- April 14, 2009 - President Obama marked another major step away from the foreign policy priorities of the Bush administration. Obama has changed the nearly 50 year U.S. policy towards Cuba. He lifted restrictions on Cuban-Americans who are now allowed to make unlimited visits and send unlimited money to their island homeland. (Under the Bush administration rules, Cuban-Americans were eligible to travel to Cuba only every three years and send up to $300 to relatives every three months). In a further gesture of openness, telecommunications firms were freed to seek business there, too. But the rule on not allowing cultural and educational trips to Cuba by Americans remained in place as did the broader U.S. trade embargo. For most Americans, Cuba remains the only country in the world where America prohibits its citizens to travel to.
D: The Fidel Castro communist regime has been oppressing its people for nearly 50 years. Thousands of innocent civilians who simply disagree with Castro have been imprisoned, tortured and even murdered. So there is a good basis why America has had a 47 year policy in place against Cuba which includes an embargo and travel restrictions. There are three reasons why Obama's decision may be the wrong one. First, it shows signs of America conceding which will embolden the Cuban dictatorship to continue its ways of isolation, imprisonment and brutalization of pro-democracy activists. Second it provides an excellent opportunity for the dictatorship to receive critical financial support. Now that unlimited money is allowed to be sent to Cuba, the chances increase that these unlimited funds will fall into the hands of the Castro regime by using any means necessary. Third, allowing unlimited visits to Cuba for Cuban-Americans increases the chances of an American citizen being harmed by the Castro regime. Obama has stated that it is up to Cuba to make the next move. But Obama should not expect anything different from Castro. Relations were hurt several times in the last 47 years between America and Cuba by Castro's actions. This included during Jimmy Carter's administration, which had short-lived direct flights between Miami and Havana and the opening of interests sections that provide some contact in lieu of embassies. But that short honeymoon ended with a refugee crisis that saw about 125,000 Cubans flee to the United States from Cuba. Also under Clinton relations were hurt after Cuban fighter jets shot down two civilian planes off the island's coast, killing the four exiles aboard.