Americas

Home page

Americas

Obama to ease Cuba embargo

15 January 2011 20:58 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The White House plans to ease a half-century long economic embargo on Cuba, allowing students and organized groups to travel to the Caribbean island, APA reports quoting Press TV.

US President Barack Obama â€œhas directed that changes be made to regulations and policies governing: (1) purposeful travel; (2) non-family remittances; and (3) US airports supporting licensed charter flights to and from Cuba,â€ a press release from the White House said on Friday.

The plans will allow higher education institutions to sponsor travels to Cuba for course work and American citizens will be allowed to send â€œremittances (up to $500 per quarter) to non-family members in Cubaâ€ who are not â€œsenior Cuban government officials or senior members of the Cuban Communist Party.â€

The travel ban on visiting Cuba, which will still be in effect for the public, will take effect upon publication in the Federal Register within 2 weeks.

Obama believes that the eased embargo, the statement continues, is an important step â€œin reaching the widely shared goal of a Cuba that respects the basic rights of all its citizens.â€

Washingtonâ€™s punitive measures against Cuba were partially imposed in 1960, after the country nationalized the properties of the US citizens and corporations. The ruling was strengthened to a near-total embargo since February 7, 1962.

The US president, who has the power to regulate 12 categories of authorized travel to Cuba, can only lift the embargo if the Congress authorizes it.