Raul Castro Announces Immigration Policy

MIAMI - "Selling an apartment in front of the Habana Libre, excellent condition."

The seller, Marita, is advertising this Havana apartment on revolico.com, an online marketplace similar to Craigslist. She's asking the equivalent of about $57,600.

Real estate sales in Cuba are strictly illegal and have been for the past five decades. But that may change soon. As part of sweeping economic reforms unveiled at the Communist Party Congress in April, Cuba plans to allow the buying and selling of homes and cars.

A recent article in Granma, the Communist Party newspaper, explained that such transactions would be permitted with little government interference beyond getting notary approval, making payment through a state bank and paying an as yet unspecified tax.

The real estate reform has yet to become law, but it's possible it could when the National Assembly convenes this week for a three-day meeting at Havana's Convention Palace. In any case, the government has said a new law will take effect by the end of the year.

Now with the possibility of a true real estate market developing, people have been dusting off property titles and fixing up properties they anticipate putting on the market.

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"We make this step as a contribution to increase the links of the nation with the immigrant community, whose composition has radically changed in relation to the early years of the Revolution," said Raul Castro.

he said that the nation is in the path of changing decisions that played a role at a certain moment and which lasted unnecessarily long.

The president recalled how at that time the US government gave protection to criminals of the Fulgencio Batista dictatorship, terrorists, traitors of all type, and encouraged the brain drain of professionals.

He noted that most of the current Cubans migrants are motivated by economic reasons, and most of them maintain their love for the family and homeland, and express solidarity with their fellow country people.

The president stressed that Cuba is the only country of the world whose citizens are allowed to stay and work in US territory without any type of visa by virtue of the criminal 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act.

Raul said this sensitive issue has been the object of political and media manipulation for years in a bid to discredit the Revolution and create conflict with Cubans living abroad.