President brings end to travel and finance bans in
place since 1959 in move which will help his
standing with American left
A smallholding in San Cristobal. Cubans will be
hoping that more American tourists will visit the
island, bringing much-needed cash.
Barack Obama has eased America's long-
standing embargo on Cuba, allowing many
Americans to travel there for the first time and
increasing the amounts that they can invest in the
island.
Other changes announced by the president will
allow all US international airports to accept flights
to and from Cuba; at present, chartered flights are
restricted to Miami and a handful of other
airports. The moves represent an important step
to rapprochement between the US and Cuba.
Almost as soon as Fidel Castro's movement took
power in the 1959 revolution, the US began an
embargo that it has maintained ever since.
Relations, though still tentative, have improved
since Castro gave up the leadership in favour of
his brother Raul, the accession of Obama to the
presidency, and the release of some political
prisoners in Cuba.
The move will help Obama's standing with the
American left.
In a lengthy press release yesterday evening, the
White House said: "President Obama has directed
the secretaries of state, treasury and homeland
security to take a series of steps to continue
efforts to reach out to the Cuban people in
support of their desire to freely determine their
country's future."
It added: "The president has directed that changes
be made to regulations and policies governing:
purposeful travel; non-family remittances; and US
airports supporting licensed charter flights to and
from Cuba. These measures will increase people-
to-people contact; support civil society in Cuba;
enhance the free flow of information to, from,
and among the Cuban people; and help promote
their independence from Cuban authorities."
The changes reverse stricter measures imposed
by George Bush, who courted the anti-Castro
Cuban-Amerian vote in Florida in 2000 and again
in 2004, and come on top of those Obama made
in 2009 that helped reunite divided Cuban
families, improved communication between the
countries and helped humanitarian aid to the
island.
Obama's move is made by presidential order and
cannot be blocked by Congress. But only
Congress can lift the embargo.
Such was the strength of the Cuban-American
anti-Castro vote in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s
that there was little serious challenge to it. But a
younger generation of Cuban-Americans is less
fixated by Castro and his espousal of
communism during the cold war.
Most Americans are in effect banned from Cuba
because it is an offence to spend money on the
island. Under the changes, students and
academic staff, religious groups and others will
be free to visit, and educational exchanges are to
be promoted.
Americans will be allowed to send up to $500 to
support private economic and other activities,
though not any involving the Cuban Communist
party or its members.
On airports, the White House said: "To better
serve those who seek to visit family in Cuba and
engage in other licensed purposeful travel, the
president has directed that regulations governing
the eligibility of US airports to serve as points of
embarkation and return for licensed flights to
Cuba be modified." All US international airports
can apply to service flights to and from Cuba.
Sarah Stephens, of the Centre for Democracy in
the Americas, welcomed the changes: "At a time
when Cubans are changing their system in
fundamental ways, it is a good idea to have
greater engagement, more Americans traveling
to Cuba, and more opportunities to learn from
each other as everyday Cubans reshape their
lives and their country.
"The president is to be commended for taking
this step to improve our policy and, ideally, to
move forward on reforming US-Cuba relations."
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican
Congresswoman representing Miami and the
new chair of the House foreign affairs committee,
told the Miami Herald: "These changes will not aid
in ushering in respect for human rights. And they
certainly will not help the Cuban people free
themselves from the tyranny that engulfs them.
These changes undermine US foreign policy and
security objectives and will bring economic
benefits to the Cuban regime.''
But a Democratic Congresswoman, Kathy Castor,
who represents Tampa in Florida, expressed
support. "The Tampa Bay region has one of the
highest Cuban-American populations in this
country, but for too long, families have had to
travel to Miami in order to get to Cuba,'' she told
the Miami Herald.
The White House hinted at change last year and
there was speculation an announcement would
be made a few weeks later. It may have been
delayed until after the November elections,
though administration staff said the reasons were
technical.
Diplomatic links
Rocky road to reconciliation
Relations between the US and Cuba have been
turbulent since Fidel Castro took power in 1959.
A tough US trade and social embargo has been in
place almost since the revolution. Among the
lowest points were the CIA-backed invasion of
Cuba in 1961 that ended in embarrassing failure,
and the Cuban missile crisis the following year.
Cuba has suffered from the embargo, its
economic potential stifled.
Bill Clinton, during his presidency, eased the
economic and social blockade and reached out to
Cuba. In contrast with his predecessors, he even
shook hands with Castro at a UN summit in New
York in 2000, though the White House had
initially denied this.
George W Bush introduced more stringent
embargo measures. He rejected Raul Castro's
offers to negotiate an end to the impasse.
Since Barack Obama became president, he has
resumed Clinton's strategy, hoping to encourage
change through economic and social activity
rather than isolation.
Only months after becoming president in January
2009, he eased economic and travel restrictions,
mainly for Cuban-American exiles wanting to visit
relatives.
Source: Http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/15/barack-obama-us-embargo-cuba
place since 1959 in move which will help his
standing with American left
A smallholding in San Cristobal. Cubans will behoping that more American tourists will visit the
island, bringing much-needed cash.
Barack Obama has eased America's long-
standing embargo on Cuba, allowing many
Americans to travel there for the first time and
increasing the amounts that they can invest in the
island.
Other changes announced by the president will
allow all US international airports to accept flights
to and from Cuba; at present, chartered flights are
restricted to Miami and a handful of other
airports. The moves represent an important step
to rapprochement between the US and Cuba.
Almost as soon as Fidel Castro's movement took
power in the 1959 revolution, the US began an
embargo that it has maintained ever since.
Relations, though still tentative, have improved
since Castro gave up the leadership in favour of
his brother Raul, the accession of Obama to the
presidency, and the release of some political
prisoners in Cuba.
The move will help Obama's standing with the
American left.
In a lengthy press release yesterday evening, the
White House said: "President Obama has directed
the secretaries of state, treasury and homeland
security to take a series of steps to continue
efforts to reach out to the Cuban people in
support of their desire to freely determine their
country's future."
It added: "The president has directed that changes
be made to regulations and policies governing:
purposeful travel; non-family remittances; and US
airports supporting licensed charter flights to and
from Cuba. These measures will increase people-
to-people contact; support civil society in Cuba;
enhance the free flow of information to, from,
and among the Cuban people; and help promote
their independence from Cuban authorities."
The changes reverse stricter measures imposed
by George Bush, who courted the anti-Castro
Cuban-Amerian vote in Florida in 2000 and again
in 2004, and come on top of those Obama made
in 2009 that helped reunite divided Cuban
families, improved communication between the
countries and helped humanitarian aid to the
island.
Obama's move is made by presidential order and
cannot be blocked by Congress. But only
Congress can lift the embargo.
Such was the strength of the Cuban-American
anti-Castro vote in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s
that there was little serious challenge to it. But a
younger generation of Cuban-Americans is less
fixated by Castro and his espousal of
communism during the cold war.
Most Americans are in effect banned from Cuba
because it is an offence to spend money on the
island. Under the changes, students and
academic staff, religious groups and others will
be free to visit, and educational exchanges are to
be promoted.
Americans will be allowed to send up to $500 to
support private economic and other activities,
though not any involving the Cuban Communist
party or its members.
On airports, the White House said: "To better
serve those who seek to visit family in Cuba and
engage in other licensed purposeful travel, the
president has directed that regulations governing
the eligibility of US airports to serve as points of
embarkation and return for licensed flights to
Cuba be modified." All US international airports
can apply to service flights to and from Cuba.
Sarah Stephens, of the Centre for Democracy in
the Americas, welcomed the changes: "At a time
when Cubans are changing their system in
fundamental ways, it is a good idea to have
greater engagement, more Americans traveling
to Cuba, and more opportunities to learn from
each other as everyday Cubans reshape their
lives and their country.
"The president is to be commended for taking
this step to improve our policy and, ideally, to
move forward on reforming US-Cuba relations."
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican
Congresswoman representing Miami and the
new chair of the House foreign affairs committee,
told the Miami Herald: "These changes will not aid
in ushering in respect for human rights. And they
certainly will not help the Cuban people free
themselves from the tyranny that engulfs them.
These changes undermine US foreign policy and
security objectives and will bring economic
benefits to the Cuban regime.''
But a Democratic Congresswoman, Kathy Castor,
who represents Tampa in Florida, expressed
support. "The Tampa Bay region has one of the
highest Cuban-American populations in this
country, but for too long, families have had to
travel to Miami in order to get to Cuba,'' she told
the Miami Herald.
The White House hinted at change last year and
there was speculation an announcement would
be made a few weeks later. It may have been
delayed until after the November elections,
though administration staff said the reasons were
technical.
Diplomatic links
Rocky road to reconciliation
Relations between the US and Cuba have been
turbulent since Fidel Castro took power in 1959.
A tough US trade and social embargo has been in
place almost since the revolution. Among the
lowest points were the CIA-backed invasion of
Cuba in 1961 that ended in embarrassing failure,
and the Cuban missile crisis the following year.
Cuba has suffered from the embargo, its
economic potential stifled.
Bill Clinton, during his presidency, eased the
economic and social blockade and reached out to
Cuba. In contrast with his predecessors, he even
shook hands with Castro at a UN summit in New
York in 2000, though the White House had
initially denied this.
George W Bush introduced more stringent
embargo measures. He rejected Raul Castro's
offers to negotiate an end to the impasse.
Since Barack Obama became president, he has
resumed Clinton's strategy, hoping to encourage
change through economic and social activity
rather than isolation.
Only months after becoming president in January
2009, he eased economic and travel restrictions,
mainly for Cuban-American exiles wanting to visit
relatives.
Source: Http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/15/barack-obama-us-embargo-cuba
