Biden to lift some Trump-era restrictions on Cuba
The decision comes after a lengthy internal review, delayed after a Cuban government crackdown on widespread street protests on the island last summer.
The administration has also been under pressure to ease the numbers of migrants crossing the southern border, where tens of thousands of Cubans have become the second-largest group of those seeking unauthorized entry through Mexico. Last month, the administration and Cuba held direct migration talks for the first time in four years.
Under decades-old bilateral accords, suspended in 2018 as part of the Trump administration’s reversal of President Barack Obama’s opening to Cuba that had led to a restoration of diplomatic relations in 2015, the United States had agreed to issue at least 20,000 immigrant visas annually to Cubans. Visas were further limited when the U.S. embassy and consulate were reduced to skeleton staffs in 2019.
Under the new measures, the administration will increase capacity at the consulate and reinstate a family reunification parole program. The Trump-era cap that limited family remittances to $1,000 every three months is to be lifted, and a ban on nonfamily remittances will be eased to allow payment to independent Cuban entrepreneurs.
“We will encourage commercial opportunities outside of the state sector by authorizing access to expanded cloud technology, application programming interfaces, and e-commerce platforms, the statement said. Bans on commercial and charter flights to cities other than Havana will also be lifted.
Cuba is facing a severe economic crisis, caused by a combination of U.S. sanctions, a sharp drop in tourism during the pandemic, and worldwide inflation.
Biden, who had pledged to reverse the restrictive measures during his campaign, has been caught between conflicting pressures on Cuba. Senior lawmakers, including a number of Cuban Americas, have been opposed to any easing of the restrictions, while some Democrats and a number of countries in Latin America, have objected to them.
In a potential embarrassment for the administration, a growing number of hemispheric leaders have said they will not attend an America’s summit Biden is to host next month in Los Angeles, if Cuba is not invited.