Our work, and your donation, strictly adheres to the guidelines of the Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") of the US Department of the Treasury.
No payments have ever been made, or will be made, by the Orisha House Project to entities on the State Department’s Cuba Restricted List.
Pursuant to Section 515.574, all US citizens traveling to Cuba in relation to the project maintain a full-time schedule of support for the Cuban people “intended to enhance contact with the Cuban people, support civil society in Cuba…and result in meaningful interactions with individuals in Cuba.” In addition to this documented itinerary, participants stay in private homes and eat in private restaurants “owned and operated by legitimately independent entrepreneurs,'“ and do not stay in any accommodation on the Cuba Prohibited Accommodations List per the US State Department.
Pursuant to Section 515.340, the US Treasury has authorized remittances to independent contractors: “Persons subject to the jurisdiction of the United States are authorized to make remittances to certain individuals and independent non-governmental organizations in Cuba, including remittances that encourage the development of private businesses and operation of economic activity in the non-state sector by self-employed individuals.” Our work greatly encourages such development given Cuba’s thriving cultural sector of self-employed artists.
With respect to any future performances in the US by Cuban nationals, according to Section 515.571 “ The following transactions by or on behalf of a Cuban national are authorized:
(1) All transactions related to the sponsorship or hiring of a Cuban national to work in the United States in a non-immigrant status or pursuant to other non-immigrant travel authorization issued by the U.S. government, except that an employer may not make payments to the Cuban government in connection with the sponsorship or hiring of a Cuban national; and
(2) All transactions in connection with the filing of an application for non-immigrant travel authorization issued by the U.S. government.”