San Francisco (Obama.net)- Tensions between the Democratic-Republic that is the United States of America and the Communist state that is Cuba have been high for years due to conflicting ideologies, as well as events such as the Bay of Pigs. However, there are numerous people in the United States who have family, friends, and other ties to the Communist island state, and vice versa. As a result of the conflicts, there are high restrictions on traveling between the two countries and sending mail and packages as well.
President Barack Obama sees that the problems between the two states are no where near as poor as they once were, and that Cuba no longer poses the potential militaristic threat that they did in the times of the Cold War.
Thus is why President Obama is going to announce new travel rules next week that will highly ease the restrictions currently in place. The new plan is reported to resemble the one that was in place during the first term of the Clinton Presidency.
Obama is looking to undo the tightening of the regulations that were put into place in 1996 and under previous President George W. Bush.
Back in 2009, President Obama lightened travel restrictions for American’s who have family and friends in Cuba. Travel and the wiring of money are now much easier and more accepted than in the previous decade and a half.
Obama’s new rules will allow religious institutions, academic institutions, and cultural groups to come to Cuba and expose new ideas to the nation.
Reports indicate that most Cuban-Americans are in favor of the new policies and that they welcome the new regulations.
Some are arguing that the move simply gives Cuba’s government more leverage and more power. However, the Communist state is also working hard to better the relations between the two states. The Cuban President, Castro, recently started to release political prisoners as a sign of his willingness to evolve his state.
Obama has taken a deep look into the relations between the two states and realized that it is for the better of the men and women who have connections to both states to lighten regulations.
The abilities for both cultures to now have access to each other again is great! The peoples of both countries will now be able to learn much more about each other which will in turn, help the future understandings and compassions of each society.