How soon do you think president-elect Biden will relax travel restrictions for trips to Cuba, similar to what was expanded under the Obama administration? I look forward to increased US tourism to Cuba resuming in greater volume.

The problem was/is the embargo.

It needs an act of Congress to change. No credit cards or real tourism until that happens.

That is why Obamas actions were so quickly undone by Trump.

Furthermore, Biden took it on the chin from Cubans in Florida. If he wants to win them over, he will follow Trumps lead.

jfklganyc wrote:

Furthermore, Biden took it on the chin from Cubans in Florida. If he wants to win them over, he will follow Trumps lead.

Or, he just writes off the Cubans in Florida and actually develops a policy for the 21C, even if ex-Cuba Floridians aren't ready for it.

Actually you'd be surprised but the Cuban Americans are hard-core Republican for the most part and things won't change much unless Cuba becomes capitalist (like China/Vietnam).

jfklganyc wrote:

The problem was/is the embargo.

It needs an act of Congress to change.

Which means that it largely depends on the senate races in North Carolina and Georgia.

dolphinflyer wrote:

How soon do you think president-elect Biden will relax travel restrictions for trips to Cuba...

To pig bay?
Very soon.

MIflyer12 wrote:

jfklganyc wrote:

Furthermore, Biden took it on the chin from Cubans in Florida. If he wants to win them over, he will follow Trumps lead.

Or, he just writes off the Cubans in Florida and actually develops a policy for the 21C, even if ex-Cuba Floridians aren't ready for it.

well? since they didn't vote for him and he won anyway? They might not be that big of a deal in the Grand Scheme. If there's a business case to be made to serve Cuba and Trade with Cuba? Then it should be explored, We have relations with Viet Nam and I'd far more like that to stop as nobody in Cuba ever shot me or at me. And? We have the Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay still there as well. Which we haven't closed.

x1234 wrote:

Actually you'd be surprised but the Cuban Americans are hard-core Republican for the most part and things won't change much unless Cuba becomes capitalist (like China/Vietnam).

Actually from what I understand a lot of Cuban Americans are still voting Republican, but an increasing amount is voting Democratic. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that increasing amount of younger Cuban Americans are being allowed to vote ?

acavpics wrote:

jfklganyc wrote:

The problem was/is the embargo.

It needs an act of Congress to change.

Which means that it largely depends on the senate races in North Carolina and Georgia.

This would actually need 60 votes to change.

You would need broad, bipartisan support.

Until that happens you cannot use a credit card in Cuba… And there will be no normal travel.

Biden could put things right back to where Obama had them (without congressional approval) where for e.g. tens of thousands of cruise ship passengers were visiting the island with direct tremendous benefit to the regular Cuban citizen. But given that Biden did so poorly with the Cubans in South Florida he may not have the political will to do it. It does amaze me that the South Florida Cubans bought this line from Trump that Biden was a socialist. That is insane. And the ultimate irony is that in voting for Trump they supported a man who was America's first authoritarian/fascist leader. I've always considered the Cubans to be America's most successful immigrant community but their thinking on Joe Biden totally baffles me!

Trump's political move to shore up support for His personal electoral gain is obvious, but he has done nothing for the situation other than enhance his own pollical standing .
I think at the end of the day we need to normalize with Cuba. Pointing fingers for 60 years hasn't done anything other than keep them against the US, and keep the people in Cuba suffering under the current regime. If we are going to win over Cuba, we need to open up a bit more and let Capitalism run it's course.

I understand the resentment for many about what happened and happens in Cuba under their current regime, but the easiest way to change it is to open up trade.

I think Biden will re enact the Executive order that Obama had. It should be done as soon as possible once the pandemic is over.

casinterest wrote:

I think Biden will re enact the Executive order that Obama had. It should be done as soon as possible once the pandemic is over.

I think rescinding Trump's EO which rescinded Obama's EO on Cuba travel will be in the very first batch less than a week after he takes office.

But you are correct, nothing will change until the pandemic is "over".

The Cuba situation kind of got buried and wasn't really talked about much during the Trump years. The unanswered question that still lingers from the early days of this administration is about the mysterious sonic attacks that affected many at the US Embassy. I would like to normalize with Cuba but this issue with the Sonic attacks needs to be answered and a solution to prevent it from happening needs to be agreed to.

strfyr51 wrote:

MIflyer12 wrote:

jfklganyc wrote:

Furthermore, Biden took it on the chin from Cubans in Florida. If he wants to win them over, he will follow Trumps lead.

Or, he just writes off the Cubans in Florida and actually develops a policy for the 21C, even if ex-Cuba Floridians aren't ready for it.

well? since they didn't vote for him and he won anyway? They might not be that big of a deal in the Grand Scheme. If there's a business case to be made to serve Cuba and Trade with Cuba? Then it should be explored, We have relations with Viet Nam and I'd far more like that to stop as nobody in Cuba ever shot me or at me. And? We have the Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay still there as well. Which we haven't closed.

What were you doing in Vietnam in the first place ?

Do they still do the family flights? There is an official name for them. The way I remember the reports going is that families were allowed to fly on government chartered flights from Miami to Havana to visit their relatives.

apodino wrote:

The Cuba situation kind of got buried and wasn't really talked about much during the Trump years. The unanswered question that still lingers from the early days of this administration is about the mysterious sonic attacks that affected many at the US Embassy. I would like to normalize with Cuba but this issue with the Sonic attacks needs to be answered and a solution to prevent it from happening needs to be agreed to.

We won't know until we go back.

There is not enough scientific evidence.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/ ... acks-scare


My suggestion is the issue was within the compound's operation itself, but it gave Trump cover to leave Cuba and satisfy southeast Florida.