“Through this order, the Department of Transportation of USAat the request of the Department of State, revokes previous actions that restrict some air services between the United States and Cuba,” reads the text.
On January 10, 2020, the Department of Transportation suspended until further notice all public charter flights between the United States and Cuban destinations other than the International Airport. Jose Marti of Havanaat the request of then-Secretary of State Michael Pompeo.
This measure made it more expensive and difficult for Cuban-Americans to visit the provinces, in the midst of the pandemic.
In addition, Pompeo imposed a cap on number of public charters bound for the José Martí International Airport.
Both measures were intended, according to the Trump administration, to “limit the possibility of the regime obtaining economic benefits that it uses to finance repression.”
The United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, yesterday sent a letter to the Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, to urge him to end the civil air restrictions on flights between the United States and Cuba “in support of the Cuban people and the interests of the foreign policy of the United States,” according to the order.
In May, the Biden administration announced that it would lift some of the restrictions imposed on Cuba under Trump, to facilitate immigration procedures, money transfers and flights to the island, a decision applauded by Havana.
With these measures, the government of Biden, who promised to review the policy towards Havana when he arrived at the White House in January 2021, intends to “support the aspirations of freedom and greater economic opportunities of Cubans so that they can lead a successful life at home.”
Cuba described it as a “limited step in the right direction”but stressed that “it does not modify” the embargo in force for six decades.
Trump tightened the economic embargo that the United States has applied to Cuba since 1962 in order to force a regime change, reversing the opening promoted by his predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama (2009-2017).
The policy regarding the island, under a single-party regime, the Communist, since the revolution led by Fidel Castro in 1959, is a politically sensitive issue in the United States, which is home to a large community of immigrants of Cuban origin.
In fact, the relaxation generated discomfort among Republicans and even among some Democrats, especially after the 2021 protests that resulted in one death, dozens of injuries and more than 1,300 detainees, according to Miami-based Cubalex.
Source: Ambito
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