Barack Obama

Trump Considering a Rollback of Obama's Cuba Policy

The rollback is unlikely to completely sever diplomatic ties or shutter the U.S. Embassy in Havana, NBC News reported

President Donald Trump is considering rolling back Obama-era policies on opening diplomatic relations with Cuba, several sources told NBC News. The sources cautioned, however, that no final decisions have been made. 

The rollback is unlikely to completely sever diplomatic ties or shutter the U.S. Embassy in Havana, but may include reimposing limits on banking, people-to-people exchanges, exporting Cuban cigars and rum, and other measures. 

A number of congressional leaders, including Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio, have been vocal critics of the Obama administration's deals with Raul Castro. Rubio is said to be a key player in pushing Trump toward undoing the current policies, NBC News reported. 

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Critics of the rollback in diplomatic relations include the Chamber of Commerce, states that export agricultural products to Cuba and intelligence agencies that have benefited from improved intelligence sharing. 

"I think it's been a success, but it doesn't have the kind of impact that the Obama administration hoped," said Dr. Jorge Duany with the FIU Cuban Research Institute. "The idea was this people-to-people contact would open up the Cuban economy and eventually provide for a more democratic Cuba. That hasn't happened."

President Trump would announce the plan in Miami in an executive order, citing human rights abuses on the communist-run island, according to NBC News. 

In January, the Obama administration ended the "wet foot, dry foot" policy, which allowed any Cuban who made it to U.S. soil to stay and become a legal resident.

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