Obama Lifting Cuba Travel Restrictions

Obama Lifting Cuba Travel Restrictions

www.huffingtonpost.com

President Barack Obama is allowing Americans to make unlimited trips and money transfers to family in Cuba and easing other restrictions Monday to usher in a new era of openness toward the island nation ruled by communists for 50 years.

The formal announcement was being made at the White House Monday afternoon, during presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs' daily briefing with reporters, a senior administration official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity before the announcement.

With the changes, Obama aims to lessen Cubans' dependence on the Castro regime, hoping that will lead them to demand progress on political freedoms, the official said. About 1.5 million Americans have relatives on the island nation that turned to communist rule in 1959 when Fidel Castro seized control.

Obama had promised to take these steps as a presidential candidate. It has been known for over a week that he would announce them ahead of his attendance this weekend at a Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Well finally some common sense in our approach to Cuba.

The only real reason that a ban was put into place was that Castro overthrew our puppet regime and we got egg on our face after the bay of pigs fiasco.

It should have been lifted a long time ago and if it had perhaps Castro and his regime would be long gone by now...

... as with so many of our knee jerk policies we just end up shooting ourselves in the foot.

www.huffingtonpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Of course he is doing that....

Why remember they found that 2 billion barrel of oil shelf off their shores - last year?

How else could the Exxon/Mobil and Shell Oil people get into Cuba rightfully and legally to grab the oil?

I said it when as soon as I heard about the oil find in Cuba........... the U.S. will become "best friends" with them AND stop all the limitations on travel and trade.

Didn't take very long did it?

Yeah, let the public believe it is from the "goodness of the heart" that the embargos will be lifted. Will they mention the oil find in passing?

It is about time!!

To restrict American citizens and people with relatives in Cuba from visiting there and seeing their relatives for over 50 YEARS is just ridiculous!

I don't think the US has EVER done this sort of thing for soooo long with any other country in US history.

[edit on 4/13/2009 by Keyhole]

reply to post by Keyhole


I agree fully.... the Cuban embargo was one of the most foolish policies in the past fifty years of foolish policies.

Good on him for doing so. Cuba is a beautiful place, the people are very hospitable and are up for making a few Dollars for sure. I was there four years ago from the UK and just can't wait to get back there, they are the happiest bunch of folk I've met yet regardless of their meagre incomes.

reply to post by ufoorbhunter


I've been to gitmo and it is a horrible place however... even in the 70's the whole place had been defoliated and the surrounding mountains filled with mine fields...

... such a waste such foolishness.

reply to post by grover
Wow seen it in the movies like and on TV. If any of the US guys on here get the chance to go to Cuba do it ASAP, it's absolutely stunning, a time warp yes, but very old fashioned like in Havana and the mountain regions, amazing fishing, sand that is undescribable. The people for all their Commie ideology do seem a genuinely happy bunch, though they are all getting into making a few extra bucks! I think a wage was like $2 four years ago so it's going to be boom time for anyone who enjoys tips in the Cuban tourist industry!

Found this article about the "future" US tourism in Cuba.

Can Cuba Cope with an Onslaught of Americans?

A push in Congress to do away with U.S. travel bans on Cuba could set off a flood of American visitors to the long-forbidden island.

But many wonder if a country where foreigners have long complained about lousy food, sluggish service and iffy infrastructure is ready for an onslaught of Americans unseen since the days of Meyer Lansky and Al Capone.

Sorry, but in these economically trying times right now here in the US, I really don't see this American tourism "onslaught/flood" happening.

[edit on 4/13/2009 by Keyhole]

About time, but bad for the canadian and european tourists. Now the plague of american tourists will ravage Cuba.

Please, don't try to open McDonalds ok? Don't americanize it, which is, destroying it's culture.

This is a no-brainer... half-a point for Obama. Now he's at what... -29.5?

I had seen on tv one time, not sure if true, that Cuba had some of the most litter free coral reefs in the world. They were comparing them to Brazil where trash litters the coral reef. If true, I hope Cuba does everything it can to keep the reefs as natural as can be. In a way, an onslaught of tourism could be bad for Cuba's natural beauty.

Good move on Obama's behalf. Should have been done a long time ago. Anybody know how little Havana is taking this news?

[edit on 13-4-2009 by jam321]

Anybody know how little Havana is taking this news?

I'll tell you tomorrow, my mother is coming back from Cuba... hopefully she'll know the feelings there...

Well ... he actually did something that I agree with. Amazing. Lifting the travel restrictions is overdue. It wasn't doing any good. We need open travel .. and we need to flood Cuba with Americans, American $, and American products.

reply to post by jam321


You know what else you'll see in Cuba? Probably the most complete collection of beautifully-maintained old American cars. I mean they're everywhere. Beautiful place, Cuba, and I have a soft spot for the people, having been in a position to assist and witness with my own eyes two and three generations of hopeful folk on pieces of crap floating objects -- things only a desperate person would call a boat -- trying to make their way to a better place; risking their very lives on the open ocean for the CHANCE at a less oppressed life. I wish them well.

Too bad for American vacation spots; when this really opens up, people are going to realize how far the American dollar can go.

Woohoo, now richer Americans can go ahead and enjoy the poor prostitutes, both male and female, that Canadians, as well as Europeans have been enjoying...

Even regular tourists who do not partake in prostitution will be enjoying what regular Cubans can't enjoy, and this very same people will allow for Communism to continue to get more money, and power to keep Cubans oppressed for many years to come....

Who wants to cheer for this?

This would be good if it was "ONLY" a lift on the limits that families of people who live outside of the island have.

But a lift for tourists? this would only benefit the Communist dictatorship, and will not help the Cuban people.

[edited for errors]

[edit on 13-4-2009 by ElectricUniverse]

If Obama normalizes relations with Cuba, he'll get a huge vote of confidence from me. The embargo is the best scapegoat the Cuban government has with dealing with the poor conditions on the island. As another article said though, how will the infrastructure hold up? You know Cuba will receive a massive influx of tourism the moment Americans can go hassle free.

If nothing else, now I won't have to sneak cigars through customs

BTW, I just spoke with my family in Florida and what they are saying on the Spanish news is different.

Supposedly this is not a lift on the embargo on regular trourists, but only for Cubans that live in the U.S. and had a limit on how much money we could send, and how many times we could travel to visit family.

If this is true then it would help Cubans, or at least those who have families outside.

Despite the lies from Michael Moore the healthcare in Cuba is one of the worst in the world and my family in Cuba, as well as all others who have falmies outside of the island depend on us to send them medicine that they can't get in Cuba, unless you are a rich tourist or part of the Communist regime.

I still remember when I went to visit my family back in 2001 and we were able to take some of my family to visit places that are only reserved for rich tourists, such as La Marina Hemingway.

I also still remember how my family, and I got upset when we saw rich tourists with young Cuban prostitutes who were drunk or drugged, and of course the regime would not send the police to detain these tourists taking advantage of poor women, and even young men who sell themselves for a few dollars and to be able to eat, or feed their family.

The Cuban regime claims that they fight against prostitution in the island, but this is not true and every Cuban, or Cuban-American who have family in the island, and have visited the island knows this.




[edit on 13-4-2009 by ElectricUniverse]

Does this mean the Digital Revolution will FINALLY happen in Cuba?

Originally posted by ElectricUniverse
Woohoo, now richer Americans can go ahead and enjoy the poor prostitutes, both male and female, that Canadians, and other Europeans have been enjoying...

Because there are no prostitutes in the US......

If you think Travel to Cuba is mostly about prostitution - I can say with certainty you have never been there. I have traveled to both Cuba and Dominican Republic, and I can attest that Cubans are no worse off than democratic Dominicans - and the regular tourism industry in Cuba is flourishing.

Originally posted by ElectricUniverse
Even regular tourists who do not partake in prostitution will be enjoying what regular Cubans can't enjoy, and this very same people will allow for Communism to continue to get more money, and power to keep Cubans oppressed for many years to come....

Have you ever been to other Carribean Countries like Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Costa Rica? It is no different there - the population is far poorer than the people that vacation there. But were it not for the tourists the situation would be even worse. Local people appreciate that fact very much.

Nor does this make the government stronger. Open tourism allows the Cubans to have access to outside idealogies and news - and allows them to gain a better perspective of the effects the authoritarian government is having on the country.

Originally posted by ElectricUniverse
But a lift for tourists? this would only benefit the Communist dictatorship, and will not help the Cuban people.

Influx of money help the people which ever way you look at it. It is not like the Cuban government is investing much of its budget in the military or to build luxurious palaces for leader. A large portion goes towards social development - schools, hospitals, communities.

I am not saying the Castro regime is humanitarian or deeply concerned about the population. But life in Cuba is not hell on earth like the majority of ignorant Americans perceive it to be.

Furthermore the lift of the embargo and travel restrictions would do far more to pave the way towards a Cuban demoracty than completely cutting all relations with Cuba.


The embargo did not hurt Americans. It did not hurt Castro or his regime. It primarily hurt the Cuban population. Besides that - it is obvious that the embargo did not work in toppling Castro - not even a little.

Originally posted by maloy
Because there are no prostitutes in the US......

If you think Travel to Cuba is mostly about prostitution - I can say with certainty you have never been there. I have traveled to both Cuba and Dominican Republic, and I can attest that Cubans are no worse off than democratic Dominicans - and the regular tourism industry in Cuba is flourishing.
...........................

The embargo did not hurt Americans. It did not hurt Castro or his regime. It primarily hurt the Cuban population. Besides that - it is obvious that the embargo did not work in toppling Castro - not even a little.

When people don't have enough money to eat, or feed their kids they will do almost anything, even prostitution, and in Cuba it is a real problem...

In the U.S. those women that are in prostution for the most part do it because they make more money, or they like it...

Do not compare apples to oranges, and yes I was born in Cuba, grew up there until i was 8 ears old there, and visited my family back in 2001, and still have family there...

As a tourist you only saw the tourist parts of the island, and not the real Cuba.

BTW, in Communism the government OWNS everything....so tell me how do the people gain from the government getting all the money from tourism....

I am the one that can say for certainty you have never seen the real Cuba, and by now it is clear from your responses and posts that you like to excuse Communist regimes, and the Communist doctrine without knowing the truth of it, and never having experienced it as a regular person suppressed in a Communist regime.

Oh and yes, even in Communist regimes there are a few people, and families that live rather well compared to the rest of the population because they are part of the Communist regime.

[edit on 13-4-2009 by ElectricUniverse]