Presidential Document2025-15338
Reissuance of and Amendments to National Security Presidential Memorandum 5 on Strengthening the Policy of the United States Toward Cuba
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Published
August 12, 2025
Signed
June 30, 2025
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 153 (Tuesday, August 12, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 153 (Tuesday, August 12, 2025)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 38913-38917]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-15338]
[[Page 38911]]
Vol. 90
Tuesday,
No. 153
August 12, 2025
Part III
The President
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Memorandum of June 30, 2025--Reissuance of and Amendments to National
Security Presidential Memorandum 5 on Strengthening the Policy of the
United States Toward Cuba
Proclamation 10963--National Purple Heart Day, 2025
Executive Order 14330--Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for
401(k) Investors
Executive Order 14331--Guaranteeing Fair Banking for All Americans
Executive Order 14332--Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 153 / Tuesday, August 12, 2025 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 38913]]
Memorandum of June 30, 2025
Reissuance of and Amendments to National Security
Presidential Memorandum 5 on Strengthening the Policy
of the United States Toward Cuba
National Security Presidential Memorandum/NSPM-5
Memorandum for the Vice President[,] the Secretary of
State[,] the Secretary of the Treasury[,] the Secretary
of Defense[,] the Attorney General[,] the Secretary of
the Interior[,] the Secretary of Agriculture[,] the
Secretary of Commerce[,] the Secretary of Health and
Human Services[,] the Secretary of Transportation[,]
the Secretary of Homeland Security[,] the Director of
National Intelligence[,] the Director of the Central
Intelligence Agency[,] the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff[,] the Assistant to the President and Chief of
Staff[,] the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget[,] the Assistant to the President for National
Security Affairs[,] the Assistant to the President and
Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security
Advisor[,] the Assistant to the President and the
Counsel to the President[,] the Assistant to the
President for Economic Policy[,] the United States
Trade Representative[,] the Director of the Office of
Science and Technology Policy[,] the Acting Permanent
Representative of the United States of America to the
United Nations[,] the Administrator of the Small
Business Administration[,] the Acting Administrator of
the United States Agency for International
Development[, and] the Director of the Office of
Personnel Management
Section 1. Purpose. The United States recognizes the
need for more freedom and democracy, improved respect
for human rights, and increased free enterprise in
Cuba. The Cuban people have long suffered under a
Communist regime that suppresses their legitimate
aspirations for freedom and prosperity and fails to
respect their essential human dignity.
My Administration's policy will be guided by the
national security and foreign policy interests of the
United States, as well as solidarity with the Cuban
people. I will seek to promote a stable, prosperous,
and free country for the Cuban people. To that end, we
must channel funds toward the Cuban people and away
from a regime that has failed to meet the most basic
requirements of a free and just society.
In Cuba, dissidents and peaceful protesters are
arbitrarily detained and held in terrible prison
conditions. Violence and intimidation against
dissidents occur with impunity. Families of political
prisoners are retaliated against for peacefully
protesting the improper confinement of their loved
ones. Worshippers are harassed, and free association by
civil society organizations is blocked. The right to
speak freely, including through access to the internet,
is denied, and there is no free press. The United
States condemns these abuses.
The initial actions set forth in this memorandum,
including restricting certain financial transactions
and travel, encourage the Cuban government to address
these abuses. My Administration will continue to
evaluate its policies so as to improve human rights,
encourage the rule of law, foster free markets and free
enterprise, and promote democracy in Cuba.
Sec. 2. Policy. It shall be the policy of the executive
branch to:
[[Page 38914]]
(a) End economic practices that disproportionately
benefit the Cuban government or its military,
intelligence, or security agencies or personnel at the
expense of the Cuban people.
(b) Ensure adherence to the statutory ban on
tourism to Cuba.
(c) Support the economic embargo of Cuba described
in section 4(7) of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic
Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (the embargo),
including by opposing measures that call for an end to
the embargo at the United Nations and other
international forums and through regular reporting on
whether the conditions of a transition government exist
in Cuba.
(d) Amplify efforts to support the Cuban people
through the expansion of internet services, free press,
free enterprise, free association, and lawful travel.
(e) Not reinstate the ``Wet Foot, Dry Foot''
policy, which encouraged untold thousands of Cuban
nationals to risk their lives to travel unlawfully to
the United States.
(f) Ensure that engagement between the United
States and Cuba advances the interests of the United
States and the Cuban people. These interests include:
advancing Cuban human rights; encouraging the growth of
a Cuban private sector independent of government
control; enforcing final orders of removal against
Cuban nationals in the United States; protecting the
national security and public health and safety of the
United States, including through proper engagement on
criminal cases and working to ensure the return of
fugitives from American justice living in Cuba or being
harbored by the Cuban government; supporting United
States agriculture and protecting plant and animal
health; advancing the understanding of the United
States regarding scientific and environmental
challenges; and facilitating safe civil aviation.
Sec. 3. Implementation. The heads of executive
departments and agencies (agencies) shall begin to
implement the policy set forth in section 2 of this
memorandum as follows:
(a) Within 30 days of the date of this memorandum,
the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of
Commerce, as appropriate and in coordination with the
Secretary of State and the Secretary of Transportation,
shall initiate a process to adjust current regulations
regarding transactions with Cuba.
(i) As part of the regulatory changes described in this subsection, the
Secretary of State shall identify any entities or subentities, as
appropriate, that are under the control of, or act for or on behalf of, or
for the benefit of, the Cuban military, intelligence, or security services
or personnel (such as Grupo de Administracion Empresarial S.A. (GAESA), its
affiliates, subsidiaries, and successors), and publish a list of those
identified entities and subentities with which direct or indirect financial
transactions would disproportionately benefit such services or personnel at
the expense of the Cuban people or private enterprise in Cuba.
(ii) Except as provided in subsection (a)(iii) of this section, the
regulatory changes described in this subsection shall prohibit direct or
indirect financial transactions with those entities or subentities on the
list published pursuant to subsection (a)(i) of this section.
(iii) The regulatory changes described in this subsection shall not
prohibit transactions that the Secretary of the Treasury or the Secretary
of Commerce, in coordination with the Secretary of State, determines are
consistent with the policy set forth in section 2 of this memorandum and:
(A) concern Federal Government operations, including Naval Station
Guantanamo Bay and the United States mission in Havana;
(B) support programs to build democracy in Cuba;
(C) concern air and sea operations that support permissible travel,
cargo, or trade;
[[Page 38915]]
(D) support the acquisition of visas for permissible travel;
(E) support the expansion of direct telecommunications and internet
access for the Cuban people;
(F) support the sale of agricultural commodities, medicines, and medical
devices sold to Cuba consistent with the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export
Enhancement Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7201 et seq.) and the Cuban Democracy
Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 6001 et seq.);
(G) relate to sending, processing, or receiving authorized remittances;
(H) otherwise further the national security or foreign policy interests
of the United States; or
(I) are required by law.
(b) Within 30 days of the date of this memorandum,
the Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination with the
Secretary of State, shall initiate a process to adjust
current regulations to ensure adherence to the
statutory ban on tourism to Cuba.
(i) The amended regulations shall require that educational travel be for
legitimate educational purposes. Except for educational travel that was
permitted by regulation in effect on January 27, 2011, all educational
travel shall be under the auspices of an organization subject to the
jurisdiction of the United States, and all such travelers must be
accompanied by a representative of the sponsoring organization.
(ii) The regulations shall further require that those traveling for the
permissible purposes of non academic education or to provide support for
the Cuban people:
(A) engage in a full-time schedule of activities that enhance contact
with the Cuban people, support civil society in Cuba, or promote the Cuban
people's independence from Cuban authorities; and
(B) meaningfully interact with individuals in Cuba.
(iii) The regulations shall continue to provide that every person engaging
in travel to Cuba shall keep full and accurate records of all transactions
related to authorized travel, regardless of whether they were effected
pursuant to license or otherwise, and such records shall be available for
examination by the Department of the Treasury for at least 5 years after
the date they occur.
(iv) The Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary
of Commerce, and the Secretary of Transportation shall review their
respective agencies' enforcement of all categories of permissible travel
within 90 days of the date the regulations described in this subsection are
finalized to ensure such enforcement accords with the policies outlined in
section 2 of this memorandum.
(c) The Secretary of the Treasury shall regularly
audit travel to Cuba to ensure that travelers are
complying with relevant statutes and regulations. The
Secretary of the Treasury shall request that the
Inspector General of the Department of the Treasury
inspect the actions taken by the Department of the
Treasury to implement this audit requirement. The
Inspector General of the Department of the Treasury
shall provide a report to the President, through the
Secretary of the Treasury, summarizing the results of
that inspection within 180 days of the adjustment of
current regulations described in subsection (b) of this
section and annually thereafter.
(d) The Secretary of the Treasury shall adjust the
Department of the Treasury's current regulation
defining the term ``prohibited officials of the
Government of Cuba'' so that, for purposes of title 31,
part 515 of the Code of Federal Regulations, it
includes Ministers and Vice-Ministers; members of the
Council of State and the Council of Ministers; members
and employees of the National Assembly of People's
Power; members of any provincial assembly; local sector
chiefs of the Committees for the Defense of the
Revolution; Director Generals and sub-Director Generals
and higher
[[Page 38916]]
of all Cuban ministries and state agencies; employees
of the Ministry of the Interior (MININT); employees of
the Ministry of Defense (MINFAR); secretaries and first
secretaries of the Confederation of Labor of Cuba (CTC)
and its component unions; chief editors, editors, and
deputy editors of Cuban state-run media organizations
and programs, including newspapers, television, and
radio; and members and employees of the Supreme Court
(Tribuno Supremo Nacional).
(e) The Secretary of State and the Representative
of the United States of America to the United Nations
shall oppose efforts at the United Nations or (with
respect to the Secretary of State) any other
international forum to lift the embargo until a
transition government in Cuba, as described in section
205 of the LIBERTAD Act, exists.
(f) The Secretary of State, in coordination with
the Attorney General, shall provide a report to the
President assessing whether and to what degree the
Cuban government has satisfied the requirements of a
transition government as described in section 205(a) of
the LIBERTAD Act, taking into account the additional
factors listed in section 205(b) of that Act. This
report shall include a review of human rights abuses
committed against the Cuban people, such as unlawful
detentions, arbitrary arrests, and inhumane treatment.
(g) The Attorney General shall, within 90 days of
the date of this memorandum, issue a report to the
President on issues related to fugitives from American
justice living in Cuba or being harbored by the Cuban
government.
(h) The Secretary of State and the Administrator of
the United States Agency for International Development
shall review all democracy development programs of the
Federal Government in Cuba to ensure that they align
with the criteria set forth in section 109(a) of the
LIBERTAD Act.
(i) The Secretary of State shall convene a task
force, composed of relevant agencies, including the
Office of Cuba Broadcasting, and appropriate non-
governmental organizations and private-sector entities,
to examine the technological challenges and
opportunities for expanding internet access in Cuba,
including through Federal Government support of
programs and activities that encourage freedom of
expression through independent media and internet
freedom so that the Cuban people can enjoy the free and
unregulated flow of information.
(j) The Secretary of State and the Secretary of
Homeland Security shall continue to discourage
dangerous, unlawful migration that puts Cuban and
American lives at risk. The Secretary of Defense shall
continue to provide support, as necessary, to the
Department of State and the Department of Homeland
Security in carrying out duties regarding interdiction
of migrants.
(k) The Secretary of State, in coordination with
the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of
Defense, the Attorney General, the Secretary of
Commerce, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall
annually report to the President regarding the
engagement of the United States with Cuba to ensure
that engagement is advancing the interests of the
United States.
(l) All activities conducted pursuant to
subsections (a) through (k) of this section shall be
carried out in a manner that furthers the interests of
the United States, including by appropriately
protecting sensitive sources, methods, and operations
of the Federal Government.
Sec. 4. Earlier Presidential Actions. (a) This
memorandum amends sections 1 and 3 of National Security
Presidential Memorandum 5 of June 16, 2017
(Strengthening the Policy of the United States Toward
Cuba) (NSPM-5), and reissues NSPM-5 in its entirety. It
does not otherwise amend the text or timelines
reflected in the original NSPM-5 and is not intended to
direct agencies to repeat actions already implemented
under that NSPM.
(b) This memorandum supersedes and replaces both
National Security Presidential Directive 52 of June 28,
2007 (U.S. Policy toward Cuba), and Presidential Policy
Directive 43 of October 14, 2016 (United States-Cuba
Normalization).
[[Page 38917]]
(c) This memorandum does not affect either
Executive Order 12807 of May 24, 1992 (Interdiction of
Illegal Aliens), or Executive Order 13276 of November
15, 2002 (Delegation of Responsibilities Concerning
Undocumented Aliens Interdicted or Intercepted in the
Caribbean Region).
Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this
memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise
affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or
the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent
with applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.
(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does
not, create any right or benefit, substantive or
procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any
party against the United States, its departments,
agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or
agents, or any other person.
(d) The Secretary of State is hereby authorized and
directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal
Register.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
THE WHITE HOUSE,
Washington, June 30, 2025
[FR Doc. 2025-15338
Filed 8-11-25; 11:15 am]
Billing code 4710-10-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on August 12, 2025.
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