OFAC, including by agreeing to toll the statute of limitations.