New Cuba Sanctions Go Into Effect
July 1, 2004
The Bush administration’s added restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba went into effect on July 1, infuriating Cuban-Americans and Cuba travel advocates.
Cuban-Americans filled airports hours before the new restrictions went into effect desperately attempting to reach Cuba to visit family before the midnight deadline on June 30th.
The "new Cuba rules are a cold, poll-driven calculation that has less to do with democracy-building in Havana than with vote-counting in Miami," commented Rep. Bill Delahunt.
This election-year stunt includes:
* Cutting family visits to once every three years;
* Visits limited to 14 days per trip;
* A new spending maximum of $50 per day, down from $167 ;
* The definition of family is now re-classified and limited to parents, children, siblings and grandparents, excluding all other family members;
* Cash remittances are now set at $300 per quarter and may only go to immediate family;
* Travelers to Cuba may not return with any goods of Cuban origin, except books and other educational materials;
* University programs and educational exchanges must last a minimum of 10 weeks;
* High school students are no longer eligible to conduct study programs in Cuba;
* Fully hosted travel is totally eliminated.
