US President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum imposing a tough US policy on Cuba and reversing measures introduced by former President Joe Biden, Reuters reported.
The directive will impose a legal ban on American tourism to Cuba, while upholding an economic embargo on the country. Although Americans cannot visit Cuba for recreation, travel is allowed for activities including educational or humanitarian.
In one of his first actions after taking office in January, Trump reversed the decision by the Joe Biden administration to remove the country from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism. He also partially restricted entry for people from Cuba.
Under the memorandum, Trump renewed a ban on direct or indirect financial transactions with entities controlled by the Cuban military, with exceptions for transactions that further U.S. policy goals or support the Cuban people. Biden rescinded a 2017 Trump order that had restricted financial transactions with certain military and government-affiliated Cuban entities.
The new memorandum enforces the legal ban on U.S. travel to Cuba and ensures compliance through regular audits and mandatory accounting of all travel-related transactions for at least five years. Washington supports the economic embargo against Cuba and opposes calls at the United Nations and other international forums to end it.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said on the social network X that the memorandum against Cuba reinforces the aggression and economic blockade that punishes the entire Cuban people and is the main obstacle to our development. According to him, this is a criminal act and a violation of the human rights of an entire nation.