President Obama Lifts Some Travel Restrictions To Cuba

by Todd Beeton, Mon Apr 13, 2009 at 07:45:42 PM EDT

Lucas had an excellent post yesterday arguing that the time has come to loosen travel restrictions to Cuba.

President Obama lifted all restrictions Monday on the ability of individuals to visit relatives in Cuba, as well as to send them remittances.
The move represents a significant shift in a U.S. policy that had remained largely unchanged for nearly half a century. It comes days before Obama leaves for a key meeting of hemispheric powers, the Summit of the Americas, in Trinidad and Tobago.
"President Obama has directed that a series of steps be taken to reach out to the Cuban people to support their desire to enjoy basic human rights and to freely determine their country's future," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said. [...]
Several key components of America's embargo on the island nation will be preserved, however. Among other things, Americans will still be barred from sending gifts or other items to high-ranking Cuban government officials and Communist Party members.
Travel restrictions for Americans of non-Cuban descent will also remain in place.

This is a great development and one wonders if with it, President Obama single-handedly turned Florida forever blue.

Tags: Cuba, President Obama (all tags)

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Obama Lifts Only SOME Bush Restrictions

This post makes it seem, incorrectly, that Obama has improved things "that had remained largely unchanged for nearly half a century". This is not at all true; Americans, not just Cuban Americans, could go to Cuba legally while Carter and Clinton were Presidents, mainly on group tours that were readily available. Bush ended those tours, as well as the Cuban family visits, while Obama has restored only the latter. Why isn't Obama at least taking us back to the more limited travel restrictions that existed under Clinton?

by tyva 2009-04-13 07:59PM | 0 recs

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Re: Obama Lifts Only SOME Bush Restrictions

Wrong.

by lojasmo 2009-04-14 03:48AM | 0 recs

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Re: Obama Lifts Only SOME Bush Restrictions

OOp. Looks like 6,000 Americans traveled to Cuba during Clinton's presidency.

Still, I think allowing Cubans to visit family is more laudable than allowing a bunch of rich gringos to go there.

by lojasmo 2009-04-14 03:52AM | 0 recs

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McCain on Leno

When asked who is the leader of the Republican Party -- mentions Jindal, Mittens, Pawlenty and a bunch of other republican govs BUT DIDNT mention Palin.

by sepulvedaj3 2009-04-13 08:15PM | 0 recs

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Redstate trolls!!

Just wanted to let you know Todd, over at redstate there is a post calling you out about ur post on the new Gallup poll about taxes..... Head over there and check it out!

Redstate.com

by boxer4hrc 2009-04-13 08:34PM | 0 recs

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It's not change

unless the embargo is lifted.

This is a return to the Clinton policy and not even that since it is still illegal for you all to go to Cuba. An improvement over Bush but hardly some dramatic change in US policy.

by Charles Lemos 2009-04-13 08:47PM | 0 recs

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Re: It's not change

It is NOT back to the Clinton policy; Clinton, at least, allowed non-Cuban Americans to go to Cuba on group tours. This is only half-way back to the Clinton policy,

by tyva 2009-04-13 09:11PM | 0 recs

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Re: It's not change

So even it's even short of the Clinton policy, then?

I'm not impressed. Thanks for the correction.

by Charles Lemos 2009-04-13 10:30PM | 0 recs

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Re: It's not change

It's not a correction, it's misinformation.

by lojasmo 2009-04-14 03:49AM | 0 recs

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Re: It's not change

As stated above, I think it's more important to let family members travel to Cuba than to allow it to be opened to general travel by Americans (I'd go if I could, but I'd prefer for Cuban-Americans to be able to visit relatives if a choice is to be made.)

by lojasmo 2009-04-14 03:53AM | 0 recs

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Re: Turn Florida blue?

I actually want to hear what people specifically familiar with the Cuban American community think about this. If this were 20 years ago you'd be right, but everything he's done he promised he would do specifically while campaigning in Florida. The whole thing was well received - particularly the allowing of remittances.

I don't think they're as monolithically hard-line as they used to be.

by Jess81 2009-04-14 02:20AM | 0 recs