US citizen travel ban to Cuba may be lifted

www.state.gov

US citizens may soon have another Caribbean destination to choose from if current bipartisan legislation in Congress lifting the embargo on travel to Cuba is passed.

The bill, which was introduced in the Senate, would life the ban on travel to Cuba by Americans “except in cases of war, imminent danger to public health or treat to physical safety of U.S travelers,” according to a report in the Associated Press.

Since taking office in January, US President Barack Obama has asked for a review of the policy on travel to Cuba, and has reversed the Bush administration’s decision that tightened restrictions on travel by Cuban Americans to visit family members in Cuba.

Any policy change will likely be announced during the Summit of the Americas, to be held from 17-19 April in Trinidad and Tobago.

Sanctions on trade with Cuba date back to 1962, several years after Castro came to power in the island nation. The law technically forbids Americans from making unauthorized expenditures in the country, which along with the lack of flights connecting the US and Cuba, makes travel impossible.

In the beginning, the travel ban was put in place to limit the amount of money filtering in to the country’s economy, which in theory would support the Communist government of Cuba.

www.state.gov