United States To Ease Cuba Travel Restrictions
U.S. President Barack Obama announced sweeping changes to U.S. policy with Cuba today [Dec 17], moving to normalize relations between the two nations, including facilitating an expansion of travel to Cuba.
Under the new measures, the United States plans to reopen its embassy in Havana and significantly ease restrictions on travel and commerce.
“With the changes I’m announcing today, it will be easier for Americans to travel to Cuba, and Americans will be able to use American credit and debit cards on the island,” President Obama said today.
According to a report from travel industry website Skift, “With news that the US and Cuba will start talks on normalizing full diplomatic relations after 50 years of hostility, the flow of Americans into Cuba will likely increase dramatically.
“While the proposed easing of travel restrictions won’t necessarily allow for regular tourism, it is expected to make it easier for Americans to obtain a business license in the country, as well as to travel there.”
Screenshot from the official White House website showing the new travel policies:
President Obama said, “In the most significant changes in our policy in more than fifty years, we will end an outdated approach that, for decades, has failed to advance our interests, and instead we will begin to normalize relations between our two countries.
“Through these changes, we intend to create more opportunities for the American and Cuban people, and begin a new chapter among the nations of the Americas.”
“The history-shaping overtures come after more than 18 months of secret negotiations with the Cuban government of President Raul Castro,” according to a report from the Washington Post. “The final touches appeared to be arrangements for a series of simultaneous prisoner releases.
“Cuba agreed to release Alan Gross, a U.S. Agency for International Development contractor imprisoned for five years, on humanitarian grounds. The Cubans also released an unnamed U.S. intelligence asset held for two decades, and in exchange U.S. officials released three Cuban nationals convicted of spying in 2001.”
President Obama’s address today on the changes to the US/Cuba relationship:
“Change is hard –- in our own lives, and in the lives of nations. And change is even harder when we carry the heavy weight of history on our shoulders,” added President Obama.
“But today we are making these changes because it is the right thing to do. Today, America chooses to cut loose the shackles of the past so as to reach for a better future –- for the Cuban people, for the American people, for our entire hemisphere, and for the world.”
According to the latest statistics from the Caribbean Tourism Organization [PDF], Cuba — which has a population of over 11 million people — is the second-most visited island so far this year, with 2,222,793 visitors from January to September of this year.
Beyonce and JZ went to Cuba on vacation, oh yeah the old double standard.
It’s very easy to get there via Panama, Cayman or the Bahamas…
Or Canada, or Mexico…
or Jamaica
In other news , Bermuda Tourism Minister announced this week that Venezuela based Dessarillo plans to start building a brand new hotel on the former Holiday Inn site . Is there a former Holiday Inn site somewhere in Cuba?
Obama has now removed all doubt as to who was/is the worst US president ever, he now makes Jimmy Carter look good??? And he sure is the worst negotiater the US is ever had as well!!! He gives up 3 Cuban prisinors for one US prisoner that was held in Cuba and some old peice of US intelligence equipment from 20+ years ago??? Anyone with half a brain would know that any intelligence from that peice of equipment would have been stolen from it!!! He is the laughing stock of the world!!!
I wonder how long it is going to take the vast majority of Bermudians who think this knucklehead Obama is the greatest U.S. president ever, to wake up and realize that this is another attemted move by this man to damage the Bermudian economy, if he gets his way ( which he will not, thanks to the Republicans ) Bermuda’s tourism future is totally done, throwing many more Bermudians out of work!!! Not sure what it ever will take for Bermudians to wake up to the fact that this Obama ” IS NOT OUR FRIEND!!!”
So you’d rather see millions of Cuban nationals continue to suffer under an unjust embargo from America . “So that Bermuda may thrive.”
Your mentality is repugnant !
Coffee, why am I NOT surprised that you and many others don’t get it??? Being you and your plp seem very comfortable with having Bermudians lose their jobs with absolutely no oppologizing from yourselves?? But to say that the Cubams are suffering from an unjust embargo from America, proves you and anyone that agrees with you, have thicker heads than I even gave you credit for?? Those embargoes were put in place because of the actions of the Castro Regime against the U.S., to this day the Castros are the ones that are totally responsible for the Cubans suffering because they are still in power and have not changed their Socialist ways!!! And here we have the biggest clown the US has ever had as a president, negotiating with them and LOSING the negotions??? Thankfully the Republicans are in power and whether you like it or not, will end this law breaking nonsense from Obama!!!!
How could you be so unbelievably uncouth ?
Uncouth??? No, I am stating facts!!! The truth always stings those that can’t face it!!!!
Kangocar, I guess with your over inflated ego you know more than the President of the United States and his advisors. Wow!!!
Self, not just me knowing more than that ignoramus taking up space in the White House!!!! That is why the Americans just voted out the Democrat controlled Senate and turned it into a Republican Conrolled Senate and they also increased the Houses Republican Majority!!! It might help you if you actually tried to keep up??? FYI, watch the next US election for President in less than 2 yrs, my money is on a Republican sitting in the White House!!!
Keep up? FYI I don’t need to WATCH a thing!! As I have dual citizenship, I actually HAVE THE RIGHT to vote in the US elections. I am more than versed on the politics in the country I was BORN in, thank you.
Notice I haven’t given my opinion on the matter one way or the other, but your self righteous comments and put downs of anyone that dares disagree with you is sickening. Get a life!!!
I am married to an American and lived for over 10 yrs there, Could have easily gotten my citizenship but why would anyone choose to be taxed on their income for the rest of their life??? I hope being you have dual, you are paying your taxes??? I find it interesting that you somehow missed it was my posts that were attacked??? How about you getting a life????
What taxes I do, or do not pay, is nobody’s concern but my mine and has NOTHING to do with the issue at hand.
However, since YOU mentioned taxes, I now get exactly what you are. An American wanna-be who craves all of the benefits of the American life, but with somebody else paying for it. Great. Being married to an American and living there for 10 years does not give you ANY right to comment on American policies since you are living on somebody else’s tax dime.
How wrong you are!!! I have no intentions of ever moving back to the US! My wife has now obtained her Bermuda Status and we both actually like it better in good ole BDA!!! We actually prefer Europe and travel there very often, probably will retire there!!! May I suggest you never try to make a living by being a psychic!!!
Top 10 Lies in Obama’s Cuba Speech
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Obama-Cuba
Does Obama believe his lies?
Check it out:
President Barack Obama unveiled a new U.S. policy toward Cuba on Wednesday as part of a deal that brought American Alan Gross home in exchange for three convicted Cuban spies. As he has done so often in the past, Obama tried to channel the perspective of America’s enemies and critics, as if his job were to act as a neutral mediator instead of defending U.S. interests and values. In the course of his address, Obama told American ten major lies, both of omission and commission.
Here they are, in order of appearance:
1. No mention of the Cuban missile crisis. “I was born in 1961 just over two years after Fidel Castro took power in Cuba….Over the next several decades, the relationship between our countries played out against the backdrop of the Cold War and America’s steadfast opposition to communism.” Cuba’s role in helping the Soviet Union project a direct threat to the U.S. mainland is carefully elided (though Obama, as he has done before, refers to his own birth as a kind of watershed.)
2. Suggesting that the president can establish a U.S. embassy on his own. “Going forward, the United States will reestablish an embassy in Havana and high ranking officials will visit Cuba.” An embassy needs to be funded by Congress, and needs an ambassador to be approved by the Senate. None of that is going to happen–nor should it, especially after the disastrous experiment in re-establishing an embassy in Syria, which Obama did in 2009, to no good effect whatsoever.
3. No mention of Cuba’s role in repressing democracy abroad. “Cuba has sent hundreds of healthcare workers to Africa to fight Ebola.” Yes, and Cuba has also sentexperts in repression to Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador. Cuban agents also allegedly beat and raped Venezuelan protestors earlier this year. For decades, Cuba assisted guerrilla armies abroad, fomenting bloody revolution in some countries and propping up communist regimes elsewhere. It continues to do so.
Post Continues on http://www.breitbart.com
To clarify, Cuba released Alan Gross (a US spy in Cuba), as well as another, unnamed, US spy (who the US has hailed as their biggest intelligence asset in Cuba ever) who has been in prison for 20 years in Cuba (he provided the intel that led to the Cuban Five being arrested), as well as 53 additional prisoners (who are being sent to the US). So to be clear it’s not a 20 year old piece of intelligence equipment, but a US intelligence agent.
There’s also a few more things, but those are the main aspects as regards the prisoner swap. Whether you agree with the deal or not is one thing, but lets get the terms of the deal correct.
I agree with you though, Obama’s certainly not the greatest President, especially with his continued imperialist aggression throughout the world, perhaps best epitomised by the war criminal drone wars.
He’s just righting de F@#ups from de past Presidents
you are full of crap why don’t you move to Cuba and live like they have all these years !
Bravo for for freedom! Cuba has endured many hardships and it’s people have survived heads up bravo wonderfull things will come of this once the best in Cuba and the best of the world gets together! many good things are bound to happen as well as the reduction of Russian ships and planes in the golf of Mexico ! TO Coffee are you a Cuban Blend?
This is an ILLEGAL action by Odummer the dictator – that will be taken to the new Congress early next year!! The American people are against this action (and odummercare + the ILLEGAL amnesty for 5 MILLION Chicanos) and it will be very heavily contested by Congress and the legal community!!
Odummer does NOT have the Constitutional authority to make this move!!! Read on…
Obama Does Not Have the Authority to Lift Embargo on Cuba!!
Posted on December 17, 2014
Has Obama ever cared about the rule of law?
Check it out:
The release of American hostage Alan Gross is to be welcome. Gross has vegetated in a Cuban jail for five years for the crime of bringing computers to Jews on the island.
But exchanging three hardened Cuban spies for him establishes a wrong moral and legal equivalency. Worse, extending recognition to Cuba’s dictatorial regime harms U.S. national interests and fails to advance freedom in Cuba.
The White House “Fact Sheet” on Cuba makes clear that the Obama administration received nothing in exchange for its many and substantial concessions to Havana’s Communist regime. In essence, after five years of “negotiations” the White House ended up where Raul Castro started: Gross would be exchanged for three Cuban spies whose activities led to the death of an American in the 1990s.
The administration’s announcement that “the president has instructed the secretary of state to immediately initiate discussions with Cuba on the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba,” also gives in on a long-standing Castro demand. Cubans will not gain freedom of expression, of association, of thought or of anything else as a result.
Continue Reading on dailysignal.com …
Read more at http://conservativebyte.com/2014/12/obama-not-authority-lift-embargo-cuba/
Obama is not lifting the embargo – as per the Helms-Burton Act of the 1990s only Congress can do that. Rather, he’s tweaking some aspects that remain within the purview of Executive power.
The embargo is hypocritical – where’s the embargo against the Saudi dictatorship? Or the military dictatorship in Egypt? Heck, the US normalised relations (and ended an embargo) against Vietnam in the 1990s, despite waging a massive war, complete with thousands of US casualties. There’s no justification for the embargo in light of US imperial hypocrisy.
“The embargo is hypocritical – where’s the embargo against the Saudi dictatorship?”
The embargo isn’t hypocritical – at least, not simply because the U.S. chooses to trade with an Arab dictatorship that JStar does not admire, but declines to trade (in any material sense) with a Latin American dictatorship that JStar thinks has a certain something.
Doubtless this is not only U.S. imperial hypocrisy but white privilege to boot.
Sooner or later Cuba was going to open up to US visitors. This is going to be disasterous for the Bahamas & other islands in the region. Bermuda will not get away either with any recovery here made more difficult by far cheaper accomodations & service in Cuba.
The one thing that cannot be taken from us is our location. Being less than 2 hours from the Northeast is a big plus for people who only have a long weekend for a quick getaway.
From a Bermuda aspect, I suppose the first concern is how this would affect our tourism product; the opening of Cuba to American visitors is a game-changer for the whole region.
Internationally, this is interesting. The Republicans are going to come down hard, and the whole Cuba relations saga has been divisive in Florida and other regions with a sizeable Cuban community. Meanwhile, this can also be seen as a cross-swipe at Russia and the Putin regime, who have been beating up on the US of late.
Dude, the Cuban American poplation no longer have the same impact when it comes to the Latin vote in Florida. Puerto Ricans and Mexicans in Central Fla have put paid to that..and they love Democrats..
Jonah, before you write nonsense about Florida, may I suggest you do some research??? floridians just re elected a Republican Governor, and have done so, since at least the mid 1990′s, and in the last 8+ general elections for a US President have voted for the Republican Candidate??? Remember, Goerge W Bush was elected as President because of the Florida vote!!! It really is sad that people say what ever they want whether it is true or not???
@Kangoocar: George W Bush was not elected president of the U.S.A. he was appointed by the Supreme Court. Know the facts!!
Way to go Barack….
they will understand
unemployment down
deficit down bow 4.1% of GDP compared with 9.2% of GDP at start of your presidency
ended war in Irag
drawdown of troops in Afghanistan
turned around auto industry
passed health care reform
passed the stimulus
reversed Bush torture policies
improved us image abroad
and many more
and now Cuba
You are a champ
If you think he is such a “champ”…Then why do 70+% of Americans think the country is heading in the “wrong direction”???
Because 70% of americans are stupid.
This is a great development for the Cuban people. Everyone that supports tourism in the Carribbean region should be taking stock of their product right now. Cuba is a beautiful and diverse place with very talented people and a long history of sizzling tourism support. American toursits will want to re-visit the Copa scene and will flock to Havana (a city of 2m people).
Thankfully Bermuda has AC2017 (thank you OBA). This event will shine a spotlight directly on Bermuda to a global audience at a VERY important time in the region.
Bermuda must capitalize on this by highlighting our martime history, making the country a natural and intuitive choice for offshore regattas. In addiiton the messaging into the US market must fortify Bermuda’s level of sophistication and old world charm and connections (back to the UK). This will be something Cuba will do. This is something that can be spun in a very savvy and classy way.
Bermuda has the advantage to other Carribbean countries given it sophistication and proximity to the US.
With AC2017 and new tourism infrastruture coming on line–there will be a very positive message for our country to be told.
Onward….
Kangoocar like the Cuban/American political elite no doubt will be disappointed with this news. Kangoocar because although tourism is not mention in the sanctions to be lifted with the use of credit and debit cards by Americans; the full flow of American tourism to Cuba can not be far behind. This will not only hit tourism in the Caribbean; but also in Bermuda with major competition from Cuba. there is another aspect that may have major impact in Bermuda and that is in the area of hotel development in Bermuda. potential overseas hotel investors may have second thoughts about coming to built hotels in Bermuda; when the potential now exists for the further opening up of a expanded tourist market with the inclusion of the American tourist As far as the Cuban/American political elite in America with the normalization of relations between Cuba and the United States; that big political stick they use to weld over American politics will be of less value. Like it or not president Obama will go down in American history as the most activist president since president Franklin Roosevelt. As the saying goes; ‘The times they are changing’.
Alvin, I never thought I would say bravo to you??? I think you actually do get it?? This action if allowed to get anywhere will seriously hurt our tourism and employment in that sector!!!! Even though you despise the Republicans, they will be the only reason many BIU Union members don’t lose their jobs permantly and start to feel what real hunger is all about!!!
Who slapped Alvin upside his head? Is this indeed the same Alvin Williams?
If / when having time please read this!
From: Forbidden Knowledge TV [mailto:newsletter@forbiddenknowledgetv.ccsend.com]
Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2014 10:45 AM
To: Raymond Ray
Subject: AMTV: Oil Price Drop Signals Global Depression and WW3
Dear Raymond,
AMTV host, Christopher Greene
explains how since 2008, the US
has increased oil production by an
astounding 50%, made possible
by hydraulic, horizontal drilling
known as “fracking,” making the
US the world’s number one
producer of natural gas and
doubling oil production in the
States of Texas and Oklahoma,
in just six years.
Back in 2008-2009, the price of
oil was $200 per barrel. Lately,
it’s been trading at barely $70 per
barrel and forecasted to go as low
as $30-$40, before stabilizing at
$60. This is disastrous for the
Russian and Iranian economies,
which are almost exclusively
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run their economies.
The Russian Ruble has lost 60% of
its value compared to the US dollar
over the past year, due to the slide
in the price of oil, compounded by
the US-NATO economic sanctions.
A similar currency crash has occurred
with the Iranian Rial.
As a result of these economic sanctions
and depressed oil prices, industrial
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edging into the double-digits, which
amounts to economic warfare – which
is commonly seen before physical war…
and there’s more…
Video Total: (around 15 mins)
Oil Price Drop Signals Global Depression and WW3
It was the Nixon/Republicans that opened negotiations with China in 1972. Cuba should have followed thereafter, not 42 years later. The Cubans have survived despite the U.S. sanctions. It is long overdue. It will impact Bermuda, but as before we will need to reinvent ourselves.
Cubans have survived in spite of their own distasteful and bullheaded political leadership.
It wasn’t U.S. sanctions that kept toilet paper and iodine out of Cuban bathrooms or Hello! magazine out of Cuban bookshelves.
Long over due Lynne??? Why don’t you go live next door ( 90 miles ) to a country that was inviting the Russians to build Nuclear Missle sites aimed at YOU??? The Cubans still live under the ber same Castro regime today as they did back when this took place while Kennedy was president!!! The Castros never apologized for their actions and have NEVER changed their ways!!! Oh and by the way, they are STILL IN CONTROL OF CUBA!!! Lefty thinking people make me cringe because of many things especially their niavate!!!!
Cuba just goes to show what a failure communism is. Its economy is abysmal. Without US trade its people live in a 1950′s time warp. Once it trades with the USA it will modernise and its economy will flourish. The only tragedy is the 50 years it has wasted.
Remind me again how none communist China is again? Also remind me of their economy?
China trades with the rest of the world. It steals technology from capitalist countries, copies products designed by capitalist corporations, and sells counterfeit products to capitalist consumers. China’s economy has been growing leaps and bounds because its 1.4bn people are making up for time wasted in the 20th century. Surely you aren’t pretending China is evidence that communism works?
let’s remind you of China’s abysmal human rights record and their non existent labour laws! Chris Furbert would shut that country down, and rightfully so!
Bill H will have to earn his pay now
About time!
its disappointing to read the negative comments ….. I didn’t think we had so many Ted Cruz skewed people here. And to think American companies are doing business in Cuba on the DL anyway. Bigots like Cruz make me sick!
This thread shows that a lot of Bermudians, like the republicans they worship, are selfish and arrogant people. Disgusting.
Say what you want, but this is BAD NEWS for Bermuda. Period.
Sooo, Obama must consider Bermuda’s plight when making decisons on foreign policy ??? Hmmmm!!
Put that pipe away my brother…
of course America can do whatever it wants I was simply pointing out the obvious. btw, opening up Cuba will not be good for Florida either.
The Cubans under “CASTRO”do not have any “FREEDOM”,never seen any Cubans from Cuba visiting Bermuda,but many Bermudians visiting Cuba.
The Cubans in cuba are “NOT FREE”to select or vote in a democratic process,and nothing will change this it will only reinforce the present administration.The Cubans in Cuba are not “FREE”to travel as we are in Bermuda no do they have the money that we in Bermuda are able to earn.
The Cuban benefactor the South America oil country,has GONE BROKE due to
the Communists Adminstaration so now Cuba is between a rock and a hard place.
Three year ago last October the Cuban Government “LAID OFF”500,000 workers yes half a million as they had no “MONEY”to pay them.
OBOMA is mad because the Election “RE-JECTED”him and the Democrat party in favour of the republicans,as they don’t seem to enjoy his policys.
That is the difference between FREEDOM and DICTATORSHIP
This is hilarious. Absolutely mind boggling. Dude, read a history book and turn off Fox News. Shut the front door!!!
Note to file, the US have regularly financed the overthrow of Latin American governmments and replaced them with US friendly Dictators. They don’t care how you treat your people as long as you remain open to US trade and on their grounds.
I do think a few of these exsperts on this blog should go to Haiti and show them how to have an Ecconomy so successful as we have in Bermuda.
Or maybe even in Jamaica where there Dollar is $110 to the Bermuda dollar.
bluebird, what is the correlation between the situations in Haiti or Jamaica, with Cuba?
Wrong again
Cuba will be be the end of Bermuda tourism .
Only idiots think that will happen.
So explain your points as to why.
Cuba is a different market than Bermuda.
Bermudians will not have to worry about Cuba.
Bermuda’s problem was and it has an aging product. Sort that and it only gets better for. Bermuda.
Again we don’t cater to 2-3 million land based visitors and Cuba will not have an effect on the 225-300k we want.
But I expect you oba ppl to panic.
And Thnx for confirming how much you really hate blacks in power. Some real insight into people’s heads from reading this .
Cuba is a VERY large island with everything from stunning mountain ranges to massive coconut palm lined beaches far larger , and daresay , even prettier than ours .
A very rich cultural history that predates ours . Also factor in that it’s virtually been frozen in a time capsule since 1959 .
The vast majority of its people are very poor and humble and the cost of a really nice 2 week visit there is just a fraction of a few days to visit here .
It’s also a short hop from the US mainland , so once it’s opened up to tourism it WILL be a major concern for us and all of our Caribbean competitors regardless of what government we support locally .
This is such a silly argument. Unless you are an intimately impacted, 50 -70 + year old Cuban American and on this site, than you should simply step off.
I’m not sure what you naysayers are fussing about. Your arguments are riddled with double standards. Where are you on China and for that matter why aren’t the conservatives pressing Obama to end that relationship? Maybe it’s that 1.3 trillion dollars that the US owe their communist partners in the east.
The Chinese have an awful human rights record and the idea that their people are truly free is a myth Why are the views of disenfranchised Chinese ( to include those leaving in HK ) not valued as highly as the shrinking Cuban American population in Florida? Could it simpy be votes?
If we are waiting for the US to save our tourism from those rum drinking, pesky commies, than we are not only delusional we clearly have to go easy on our Gosling Black as well..
“Where are you on China and for that matter why aren’t the conservatives pressing Obama to end that relationship?”
What does “ending that relationship” entail, and what would it seek to accomplish?
A more discerning U.S. President would be great, but if the current guy caves to a shabby Cuban police state on Castro’s terms when there is (as you point out) less at stake, what hope is there that we will see much free-world leadership when Chinese communists behave badly (again) towards their citizens or their neighbours?
The U.S. and the E.U. do have an arms embargo against the PRC, partially because of that country’s rotten human rights record.
HEY CUBA – here comes your Daddy:
I and I am sure thousands of American (those wise enough not to have sold out >at a tenth of a cent on the dollar<) are even now removing tens of thousands of stock certificate from their frames. I will truly miss their colorfulness on otherwise dull walls. Didn't those pre-Castro Cubano private enterprisers make the most colorful and attractive certificates? But, it seems, the time has come for cashing-in my shares – they will be missed up there on the wall, but what the hell, I can buy some really nice Picasos with the haul I'll be racking in. Time for my [or if I may - America's] Free Enterprise System to get things back to normal, getting those folks into the fields and the orchards again working for me and other Outsiders willing to drag them into The Free Enterprise's 21st Century. Just imagine the opportunities which we will open to them: "Yes sir kiddo, (in our system), someday You could own a plantation" – 'IF your Daddy owns this one' !!!
ricknyc
Bermudians, you don’t get to look down on other countries human rights records until you fix your own.