Talking to a crowd in Miami on Friday Donald Trump announced that he will be enforcing the ban on tourism and the embargo on Cuba, reversing Obama's policy to relax restrictions. Through its Foreign Ministry, Russia was quick to slam the decision describing it as anti-Cuba discourse and Cold War rhetoric.
Reversing Obama's Cuban Policy
Donald Trump had promised during the 2016 campaign for president, to reverse Obama's decision to develop closer ties with Cuba and did just that by declaring an immediate cancellation of Obama's Cuba policies.
He described these policies as one- sided and said that the ban on tourism would be enforced as would the embargo. However, even with an embargo and ban on tourism, Trump will retain one part of the Obama era Cuban policy; he will keep the US embassy in that country open.
Trump wants relations with Russia but not Cuba
He campaigned on a pledge to improve relations with Russia but Donald Trump has cemented the divide between Cuba and the United States. As president-elect, Trump had said that only fools or stupid people would not want closer ties with Moscow. And even after being briefed about Russia's involvement in the US elections, Trump tweeted that relations with Russia are a good thing.
However, improved relations with Moscow are yet to materialize while Cuba and Russia continue to cement their relations. Just recently a deal was signed between the two countries to renew oil shipments to Cuba.
Anti-Cuba discourse
Donald Trump's decision to roll back Obama era warming relations with Cuba and to tighten some restrictions has been denounced by the Russian government and described the policy as resorting to Cold War-era rhetoric. The Russian Foreign Ministry declared that this new approach can only induce regret and that it was clear that anti-Cuba discourse is still needed. They praised the easing of sanctions under the Obama administration as a political decision that was well thought out.
The crackdown and the fallout
Under Donald Trump's Cuba plan, Americans traveling to the Island will face tighter restrictions and it removes the ability for travellers to engage in independent visits and thus limiting them to authorized tour groups. There is also a crackdown on US business relations with the Cuban military. Since the Cuban military controls two-thirds of the economy of the Island, this move could be problematic for US businesses. There could be an outcry from new business ventures and those farm states that were depending on the Cuban market for their produce.