On April 17th National Security Advisor John Bolton announced a new crackdown on Cuba travel would be coming.
The US government is ending ‘people-to-people educational travel’ to Cuba for US citizens. If you purchased a flight or reserved a hotel prior to June 5th, though, you can still travel. The regulations will not publish in the Federal Register until June 5. That means you still have today to make bookings.
Fishing on the Malecón in Havana
Under the Obama administration the US relaxed rules on its citizens traveling to and spending money in Cuba. They even reached an agreement to put air marshals on planes so air marshals could party in Havana and Americans were allowed to bring back unlimited Cuban cigars from their travels.
The Trump administration, months after taking office, moved to crack down on the ability of Americans to travel there. These travel restrictions required Americans to go as part of organized tours and forbade spending money anywhere owned by the military.
Now the most common form of authorized travel that US citizens have continued to take advantage of will be curtailed. There do remain other forms of permissible travel including family visits; official government business; journalism; professional research; religious activities; and public performances.
However cruise ships, as well as most private boats and aircraft, will be banned from stopping in Cuba.
Can’t wait until this foolish administration is no more.
Yep, so we can move on to the next “foolish administration”.
Good less cash for commies!
This clown has been such a disaster.
Is the “Support for the Cuban People” option still in place? That’s how I travelled there last year. Fairly easy to fulfill those requirements.
Same questions as Ryan B’s. I’ve read a few articles on this latest move, and infer that travel you arrange yourself (as opposed to a cruise or group tour) is still ok if you fulfill those easily fulfilled requirements. But I’m not certain.
You would think that Trump & Co. would be smart enough to realize that this embargo has accomplished nothing in its 60 years, EXCEPT to take away Americans’ freedom to travel. Still a Castro in power. Meanwhile we are fine with the Chinese, Russians, Saudis and N Koreans who are all much greater threat to democracy??
Looks like Gary’s well-intentioned warning got it wrong for folks not on cruises or certain other kinds of group travel, in that many Americans will still be able to go. See paragraph II.5. in today’s Treasury Dept. FAQs document:
https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/cuba_faqs_new.pdf
Twelve categories, including Support for the Cuban People, are still authorized for individuals and I believe many kinds of groups.
@Steve those simply list the categories I mention for where travel is still permitted. Most people (including those not on cruises) were traveling under the “people to people” designation which will no longer be authorized.
@Gary. Ah, thanks. I was under the impression that most people traveled under those other twelve categories, but I’ll take your word for it.
I feel soo free in a country where the administration tells me what countries I may and may not visit.
@JJ — “This clown has been such a disaster.”
True, if you’re in the Cuban travel business.
Or an Iranian mullah.
Or you suffer from TDS.
Not so much for most folks.
I never understand what the big deal is with Cuba. If we restrict it because it is communist, why don’t we ban travel to China, Vietnam, Russia, and so on and forth?
Trump is such an fool.Whomever voted for this clown I hope they’re happy. All he wants to do is undo all of what Obama did. I’ve never seen a president with a hard on this hard in history.
@ Eric M — Well, Trump is trying some new techniques to throw our considerable economic weight around and achieve important national objectives without relying on military force. With Cuba, he is trying to apply pressure to get them to stop propping up Maduro in Venezuela. Personally, I think this is a good move for America, and for the people of Venezuela. If it helps lead to regime change in Cuba, that would be good too, but would be unexpected. Personally, I think we’d all be willing to avoid a Cuban vacation if it could help bring freedom to Venezuela. Do you disagree?
Agree with Chopsticks!
@Telly
I am happy. I take it you’re not.
To those blaming President Trump on Cuban policy, his policy has been the American policy since the late 1950s when Castro took over. Obama did a flowery speech about loosening restrictions against Cuba and went for a number of photo ops, but never did the hard work of changing the law (seriously, how lazy can you be). Since no Republican can win Florida without the Cuban vote, once NOT-President Hillary lost the election, President Trump (or Rubio, or Cruz, or Bush….) would have returned to the old policy. Since President Trump still needs the Cuban vote in Florida, I do not expect the USA policy towards Cuba to change any time soon.
In fact, this kind of makes me wonder, if Obama had not gone for the photo op in Cuba, maybe more of the Cuban vote would have gone NOT-President Hillary’s way, and the outcome of Florida and the election would have been different.