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U.S. NEWS A3
Wednesday 16 March 2016
Obama administration punches new holes in embargo on Cuba
M. WEISSENSTEIN the major leagues. A “quinceanera” poses during her photo session in front of the cathedral as tourists line up to enter
Associated Press As for ordinary Ameri- the building, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, March 14, 2016. U.S. President Barack Obama will travel
WASHINGTON/HAVANA cans, they can now take to Cuba on March 20.
(AP) — The Obama admin- “people-to-people” edu-
istration punched a new cational trips to Cuba on (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
series of holes in the U.S. their own instead of joining
trade embargo on Cuba expensive group tours. That
on Tuesday, turning a ban means any American can
on U.S. tourism to Cuba legally go to Cuba after fill-
into an unenforceable ing out a form asserting that
honor system and paving their trip is for educational
the way for Cuban ath- purposes instead of tour-
letes to one day play Major ism. They’ll have to keep
League Baseball and other records for five years about
U.S. professional sports. what they did in Cuba, but
Five days ahead of the first won’t have to submit them
presidential trip to Havana unless asked.
in nearly 90 years, the U.S. The Obama administration
also eliminated a ban on previously allowed inde-
Cuban access to the in- pendent travel for specific
ternational banking sys- purposes like supporting re-
tem. The inability to send ligious organizations or par-
or receive payments that ticipating in sports events.
passed through the U.S. Tuesday’s move was ex-
banking system had crip- pected to have greater
pled the country’s ability impact because the defini-
to trade with third countries tion of educational travel
and became a major hin- is so amorphous it can in-
drance to the U.S. attempt clude virtually any activity
to normalize relations with that isn’t lying on a beach
Cuba. drinking mojitos.
“The simple basis of our U.S. leisure travel to Cuba
policy is that by loosen- nearly doubled last year, to
ing these restrictions we more than 160,000 visitors,
are better able to engage and Tuesday’s measure is
with the Cuban people, to expected to add another
support them and to build 10-20 percent increase,
bridges between our two helping fill seats on as many
countries ,” deputy na- as 110 commercial flights a
tional security adviser Ben day starting later this year.
Rhodes said. “We deeply “It’s the closest thing to
believe that this is in Ameri- straight-away travel,” said
ca’s national interest.” Tom Popper, president of
The Cuban government insightCuba, among the
made no immediate largest companies orga-
comment. Tuesday’s an- nizing U.S. travel to Cuba.
nouncement allows Cuban “The message to most
citizens to earn salaries in Americans that the travel
the United States as long restrictions are really loos-
as they don’t pay special ening will come across
taxes in Cuba, specifically more clearly. I think we’ll
mentioning athletes, artists see another surge in inter-
and performers as poten- est.” Elimination of the tour
tial beneficiaries. Until Tues- requirement could cost the
day, only Cubans who had Cuban government mil-
begun the process of emi- lions of dollars in revenue
grating to the U.S. could while letting U.S. travelers
legally earn money in the see Cuba in a far more in-
United States beyond a tiny dependent way than be-
living stipend. fore. Because the Cuban
Major League Baseball is government controls virtu-
negotiating with both the ally all the travel industry,
U.S. and Cuban govern- American groups had to
ment to create a legal stay in state hotels, travel
means for Cuban baseball on state buses, pay for food
players to play in the U.S. through a state agency
without having to aban- and use state tour guides.
don their country, eliminat- Obama arrives in Havana
ing the need for some of on Sunday and is expect-
the world’s highest-priciest ed to call for elimination of
baseball talent to use hu- the nearly six-decade-old
man traffickers to get to trade embargo on Cuba.
