(Washington) The Biden administration announced on Monday that it was lifting a series of sanctions on Cuba, including immigration policies, money transfers and air connections, promising that the two issues would lead to a lively debate on the politically sensitive issue in the United States.
Posted yesterday at 7:36 pm.
The statement, immediately hailed by the Cuban government as “a small step in the right direction” but “a limited scope”, was the result of a review of American policy towards communist rule initiated by the US President. Joe Biden.
According to a statement from the State Department, the Biden Administration is reviving a program that has been suspended for many years, easing immigration procedures for single family members.
Promised to increase the processing capacity of visa applications in Havana.
The United States abolishes the limit of $ 1,000 per quarter and per sender / recipient who currently has limited money transfers to Cuba and also authorizes remittances outside the family.
However, the State Department stated that these financial flows should not “enrich” individuals or organizations that violate human rights.
That hat was decided by former President Donald Trump, who during his tenure took action against Cuba.
Biden Administration will also increase the number of flights between the United States and the island, authorizing services to cities other than Havana. It also authorizes specific group tours that are currently banned.
Economic sanctions targeting Cuban individuals or organizations are in place, however, the Biden administration said.
“Financial Opportunities”
A senior U.S. administration official said the measures announced on Monday were practical decisions aimed at “responding to the humanitarian situation in Cuba and” developing economic opportunities for Cubans.
In Havana, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez acknowledged that these were “positive measures” but would not “in any way modify the embargo (sanctions in force since 1962, the editor’s note) or the major measures of the economic seat taken by Trump”.
“The goals or key tools of the United States policy against Cuba have not changed, it has failed,” he added in a statement posted on the ministry’s website, adding that his government has “a respectful and equal dialogue with the United States government to enter into an ‘attitude’.”
Democratic President Joe Biden is trying to find a delicate balance between “supporting the Cuban people” and promoting their democratic aspirations and their stated desire to remain steadfast against communist rule.
Last summer he condemned the repression of large demonstrations in Cuba and imposed a series of sanctions on Cuban authorities.
The issue of relations with Cuba is politically hot in the United States, home to a large community of immigrants of Cuban origin.
“Today’s statement risks sending the wrong message to the wrong people at the wrong time and for the wrong reasons,” he said. Democrat.
The traditional opposition, for its part, has long been closely associated with serious criticism of the communist regime.
Republican Senator Marco Rubio has accused the Biden administration of being “sympathetic” to the communist regime in Cuba.
An elected official from Florida, where most of the Cuban diaspora lives in the United States, also confirmed that the government’s decision was “the first step in a return to Obama’s failed policies on Cuba.”
During his tenure, Barack Obama, Vice President of Joe Biden, opted for a historic open policy with the Caribbean island, which allowed for a slight increase in relations between the two countries. Arriving in the White House, Donald Trump tightened sanctions on Havana, returning to the policy of the Democratic president.
About The Author
