U.S. revises Cuba policy, eases restrictions on remittances, travel & More News Here

A classic automotive passes by the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba, October 30, 2020. Picture taken October 30, 2020. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini/File Photo

WASHINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) – The United States on Monday introduced a sequence of steps to revise its coverage towards Cuba, together with easing some Trump-era restrictions on household remittances and travel to the island and sharply growing the processing of U.S. visas for Cubans.

The measures, which come after a prolonged U.S. authorities evaluation, mark essentially the most important adjustments within the U.S. method to Havana since President Joe Biden took workplace in January 2021.

But the announcement stopped wanting returning U.S.-Cuba relations to the historic rapprochement engineered by former President Barack Obama, underneath whom Biden served as vice chairman. That included much less crimped circulate of remittances, fewer travel curbs and sooner visa providers.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price in a press release mentioned the measures introduced Monday had been to “further support the Cuban people, providing them additional tools to pursue a life free from Cuban government oppression and to seek greater economic opportunities.”

The State Department mentioned the United States would carry the cap on household remittances, beforehand set to $1,000 per quarter, and authorize donative remittances to non-family members.

But it made clear that the United States wouldn’t take away entities from the Cuba Restricted List, a State Department checklist of Cuban government- and military-aligned corporations with whom U.S. companies and residents are barred from doing enterprise.

“We are going to ensure that remittances flow more freely to the Cuban people, while not enriching those who perpetrate human rights abuses,” an administration official mentioned earlier on Monday.

The United States will use civilian “electronic payment processors” for remittances to keep away from funds going on to the Cuban authorities, the official mentioned, including that the United States had already engaged with the Cuban authorities “about establishing a civilian processor for this.”

Biden officers have been aware that easing restrictions on Cuba may result in political fallout from conservative Cuban Americans, a key voting bloc in south Florida who principally backed former President Donald Trump’s robust insurance policies on Cuba.

Trump slashed visa processing, restricted remittances, scaled again flights to the island and elevated hurdles for U.S. residents in search of to travel to Cuba for something aside from household visits.

There had been few particulars on how the brand new coverage can be carried out.

The Cuban embassy in Washington didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

FAMILY REUNIFICATION

Among the adjustments is a plan to reinstate the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program, which had supplied a authorized method for Cuban households to be reunited within the United States, and enhance capability for consular providers.

Washington will intention to challenge 20,000 immigrant visas a 12 months, the official mentioned, consistent with a migration accord.

The U.S. embassy in Havana started issuing a trickle of immigrant visas to Cubans this month, making good on an earlier promise to restart visa processing on the island after a four-year hiatus.

The State Department underneath Trump sharply scaled again embassy workers in 2017 following a spate of “anomalous health incidents” that got here to be generally known as “Havana syndrome.”

Cubans in search of to to migrate to the United States had been as a substitute directed to use for visas in particular person on the U.S. embassies first in Colombia, and later in Guyana, expensive journeys past the attain of many.

The Biden administration will even develop approved travel to Cuba, permitting scheduled and constitution flights to and from the nation to make use of airports aside from Havana, based on the State Department.

Washington will even reinstate some classes of group instructional travel, in addition to sure travel associated to skilled conferences and analysis.

Individual “people-to-people” travel, nonetheless, won’t be reinstated. The class was eradicated by Trump officers who mentioned it was being abused by Americans taking seashore holidays.

The United States will even enhance assist for impartial Cuban entrepreneurs, aiming to ease entry to the web and increasing entry to microfinance and coaching, amongst different measures.

Biden promised throughout the 2020 election to re-engage with Cuba. He as a substitute imposed recent sanctions on Cuban officers in response to Havana’s crackdown on protesters following widespread marches on the island final July.

Hundreds had been arrested throughout and after the demonstrations, broadly thought-about to be the most important protests since Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution. Washington has condemned Cuban authorities for harsh sentences which were given to some.

The Cuban authorities blamed the protests on meddling by the United States.

“We continue to call on the Cuban government to immediately release political prisoners, to respect the Cuban people’s fundamental freedoms and to allow the Cuban people to determine their own futures,” Price mentioned.

The officers mentioned a call has not been made on whether or not to ask Cuba to subsequent month’s U.S.-hosted Summit of the Americas. Mexico and others have threatened to not attend except all international locations within the Americas are invited. learn extra

Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis, Matt Spetalnick and Humeyra Pamuk;
Editing by Mary Milliken and Rosalba O’Brien

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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