Some Cuba Embargo Restrictions Eased ahead of Obama’s Visit
On Tuesday, Mar. 15, 2016, the Obama administration announced that two Cuba embargo restrictions would be relaxed, allowing easier travel to Cuba and more commerce between the countries. The first of the new rules allows Americans to travel to Cuba without a tour group for one of the twelve approved categories: family travel; official government business; journalistic activity; professional research and meetings; educational activity; religious activity; public performances; support for the Cuban people; humanitarian projects; activities for educational institutes; exportation, importation, or transmission of information (specifically for the film, music, and publishing industries); and export. Previously, US citizens could only travel to Cuba in tour groups. Americans still will not be able to visit Cuba for vacations or tourism. The United States and Cuba signed an aviation agreement on Feb. 16, 2016 that allows commercial airlines to fly between the countries beginning in the fall of 2016. The other restriction loosened will allow Cubans to open US bank accounts and allow Cubans living in the United States to earn salaries. This will allow Cuban athletes to play professional American sports without defecting, for example. Money will also be allowed to be transferred between American and Cuban banks, allowing US dollars to be used in financial transactions, which is predicted to benefit businesses wanting to make deals in Cuba. Marco Rubio, US Senator (R-FL), disagrees with lifting the embargo, stating, “the political situation in Cuba has deteriorated further since the time of the agreement [to lift restrictions]. They feel no need to make any changes, democratic, on the island. And it’s in our national security interest to see changes, because as long as you have a failed, repressive regime, you’re going to have tens of thousands of people fleeing Cuba and trying to get into the United States.” President Obama will be the first sitting president to visit Cuba in 88 years when he visits on Mar. 21, 2016 with as many as 20 members of Congress. Calvin Coolidge, the last sitting president to visit, went to Havana with his wife on Jan. 16, 1928 to speak to the Sixth Annual International Conference of American States. President Jimmy Carter visited the country in Mar. 2011, 30 years after his term ended. Find what the 2016 presidential candidates think about the Cuba embargo.
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Sources:
Michelle Hackman, “Barack Obama Will Be the First Sitting President to Visit Cuba in 88 Years,” vox.com, Feb. 18, 2016 Michelle Hackman, “Obama Just Made It Even Easier to Travel to Cuba,” vox.com, Mar. 15, 2016 Michelle Hackman, “Travel to Cuba Is about to Get Much, Much Cheaper,” vox.com, Feb. 16, 2016 Insight Cuba, “The 12 Categories of Approved U.S. Travel to Cuba,” insightcuba.com, July 31, 2015 Susanna Kim, “Here’s What Happened the Last Time a US President Visited Cuba,” abcnews.go.com, Dec. 18, 2014 Gregory Korte, “Obama Administration Loosens Cuba Rules in Advance of Historic Visit,” usatoday.com, Mar. 15, 2016 Sara Miller Llana, “Cuba: What Jimmy Carter and Calvin Coolidge Have in Common,” csmonitor.com, Mar. 30, 2011 Ed O’Keefe, “Who Should Obama Meet with in Cuba? Marco Rubio Has Some Ideas,” washingtonpost.com, Mar. 13, 2016 Matt Spetalnick, David Alexander, and Daniel Trotta, “U.S. Eases Cuba Trade and Travel Rules ahead of Obama Visit,” reuters.com, Mar. 15, 2016 White House, “Watch Secretary Kerry on the U.S. Embassy in Havana,” whitehouse.gov (accessed Mar. 15, 2016) |
