Travel to Cuba may go forward with or without congressional approval said an undisclosed U.S. official on Friday, hinting that President Barack Obama would ease travel restrictions to Cuba regardless of whether legislation to repeal a wider travel ban is approved by Congress this year.
According to the undisclosed source, Obama would focus on making Cuba more accessible to Americans visiting the island on educational or cultural trips. The source, however, did not specify what changes would be made to ease restrictions.
Currently, Americans can travel to Cuba on educational or cultural trips, but only under specific conditions approved by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. For example, American can visit the island if they are students or employees at qualifying universities, or if they are conducting research toward a graduate degree.
Lifting the congressional travel ban will be difficult, but President Obama does not need congressional approval to loosen existing regulations. Last year, Obama opened travel to Cuba for Americans with family on the Caribbean island.
Legislation to end the 47-year travel ban that prohibits the majority of Americans from visiting Cuba, however, has yet to reach the House or Senate floor. In June, the House Agriculture Committee approved a bill to end the travel ban and make it simpler to do cash transactions with Cuba.
The new bill is by U.S. farm groups who want to see more trade between the U.S. and Cuba. Last year, the U.S. exported $532 million worth of farm goods like wheat, corn and meat. The total revenue could be even higher if rules controlling cash payments were simpler, farm groups have argued.
Groups such as the United States Tour Operators Association are also for the lifting of the ban. In an interview in March, Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero said 1 million U.S. tourists would visit Cuba annually if the ban were lifted.
Since President Dwight D. Eisenhower established trade limits on Cuba in 1960, nearly every U.S. administration has either loosened or tightened regulations.
By Adriana Padilla for PeterGreenberg.com.
Related Links: Gadling, Bloomberg, CubaHeadlines.com
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