Legal expert Jared Carter, a Vermont Law School professor, is available to comment on United States-Cuba relations in anticipation of President Obama's historic trip to Havana and as the U.S. continues to lift travel and financial restrictions to Cuba. The administration announced new changes in Cuba policy Tuesday morning.
"Today's steps build on the actions of the last 15 months as we continue to break down economic barriers, empower the Cuban people and advance their financial freedoms, and chart a new course in U.S.-Cuba relations," said U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew in a statement to The New York Times.
Carter is uniquely positioned to comment on the legal underpinning of Obama's visit and the administration's actions. A veteran attorney and advocate for social, legal and economic justice, he has developed study-away courses that take students to Cuba to learn about the Cuban legal system. While a student at VLS, Carter received an Equal Justice Foundation Fellowship to litigate a constitutional challenge to U.S. Treasury Department regulations prohibiting travel to Cuba.
"From a legal and policy perspective, the changes have been significant," Carter said. "While it would take an act of Congress to lift the embargo, President Obama has loosened many of the travel and trade restrictions through executive order, and he is the first sitting president to go to Cuba since Calvin Coolidge."
"From agriculture to energy and the environment, the thawing of U.S.-Cuba relations represents a step forward for both countries," Carter added. "After sixty years of embargo, the legal landscape that will define U.S.-Cuba relations in future is in flux. However, the historic shift that is underway represents both a challenge and an opportunity for the people of Cuba and the United States to come together based on friendship and mutual respect."
Next week, coinciding with the president's trip, Carter will deliver a public lecture titled "Cuba Libre? Impacts of the New Cuba-U.S. Policy" at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, at Johnson State College. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Jared Carter is available for immediate comment, via cell phone at 207-319-6050 or email at jcarter@vermontlaw.edu.
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