Trump Administration Bans All Travel To Cuba; Sets Back Obama-Era Move To Restore Relations With Country

Donald Trump has imposed a travel ban on visits to Cuba by U.S. citizens.

No educational trips, vacations, or casual visits to Cuba will be permitted under Trump’s new travel restriction to the country. USA Today reports the Treasury Department made the announcement that U.S. citizens also will not able to take cultural trips known as “people-to-people” travel to the island. The sanctions will take place on Wednesday after they are published in the Federal Register.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the change is a part of what the Trump administration calls Cuba’s “destabilizing role” in the Western Hemisphere, referring to the support for the government and  President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. “This administration has made a strategic decision to reverse the loosening of sanctions and other restrictions on the Cuban regime,” Mnuchin said. “These actions will help to keep U.S. dollars out of the hands of Cuban military, intelligence, and security services.”

Back in December 2014, the Obama administration restored normal relations between Cuba and the U.S. Prior to this new change, cruise ships were a main method of transportation for Americans traveling to Cuba, which provided some form of economic security to the island and other resources for Americans. Along with ships, private planes and boats will also be banned from going into the country. “Consequently, private and corporate aircraft, cruise ships, sailboats, fishing boats, and other similar aircraft and vessels generally will be prohibited from going to Cuba,” according to the new rules published by the Commerce Department. While the new rules will take effect on Wednesday, the government is allowing tourists with already paid for trips to proceed with their travel arrangements.

In a statement to USA TODAY, Megan King, a spokesperson for Cruise Lines International Association said the industry group is working through logistics of the ban. “CLIA and its cruise lines are currently reviewing and working through the details of the Administration’s Cuba policy announcement made earlier today to assess the scale and timing of its effect on cruise sailings from the U.S. to Cuba,” she said.