Islam Times - US to lift travel ban on Cuba

Islam Times - The Obama administration plans to lift the US travel ban on Cuba, allowing thousands of Americans to travel to the island for educational purposes.

Islam Times reports from AP: The people-to-people contacts policy will be revived by Obama within the next few weeks to few months.

“These measures will increase people-to-people contact; support civil society in Cuba; enhance the free flow of information to, from, and among the Cuban people; and help promote their independence,” the White House Office of the Press Secretary said in a statement released earlier this year.

The Republican lawmakers have opposed the move, calling on the president to uphold the strict embargo against Cuba.

“President Obama and the administration continuously say they don't want more tourism [in Cuba] and that's not what they're trying to do. But that's exactly what's happening," said Cuban-American, Miami lawmaker Mario Diaz-Balart, who opposes the more lenient rules.

Cuban officials expect as many as 500,000 visitors annually from the US. Most will be Cuban-Americans visiting their relatives.

From 2000 to 2003, tens of thousands of Americans traveled to Cuba under people-people contacts licenses. Others had to enter Cuba from a third country, such as Mexico.

“This is travel to Cuba for literally any American," said Tom Popper, director of Insight Cuba, which brought thousands of Americans to Cuba before the policy was blocked by the Bush administration seven years ago.