Breakdown of Trump’s changes to US-Cuba policy

World Today

President Donald Trump shows the signed executive order surrounded by cabinet members and supporters in Miami, Friday, June 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

President Donald Trump announced Friday that he was “canceling” predecessor Barack Obama’s U.S. policy towards Cuba, but several parts of Obama’s policy will remain intact.

CGTN’s Sean Callebs reports.

Under his policy, the Embassies in Havana and Washington D.C. will remain open, and U.S. airlines and cruise ships will still be able to travel to the island.

Cuban-Americans will be able to continue to visit their family in Cuba and send them remittances.

The “wet foot, dry foot” policy, which once let most Cuban migrants stay in the United States if they made it to U.S. soil but was terminated under Obama, will remain terminated.

Trump also reaffirmed the United States statutory embargo of Cuba and opposed calls in the United Nations and other international forums for the embargo’s termination.

The goal of the White House policy is to halt the flow of U.S. cash to the country’s military and security services in a bid to increase pressure on Cuba’s government.

WHAT’S NEW

Trump did cancel individual “people-to-people” trips by Americans to Cuba, that was allowed under Obama for the first time in decades.

Travel for non-academic, educational purposes will be limited to group travel.

The U.S. government will police trips to ensure there’s a tour group representative along and to make sure travelers are pursuing a “full-time schedule of educational exchange activities.”

The new policy changes direct the Treasury Department and the Commerce Department to begin the process of issuing new regulations within 30 days.

Policy changes won’t take effect until those departments have finalized new regulations, which may take several months.

Story by CGTN with information from the Associated Press and a White House press release.