Sen. Jeff Flake is criticizing President Donald Trump’s new policy on Cuba.
As a result, the changes – though far-reaching – appear to be less sweeping than many pro-engagement advocates had feared. The main targets are Cuba’s military – and wannabe American tourists. He believes many of former President Barack Obama’s efforts undermine USA and Cuban economic interests, as well as national security.
On one side of the street in Little Havana, supporters praised Trump’s tough line on the island nation.
Cuban-born poet Armando Valladares, who was imprisoned for 22 years by the government of then-Cuban leader Fidel Castro, said at a weekly luncheon of Cuban exiles that he is vexed that not all of Obama’s changes were rolled back.
White House officials told reporters on Thursday that the new regulations would not affect current licenses for hotels and was not meant to “disrupt existing transactions that have (already) occurred”.
Also, U.S. travelers who stay at hotels or facilities operated by the Cuban military government would be subject to scrutiny by the administration. Although the USA government does not technically prohibit Cuban travel, Treasury regulations under the embargo prohibit the expenditure of US dollars without a special license. “Thank you, President Trump, for keeping your commitments”.
Trump will travel on Friday to Miami, where he is set to announce a prohibition on “financial transactions” with military-backed tourism conglomerate GAESA, according to a source close to the deliberations.
Donald Trump announces new restrictions on trade and travels Cuba on Friday.
The new policy will be made official after the Treasury and Commerce Departments finish writing the new regulation, a process that is expected to be completed within the next 30 days.
Trump’s revised approach calls for stricter enforcement of a long-time ban on Americans going to Cuba as tourists, and seeks to prevent U.S. dollars from being used to fund what the Trump administration sees as a repressive military-dominated government. “We are going to stand with the Cuban people in their fight against communist oppression”.
“We will very strongly restrict American dollars flowing to the military, security and intelligence services that are the core of the Castro regime”. He will also not reinstate the “wet foot, dry foot” policy. And Americans who visit Cuba will still be allowed to bring rum and cigars home with them. Importantly, the Trump Administration wants to build good rapport with both.
“The president has tasked his Cabinet to work together to improve what we consider to be President Obama’s bad deal“, a senior White House official said.
Rubio staunchly opposed Obama’s re-engagement with Cuba, and he lauded Trump as he took the stage.
To this day, Cuba is ruled by the same people who killed tens of thousands of their own citizens, who sought to spread their repressive and failed ideology throughout our hemisphere and who once tried to host enemy nuclear weapons 90 miles from our shores, he charged.
Critics say Obama didn’t exact concessions from the Cuban government on human rights and democratic reforms. Today, Canadians make up more than one third of total visitors to Cuba, as the below infographic shows.
Senior White House officials say Trump’s new directives eliminate individual people-to-people visits to Cuba by Americans.
Increase pressure on President Raul Castro to end human rights abuse.
Will Trump Restrictions Benefit His Businesses?
The Trump-Cuba policy redo goes down well with former Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart.