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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release June 22, 1994

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

As part of the Clinton Administration's commitment to restore democracy to Haiti, the President has imposed additional financial sanctions to block assets of all Haitian nationals residing in Haiti. The order also reconfirms prior blockings of named individuals who have participated in or supported the illegal regime in Haiti and extends to all Haitian family members of already blocked individuals, wherever resident.

Blocked assets include assets in the U.S. or subject to U.S. jurisdiction, such as deposits in foreign branches of U.S. banks. This new Executive Order is effective immediately. It does not affect property of the United States Government, the United Nations, the Organization of American States and the foreign diplomatic missions in Haiti. It is also inapplicable to nongovernmental organizations providing essential humanitarian assistance or conducting refugee and migration operations in Haiti.

This Executive Order is intended to target propertied Haitians who have supported the de facto regime and prolonged the suffering of the Haitian people.

We will continue to work closely with non-governmental groups to minimize the impact of the new sanctions on their operations in Haiti. This Executive Order does not affect financing for continued shipments of basic food stuffs and medical supplies to Haiti, as well as transactions associated with such shipments, consistent with previous Executive Orders and UN sanctions.

The new sanctions the President has imposed will amplify our message to the Haitian military leadership and those who have supported them that we are determined to bring about the return of democracy and President Aristide to Haiti. Coupled with previous actions, the freeze executed today by President Clinton will make it unmistakably clear to the Haitian elite that it will not escape the consequences of continued rule by the illegitimate de facto regime. We urge those elites to recognize this now and to join in the restoration of democracy in Haiti.

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