New Travel Restrictions on Cuba for US Citizens Take Effect
Photo by Linda Klipp,
HAVANA TIMES – New restrictions by US President Donald Trump on Cuba were formally announced on Tuesday, placing tighter limits on US citizens’ travel to the island, reported dpa news.
The measures, which come into effect after midnight, are meant to punish Cuba for what the US considers Havana’s “destabilizing role in the Western Hemisphere.”
While Trump has long sought to reverse the loosening of sanctions on Cuba which were made under former president Barack Obama, and the administration has been angered by Havana’s support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in recent months.
The US has been supporting opposition leader Juan Guaido, who recently failed to oust Maduro after an attempted uprising.
The new measures by the Trump administration remove the authorization for group people-to-people educational travel. There are also restrictions on non-family and recreational travel to Cuba.
Journalistic and academic travel is largely unaffected.
Another key recent measure on Cuba was the lifting of a ban which had prohibited US citizens from suing foreign companies and individuals utilizing property confiscated from them by the Cuban government.
The latest raft of measures had been announced by national security adviser John Bolton in a speech back in April.
T he money tourist spend in Cuba is only a life line with foreign investment SECURED by property rights big money will flow into all segments of the economy. until Cuba change it s laws nothing will change and Cubans better prepare for another 60 years of the same!!!!!
Soy un americano viviendo en Cuba y tengo que decir que este observación no conforme con mis experiencias.
La realidad es que hay muchas paladares y casas particulares. En inglés este se llama un “Market Economy” – capitalismo. Si queremos combiar el systema es más fácil de abajo que de para arriba. Ejemplos: Alemania de Este, Unión Soviética, China y Vietnam.
One of the Human Rights the US agreed to is “Freedom of Travel”. Forbidding US citizens the right to travel is in violation of this agreement.
Like many US laws, we have contradictions. Without courts empowered to process this particular contradiction, we are left to decide for ourselves which law we will uphold, and which we may choose to abrogate.
The State Department has a responsibility to warn US citizens of the dangers involved in international travel. We have the responsibility to study this information, analyze the risk and be accountable ourselves for the decisions we make.
I have traveled to Cuba under the “Support for the Cuban people” catagory, and when I returned to the U.S.A., no questions asked! My passport was stamped on page 16, as is customary for Cuban Immigration, and our border patrol could have cared less. Go spend some money and help the Cuban ppl and have an awesome time doing it!! The Cuban ppl will appreciate it.
Me da pena con muchos de los comentarios aquí escritos..por ignorantes,,al pueblo,,al cubano de a pié estás medidas para nada le afecta,,van a seguir igual de jodidos,,son minoria los cubanos q trabajan por cuenta propia ,pagando claro altos impuestos al gobierno,,si afectará en todo caso a la élite comunista dueña de todos los sitios de vacaciones y hoteles,,dinero q el pueblo no se beneficia..prueba de ello son los 4 años de apertura del gobierno americano a Cuba,,y no se ha visto cambio alguno..
So does my family and some friends when at home sky, but when out in the street and public places, in my experience everybody is careful as there are ears!
It’s a sad day, for sure. Governments don’t suffer from theses sanctions. The people do!
The U.S. cruise ship ban is a good thing because people arriving by plane spend much more money on taxis, casas, and restaurants. If you want to help the Cuban people, GO! … VISIT! … SPEND MONEY!
Perfect measure!!!!
According to an article in the N.Y. Times, the “Support for the Cuban People” category is still intact, as long as you stay in casa particulars and eat at pal adores. Of course those who grew a pair and have some initiative can still travel to Cuba.
It has been announced that this ban includes cruise ships – commencing Wednesday 5th June.
Carlyle! You of all people should know that there are Cubans breaking jokes of laws all the time though yes, they cannot be as directly vocal about their views of the laws as those living in the ‘free’ west. Believe me, though, my family speaks plenty loud about what they think about laws, rules and regulations – through gestures or euphamisms when words are too dangerous.
Although not normally agreeing with Curt, I understand his frustration about the interference with his constitutional rights. That of course is the difference between Curt and his fellow US citizens and Cuban citizens. Curt living in a capitalist democracy is accustomed to a wide range of rights – those that go with freedom. He is right to object to Trump’s action. If he was Cuban he would not have that right to object or have the human rights which he accepts as normal. Imagine a Cuban being able to speak of laws as “this joke of a law” and then breaking it.
This its one law I can’t wait to break! I’ve done it several times during the Bush Administration by going through Mexico. Cuba will not stamp your passport at your request. People who are caught violating this joke of a law can deny they traveled to Cuba or fight the charges because there are no judges to hear the cases. No one should ever be afraid of the US travel restrictions by exercising your constitutional right to travel and spend money wherever they please!