U.S. to ease travel restrictions to Cuba, Obama administration officials say

[El Presidente]

U.S. to ease travel restrictions to Cuba, Obama administration officials say

BY Meena Hartenstein

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Tuesday, August 17th 2010, 4:08 PM

NEWS

Want to go to Cuba?

Soon you can, White House sources say.

The Obama administration is set to announce significantly loosened restrictions on travel to the Communist country as soon as next week, officials told the New York Times on Tuesday.

The shift would make America's rules on travel to Cuba similar to what they were under President Bill Clinton, when the U.S. government supported "people-to-people" interactions between Americans and Cubans.

Travel restrictions were tightened under 1996 legislation, and again during George W. Bush's Presidency.

The new changes would make it easier for American academic, religious and cultural groups to visit Cuba, making room for a cultural dialogue between the two countries while leaving in place the decades-old embargo against the Communist government, The Associated Press reports.

Though some congressional aides said the administration is afraid the changes could spark a political backlash and is waiting to announce the policies until after the midterm elections, others told the Times that the announcement will be made before Congress returns from its recess in mid-September.

"These [changes] are not revolutionary," one congressional staffer told the Washington Post. "They're not going to cause political blowback. Because we did all this stuff before," he said, referring to the policies in place in the Clinton era.

Supporters of the shift said Tuesday that recent polling indicates Cuban-Americans are softening towards Cuba, and the administration is not expecting much of a backlash.

"They have made the calculation that if you put a smarter Cuba policy on the table, it will not harm us in the election cycle," a Democratic Congressional aide who has been working on the policy told the New York Times. "That, I think, is what animates this."

But Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), a leading legislator in the Cuban American community, spoke out against news of the proposed changes.

"This is not the time to ease the pressure on the Castro regime," he said in a statement.

"Promoting travel and widespread remittances will give the regime a much-needed infusion of dollars that will only allow the Castro brothers to extend their reign of oppression and human rights violations."

As described, the changes would work to expand existing opportunities for travel to Cuba. Right now, academic, religious and cultural groups can travel under very strict rules, but under the new policy, those rules would be eased.

The policy shift would be a significant change in America’s attitudes towards Cuba, but the move comes on the heels of other signs of a thawing relationship between the two nations.

In 2009, Obama eased restrictions on Americans with relatives in Cuba, allowing them to fly back and forth more freely and send money to their family members.

Sen. John Kerry (D.-Mass) has also been working to build bipartisan support for a more open relationship with Cuba, and has been pushing Congress to lift all existing travel restrictions.

And in a shift on Cuba’s side, in July, President Castro began releasing dozens of political prisoners.

But the White House says the prisoner release was not the motivation for the changes in the travel policy, and that the move to loosen restrictions has been in development for months.

Asked about the new measures, the Obama administration was cagey but not dismissive.

"We will continue to pursue policies that advance the U.S. national interest," White House spokesman Mike Hammer said in a statement, "And support the Cuban people's desire to freely determine their country's future."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010...l#ixzz0wu24dANH

[investandprosper]

"We will continue to pursue policies that advance the U.S. national interest,"

They left off his next sentence, which read ... "of Cuban cigars!".

[edameff]

I'm on the first boat out!!! I'm sure those poor cigars need a doctor STAT!!

[cigcars]

Whoo Wee!! Can't wait, can't wait -- !

[godfathermint]

"... that will only allow the Castro brothers to extend their reign of oppression and human rights violations."

Oh no, they're so oppressed that they have a longer life expectancy than America and have the world 2nd highest literacy rate!

This is awesome news! I'm sure a LOT of Americans on this forum are really happy! =D

[cigcars]

*DITTO

[slee87]

time to plan some trip baby

[bassman]

Oh no, they're so oppressed that they have a longer life expectancy than America and have the world 2nd highest literacy rate!

This is awesome news! I'm sure a LOT of Americans on this forum are really happy! =D

And free medical care but unless you're a high official or in the military, your hospital will have no medicine or even bed sheets. My group took medical supplies to the city hospital in Moron. They had NOTHING. The doctors were so grateful for our supplies, some were crying tears of joy.

[skindiver]

No change really, except the repeal of Bush's draconian restrictions. The average American (USA) still won't legally be able to spend money in Cuba without a license. IMO you won't be able to plan a legal trip to Cuba from the USA until the Castros have both died. Still incredibly easy to go illegally, though! Actually easier without the license in some ways, having done both methods.

[Leopolis Semper Fidelis]

Oh no, they're so oppressed that they have a longer life expectancy than America and have the world 2nd highest literacy rate!

This is awesome news! I'm sure a LOT of Americans on this forum are really happy! =D

As my Venezuelan amigo expressed it sardonically a few years ago: What's so great about a high literacy rate when all you read in the Cuban press is Marxist b******t?

[skindiver]

That's called Gramma

[Habanakane21]

Wouldn't mind going over. But for cultural dialogue's??? naw..I'll just smoke and drink rum thanks