The Biden administration announced that it would be lifting some restrictions on Cuban travel and remittances, drawing criticism from the Senate Foreign Relations chairperson.
“As the Diaz-Canel regime continues its ruthless persecution of countless Cubans from all walks of life for their participation in last year’s pro-democracy uprising, today’s announcement risks sending the wrong message to the wrong people, at the wrong time and for all the wrong reasons,” Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said Tuesday in a statement.
The White House announced four measures that would ease some of the restrictions on Cuba: Reinstating the Cuba Family Reunification Parole Program that will allow a minimum of 20,000 Cubans, not including immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, to immigrate to the United States. The visas will be handled out in Havana.
Expanding authorized commercial and charter flights to locations beyond Havana and reinstating group people-to-people educational travel with certain restrictions. Individual people-to-people educational travel will still be banned.
Increasing support to independent Cuban entrepreneurs with internet access, cloud technology, programming interfaces, e-commerce platforms, microfinance, and training.
Removing limits on family remittances and authorizing donative remittances. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a strong advocate for an engagement approach with Cuba, applauded the policy changes and said the measures “marks a significant step towards returning to the important bilateral relationship the United States and Cuba shared during the Obama Administration.”…