US Citizens

You are welcome to Cuba!!

USA-Cuba relationship

Mass media reports, particularly in the US, have regularly referred during the past forty years, to American-Cuban tense relationship since the US embargo to Cuba was set in 1961.

In 1978 president Jimmy Carter lift the travel restrictions for Americans to visit Cuba legally which opened a new era in the Cuban tourism industry. Hundreds of thousands of American citizens and Cuban citizens residents in the US had the opportunity to travel to Cuban during 1978 and 1979.

This flow of visitors to Cuba was suddenly cut when Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980, when travel restrictions to Cuba were again put in place.

Once the president Bill Clinton came to power and particular after his re-election the democrat administration started again to implement flexibility in its relationship with Cuba.

One of the sectors where more emphasis was made was the migratory area where several agreements were signed between governments.

At the same time, the Clinton administration has gradually been allowing that some sectors of the American society visits Cuba, such as journalists, writers, government officials, academics, artists, religious people and other groups dedicated to humanitarian aid.

Another measure taken by the American government has been to allow private remittances for the civil population in Cuba.

In addition, the American government has allowed commercial trade of medicines between US and Cuban laboratories.

In the cultural sector the increase of exchange between the two countries have registered significant growth not only from the US to Cuba but also from Cuba to the US.

Within this context, the general understanding that US government does not allow American citizens to visit Cuba is not true. Although freedom to travel for American citizens to Cuba does not exist in a general sense.

The Treasure Department has foreseen the authorization of academic licenses for universities, research centers, academic institutions, religious organizations, non-profit organizations, mass media and others.