CET Releases Statement on New US Sanctions Against Cuba

The Trump administration today has hammered away at the rights of U.S. citizens to do business and travel to Cuba, another backward move to undo all of former President Obama’s advances with Cuba.

The new regulations which tighten sanctions against Cuba will take effect on Thursday.  The regulations will ban Americans from doing business with Cuban entities which benefit the government military, security and intelligence services.  This will effect hotels, travel agencies, rum manufacturers and stores.  The new regulations will also deny exports from the prohibited entities.

Cuba Educational Travel (CET) President, Collin Laverty, Senior Partner at Havana Strategies, and leading expert on US-Cuba relations has released a statement on the Trump administration’s new regulations.

“At a time that President Trump is meeting with communist leaders in China and Vietnam, these regulations show the absolute hypocrisy and political pandering of the Trump Administration on Cuba. They serve to placate a fading minority in South Florida, harming American and Cuban workers and families. This cold-war policy shows just how out of touch with reality Senator Rubio, Congressman Diaz-Balart and President Trump are.
“U.S. backtracking on Cuba could not come at a worse time. Restrictions on trade and travel are hammering Cuba’s private sector, which has grown through interaction with U.S. travelers and U.S. companies, and put the U.S. on the sidelines, politically and economically, at a time of transition in Cuba.

“At the same time, these limited tweaks to President Obama’s policy demonstrate the popularity of opening up trade and travel with Cuba. There remain countless ways to legally visit the island and there are many fully compliant avenues for doing business.

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“Americans can rest assured that it’s still completely legal to visit Cuba. Commercial flights, cruise ships, Marriot hotels, Airbnb and top-notch tour providers continue to operate business as usual, and it takes just minutes to secure your legal trip to the island. U.S. companies will continue to pursue deals that comply with the new regulations, benefiting business owners, workers and consumers in both countries.”