President of the United States, Donald J. Trump has canceled a deal sealed with the Cuban government by the Barack Obama administration.
Trump canceled the deal on Friday, June 16, during a speech in Miami, where he also announced a new policy in regard to the U.S.’s relationship with Cuba, restricting travel and spending.
Giving reason for his decision, Trump said he was “canceling the last administration’s completely one-sided deal with Cuba”, adding that “the previous administrations easing of restrictions on travel and trade does not help the Cuban people. They only enrich the Cuban regime,” President Trump said.
Speaking further during the meeting which also featured appearances by Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Gov. Rick Scott and Vice President Mike Pence, Trump said . “The profits from investment and tourism flow directly to the military.”
Though the Cuban-Americans are still free to travel to the country and send remittances, the new policy however, ends non-academic individual travel to the island nation and restricts travel-related transactions from flowing to entities owned and operated by the Cuban military monopoly, a fact sheet released by the White House on Friday revealed.
“My action today bypasses the military and the government to help the Cuban people themselves,” Trump said.
President Trump noted that any further changes to the U.S.-Cuba relationship would only come if the Cuban regime made some significant changes including the release of political freedoms, the acceptance of free assembly and expression, the legalization of political parties, and the scheduling of free and internationally supervised elections, calling on the Cuban government to renegotiate a new deal.
“We will not be silent in the face of communism, oppression,” Trump said.
“America will always stand for liberty and America will always pray and cheer for the freedom of the Cuban people,” he added.
The announcement by the US President, marks the reversal of a signature Obama-administration achievement that eased some restrictions on travel and engagement with Cuba.
