Congress Votes to Lift Restrictions on Cuba

A few weeks ago, TravelNewsNotes discussed the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act, which aimed to ease restrictions on Cuban immigrants’ ability to visit family on their native country. On March 10, The U.S. Congress has passed the bill.

If approved by President Obama, the bill will allocate $410 billion to allow Cuban immigrants in the United States to visit the country once every year as opposed to the current restriction which allows visits once very three years. Travelers would also be allowed to stay longer than the two weeks allowed by the current law.

Additionally, the bill makes it easier for Americans to sell agricultural and medical supplies to Cuba.

According to Reuters, the bill has sparked a controversy among the Cuban immigrant community in Miami. Some residents see hope in increased contact with the generally isolated nation, while anti-communist sediment has others seeing the change as being just a step away from treason.