The Trump administration announced major new restrictions on United States citizens traveling to Cuba today which included a ban on many forms of educational and recreational travel.
The move bans American cruise ships from stopping in Cuba, which is the most common way Americans are able to visit the island.
“Cruise ships, as well as recreational and pleasure vessels, are prohibited from departing the U.S. on temporary sojourn to Cuba effective tomorrow,” the Commerce Department said in a statement to The Associated Press.
The new restrictions are part of a larger effort by the Trump Administration to roll back efforts by former President Barack Obama to restore normal relations between the two countries which permitted things like educational tours, commercial air travel and cruises of the island for American citizens.
I strongly reject new sanctions announced by #US vs. #Cuba which further restrict #US citizens’ travels to Cuba, aimed at suffocating the economy & harming the living standards of Cubans in order to forcefully obtain political concessions,” said Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla in a tweet. “Once again they will fail.”
