Trump imposes new bans on Cuban rum, cigars, hotels

By Jeff Mason and Matt Spetalnick

 

FILE PHOTO: Cohiba cigars are seen on display at the 19th Habanos Festival in Havana, Cuba, February 27, 2017. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday banned U.S. citizens from bringing home rum or cigars from Cuba and from staying at Cuban government-owned hotels, as he sought to lock in the Cuban-American vote in the swing state of Florida ahead of November's presidential election.

 

Since Trump took office in January 2017, he has been rolling back a detente with America's old Cold War foe pursued by his Democratic predecessor, President Barack Obama.

 

Trump's aides believe his toughened stance has gone down well in the large Cuban-American community in south Florida, an important voting bloc in a state where he and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden are locked in a tight race.

 

"Today, as part of our continuing fight against communist oppression, I am announcing that the Treasury Department will prohibit U.S. travelers from staying at properties owned by the Cuban government," Trump said at a White House event.

 

"We're also further restricting the importation of alcohol and Cuban tobacco," the Republican president said at the ceremony honoring Bay of Pigs veterans.

 

Trump's decision overturns Obama's policy of allowing American travelers to bring back as much of Cuba's legendary rum and cigars that they could carry in their baggage for personal use.

 

A Treasury factsheet said U.S. citizens would be allowed to buy rum and cigars while visiting the Communist-run island, but would no longer be permitted to bring those products home.

 

“The current U.S. authorities insist on the application of a sanctions policy against Cuba that has not achieved the proposed objectives in 60 years," said a Cuban embassy official in Washington. "It is a wrong policy that is widely rejected by American society and even among Cuban Americans.”

 

The measures - which bar Americans from staying at more than 430 hotels owned or controlled by the government and impose new restrictions on professional meetings, performances and sports competitions - are intended to deny revenue to Cuban authorities.

 

They are not expected to have any immediate impact since the island is closed off to foreign travelers due to the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Carrie Filipetti, deputy assistant secretary of state for Cuba and Venezuela, said the new policy "will continue even past the pandemic."

 

Trump and Biden are competing fiercely in Florida, which Trump won in 2016 by just 1.2 percentage points. Trump will hold a rally in Jacksonville on Thursday.

 

Filipetti denied the measures were timed for electoral gain, saying they had been in the works for some time.

 

In June 2019, the Trump administration imposed heavy new restrictions on travel to Cuba, saying the move aimed to further pressure the Communist government over its support for Venezuela’s embattled President Nicolas Maduro.

 

Earlier this year, the Trump administration ordered Marriott International <MAR.O> to wind down hotel operations in Communist-run Cuba. Starwood Hotels, now owned by Marriott, was the first U.S. hotel company to sign a deal with Cuba since the 1959 revolution amid normalization of relations sought by Obama.

 

(Reporting by Jeff Mason, Matt Spetalnick and Daphne Psaledakis in Washington, Marc Frank in Havana; Writing by Doina Chiacu, Alexandra Alper and Matt Spetalnick; editing by Jonathan Oatis, Tom Brown, Bernadette Baum and David Gregorio)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-09-24

 

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How does this policy help the Cuban people in their home country? Another government to government action punishing the 'people'.

2 minutes ago, simple1 said:

How does this policy help the Cuban people in their home country? Another government to government action punishing the 'people'.

In his simple little mind he thinks it helps him win Florida. 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

President Donald Trump on Wednesday banned U.S. citizens from bringing home rum or cigars from Cuba and from staying at Cuban government-owned hotels, as he sought to lock in the Cuban-American vote in the swing state of Florida ahead of November's presidential election.

And here I thought it was a fair election. Not one where the one with presidential powers can use those implement a ban to win important votes.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Filipetti denied the measures were timed for electoral gain, saying they had been in the works for some time.

Yeah right...

Government tells me what items are ok for me to have and no citizen bats an eye. Par for the course.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

They are not expected to have any immediate impact since the island is closed off to foreign travelers due to the coronavirus pandemic.

So it is a nothing burger. Meanwhile US trade with Cuba tops $115 M through July 2020. What an irony, hallmark of Trump's administration. 

Who does Reuters work for? They can say there is a problem in that there appears to be a connection, but to say there IS a connection is not reporting.

20 minutes ago, Enzian said:

Who does Reuters work for? They can say there is a problem in that there appears to be a connection, but to say there IS a connection is not reporting.

Blaming the news bringer.... again.

Just trump pandering for the expat Cuban vote in Florida to bad personally I think the more the Cubans are exposed to capitalism the quicker they will ditch their present system also they are neighbors we should be promoting friendship and trade

What did Cuba do to deserve this ban?

7 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

What did Cuba do to deserve this ban?

Nationalized a US owned oil refinery, among other things.

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Nationalized a US owned oil refinery, among other things.

When?

11 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

When?

August 6 1960.

2 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

What did Cuba do to deserve this ban?

Cuba stole the casinos, hotels, Americans owned and went full Commie. 

Ach, that ain't good. Cuba has so many good things it might be worth annexing it. Just follow best buddy Putin's example.

2 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

August 6 1960.

1960 ? Reaction time seems a bit slow then?

59 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

Cuba stole the casinos, hotels, Americans owned and went full Commie. 

You might want to reflect a moment who the owners of casinos and hotels were..... Researching us mafia in cuba might give you a hint.... So the thieves stole from criminals?

53 minutes ago, Dumbastheycome said:

1960 ? Reaction time seems a bit slow then?

It is Trumps reaction to that black guy that reopened trade with those commie brown guys. This is just doubling down for the base.

1 hour ago, Dumbastheycome said:

1960 ? Reaction time seems a bit slow then?

Its part of the plan to return to the glorious 1840s

3 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

August 6 1960.

So you want to ban cigars again 60 years later, most people who did this are dead. 

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

Cuba stole the casinos, hotels, Americans owned and went full Commie. 

60 years ago, should we boycott the USA because you had a White Only policy in those days?

3 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Cuba stole the casinos, hotels, Americans owned and went full Commie. 

makes sense then, trump trying to get a new business opportunity for his mafia friends - smuggling out of Cuba.

Edited September 24, 20205 yr by simple1

Only for the Cuban vote in Florida 

well, thank dawg the stable genius has solved the covids problem!

 

plenty of free time to destroy ticky-tock, ban cuban cigars, and rant on twitter.

 

it's not like there are other urgent matters to attend to....like an american dying of covid every 90 seconds.

 

ah, heck, it is what is it.  am i right?

5 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

August 6 1960.

Great post. Pity some did not understand.

5 hours ago, Dumbastheycome said:

1960 ? Reaction time seems a bit slow then?

Not at all, it’s a chronic obsession amongst some in US politics, though it’s not certain if the offense so long ruminated on is due to the loss of the refineries or the Cubans having the temerity to spend the income they generate on providing universal healthcare for Cubans.

 

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday banned U.S. citizens from bringing home rum or cigars from Cuba and from staying at Cuban government-owned hotels, as he sought to lock in the Cuban-American vote in the swing state of Florida ahead of November's presidential election.

 

What a strange decision. US citizens aren't allowed to buy cigars and rum and the poor people who produce this stuff won't have an income.

 

He almost killed two birds with one stone. But not in a positive way. 

 

 

 

   

3 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

So you want to ban cigars again 60 years later, most people who did this are dead. 

What would Bill Clinton and Monika Lewinsky think? Can't do it without. 

40 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Not at all, it’s a chronic obsession amongst some in US politics, though it’s not certain if the offense so long ruminated on is due to the loss of the refineries or the Cubans having the temerity to spend the income they generate on providing universal healthcare for Cubans.

 

 

the "offense" is that the regime change operation the following year failed.