The United States said Wednesday that it lifted certain restrictions on some travel and money transfers to Cuba imposed during the Trump era, in application of changes announced last month by the Joe Biden administration.
The Treasury Department reported that as of June 9, its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) modified the Regulation of Control of Cuban Assets to implement the foreign policy measures towards the Caribbean island announced on May 16.
So the Biden Administration said it would take steps to "further support the Cuban people, providing them with additional tools to lead a life free from the oppression of the Cuban government and seek greater economic opportunities".
The new regulations will be published Thursday in the Federal Register.
According to the Treasury, the regulations authorize group educational trips to the island as long as they are sponsored by an organization subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, as well as attendance at professional meetings and conferences in Cuba. The amendment does not allow travel for tourist activities.
In addition, the quarterly limit of 1,000 dollars for family remittances to Cuban citizens who are close relatives. And remittances of donations to Cuban citizens are allowed, as long as they are not vetoed government officials, members of the Cuban Communist Party or their relatives.
These restrictions had been imposed during the government of Republican Donald Trump (2017-2021), who tightened the economic embargo that the United States has applied to Cuba since 1962 in order to force a regime change.
Trump’s measures reversed the opening promoted by his predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama (2009-2017), of whom Biden was vice president.
The Biden Administration has already lifted a series of restrictions imposed by Trump on flights to Cuba, according to an order published on June 1 by the Department of Transportation.
Those limitations prevented US commercial airlines and charter flights from reaching Cuban cities, except Havana. In addition, there was a cap on the number of charter flights to the José Martà International Airport.
On Wednesday, the government of Cuba considered the new flexibilizations insufficient.
"The publication of some regulations on the measures announced on May 16 by the US government regarding Cuba confirms the extremely limited nature of this step, the absolute validity of the economic blockade and the most aggressive aspects of Trump’s measures"Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno RodrÃguez tweeted.
The United States revealed the new regulations towards Cuba while this week the Summit of the Americas takes place in Los Angeles with Biden as host, and to which, for the first time since 2015, the Cuban government was not invited by "Bookings" of Washington on the lack of democratic spaces and the human rights situation on the island.