News

ACCESSION NUMBER:318303

FILE ID:POL304

DATE:12/22/93

TITLE:STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22 (12/22/93)

TEXT:*93122204.POL

STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22



(U.S.-Cuba, Haiti, Pollard, Yeltsin)  (620)

There was no State Department news briefing.  However, David Johnson,

director of the Office of Press Relations, discussed the following topics

with reporters:



CUBAN PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER PAROLED INTO UNITED STATES

Alina Fernandez Revuelta, the daughter of Cuban President Fidel Castro, has

been "paroled" into the United States and is now in the southeastern state

of Georgia, Johnson said.  The decision to grant her parole status is

equivalent to the granting of political asylum.



The acting spokesman said Fernandez arrived in Atlanta aboard a commercial

flight from Madrid on December 21.



"She contacted our embassy to ask consideration for asylum after she arrived

in Madrid" on December 20, Johnson said.  "After review with the

Immigration and Naturalization Service, a decision was made to grant her

request.  In the terms employed by the Immigration and Naturalization

Service, she was 'paroled' into the United States."



Johnson said "Parole is a term of law which is specific to Cubans,"

explaining that it stems from a provision established in 1966.  "One year

and one day following that parole, they are eligible for permanent resident

status," he said.



"In a legal sense, Cubans aren't granted political asylum," the acting

spokesman told reporters.  "They're paroled into the United States.  Were

she from any other country, I think that the term would have been political

asylum.  But it is an important distinction in the law because nationals

1rom other states are treated differently.  This is a provision...which

gave certain quick admission advantages to Cubans because of the specific

nature of the regime."



He said he did not know if she had any contact with U.S. officials before

she arrived in Madrid.  Fernandez, who is by herself, is believed to be in

her late thirties.  News reports said she left a teenaged daughter in Cuba.



Asked if she was being "debriefed" by U.S. intelligence officials, Johnson

replied that she's with her private sponsors who may wish "to talk about

that on their own, but that's not something I'm in a position to describe

for you.  We're treating this as a private matter involving a private

citizen.  It's not a matter of state."



He added he was "unaware of any discussions planned with the Cuban

government through intermediaries or otherwise" concerning the defection of

Castro's daughter.



REPRESENTATIVES OF "FOUR FRIENDS" SET TO MEET WITH CEDRAS

Johnson announced that four high-ranking military representatives from the

"four friends" -- the United States, Canada, France and Venezuela -- were

in Haiti December 22 to meet with military commander Raoul Cedras.



Press reports said the visitors would tell Cedras that he must, at some

point, step aside to permit the return of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide,

otherwise international economic sanctions against Haiti will continue and

may be expanded.



STATE PRESENTS TO JUSTICE ITS VIEW OF POLLARD CASE

Johnson said the State Department, as required under U.S. law, has informed

the Justice Department of its position regarding Jonathan Pollard, who is

serving a life sentence for his conviction of spying for Israel.  The

Justice Department is now reviewing the sentence.



"We provided some form of communication to the Department of Justice, which

is responsible for making recommendations to the president on pardons," the

spokesman noted.



U.S. PLEASED WITH YELSIN'S FOREIGN POLICY COMMITMENT

Johnson said the United States was "pleased" that Russian President Boris

Yeltsin, in a press conference December 22, reaffirmed his commitment to

reform in Russia.



The spokesman added that Yeltsin, in recognition of the parliamentary

election results, said he would seek to ameliorate some of the affects of

reform on certain segments of the population.



NNNN



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