Biden admin opens up US travel to Cuba

The Biden administration lifted flight restrictions to Cuba set by former President Trump that limited travel only to capital city Havana only.

The US Transportation Department issued the order on Wednesday as part of a larger Cuban foreign policy reset. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the move was "in support of the Cuban people, and in the foreign policy interests of the United States."

The Biden administration promised to lift restrictions on the amount of money immigrants can send back to family within Cuba as well and to reinstate the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program. This 2007 program was designed to allow US Citizens to apply for parole for their family members incarcerated in Cuba.

If approved, the parolees were allowed to bypass the immigrant visa process and gain immediate entry to America.

President Trump suspended the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program and limited flights only to Havana. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said in a 2020 tweet that "the Castro regime uses tourism and travel funds to finance its abuses and interference in Venezuela. Dictators cannot be allowed to benefit from US Travel."

Last summer Cuba experienced a resurgence of protest over its communist dictatorship. The country's economic contraction spurred many to the streets. Cuban musician Rudy Sarzo said to The Post Millennial that the country's citizens had "nothing else to lose" in their pursuit of freedom.

It's unclear how the recent shift in policy will affect the Cuban economy.

State Department spokesman Ned Price has said "with these actions, we aim to support Cubans' aspirations for freedom and for greater economic opportunities so that they can lead successful lives at home."

Biden's stance towards Cuba is similar to President Barack Obama who moved to restore economic ties with Cuba and lifted a decades long embargo on travel to and from the country.