Obama, Congress relaxes Cuba restrictions (includes update)

Update

Despite calling it an "imperfect proposal" President Obama signed the spending bill which includes easing certain restrictions to Cuba. (Link via FOX News).

Original Post

Congress passed a $410 million omnibus spending bill that includes relaxing travel and importation restrictions to Cuba.

The bill’s provisions don’t go as far as scrapping the decades-long trade embargo against Cuba. Yet it would allow Cuban-Americans to visit their families on the island once a year; thus, reversing a Bush administration rule limiting travel to once every three years. In addition, the bill would make it easier to import medicine and food to the island.

The proposal had faced stern opposition from a pair of Cuban-American Senators (Mel Martinez and Bob Melendez) representing both of the major parties. Yet their disagreement seemed to have been dissuaded after Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner promised that the embargo’s main parts would remain in place. Furthermore, Geithner promised tight oversight of the eased limitations.

The bill is expected to be signed very soon by President Barack Obama. During his presidential run, Obama promised to ease travel restrictions to Cuba with the possibility of improving relations with the island. Yet one Cuban government representative recently considered relaxing the provisions as committing “the same mistake previous administrations have made".

How have Cubans reacted to the news? According to Reuters, it’s a mixed bag among those living in exile and seen as a positive among those living domestically.

Image- CBS News
Online Sources- Reuters, U.S. News and World Report, USA TODAY, AFP, The Latin Americanist, BBC News, Radio Netherlands Worldwide