Trump administration bans cruises in crackdown on U.S. travel to Cuba

Of all the people in the world that believes that trade and commerce bring change to countries, Trump is a hypocrite. He is a product of the cold war, and it shows!

Has the USA of got any real friends left?  By "real", I mean excluding Putin, NK, Saudi and Israel.

Seems Trump can't make up his mind, nothing new here, on whether he wants American isolation from the world or, America's attempted takeover of the world. I think it's time for some reflection on what Trump wants, so until then, America should close its gates, keep Americans in and everyone else out.

How did the failed Obama opening for Cuba help America and bring freedom to Cubans?

It didn't. This rollback is a good thing. Perhaps Cubans will do something about their dictator, finally?

Until just last week, private wifi networks were illegal in Cuba. Only the govt was allowed to run networks. Suppression of humans rights and freedom of speech is always a bad thing. Private businesses are highly, highly, regulated in Cuba today https://www.dw.com/en/cuba-new-restrictions-holding-back-the-private-sector/a-44709164

Return to a Batista style of Government would well suit the carpet baggers and the rampant capitalist exploiters of the working class but would have a hugely detrimental effect on the lives of the Cuban people who's standard of living is a lot better than some of their neighbors.

Perhaps Cubans will do something about their dictator, finally?

And then the American people could see how easily it can be done and then do something about their own dictator.

This is just the GOP trying to secure votes in Florida at the expense of the rest of America and all of Cuba. I'm surprised they even take the time to pretend anymore since everyone just rolls their eyes.

Most Cubans want to leave Cuba.

Strange that so many Americans want to visit.....

Until just last week, private wifi networks were illegal in Cuba. Only the govt was allowed to run networks. Suppression of humans rights and freedom of speech is always a bad thing. Private businesses are highly, highly, regulated in Cuba today

Cuba is starting to open up. Enough to allow the Rolling Stones to perform in Havana. It's a step. Donnie Douchebag wants to reverse what glasnost with Cuba that has been made, especially since it started under the Obama administration. Trump is a childish racist who wants to undo everything Obama did - because Obama did it! Cadet Bone Spurs would bring back the 2005 - 2011 Iraq War and resurrect Moammar Qaddafy if he could in order to undo Obama's legacy - because Obama did it! His morbid hatred of his predecessor is so deep you can watch an elephant sink in it.

Unlike certain of the commenters who are absolutely certain they know the situation in Cuba, I've actually been to Cuba.

And what I saw, and what the Americans who took the opportunity to go to Cuba while the American government allowed them that freedom could have seen is a lot of the reason that the American government is taking that freedom away from Americans again.

The meme of the all powerful Cuban military doesn't survive seeing uniformed military officers standing by the side of the road hitchhiking in exactly the same manner as the day laborers.

The meme of the population afraid of their government doesn't survive listening to Cubans complain about their government with the same tone, and same willingness to criticize things, as Americans, Canadians (And, yes, Japanese, from what I saw during my visit to your country) do (And maybe a little more, given that they outright call Cuba a 'third world country' even though the usual markers - insane poverty and insane wealth, insane crime and insane policing, insanely good infrastructure and insanely bad infrastructure a block apart - makes anyone who has been to any other third world country look at them like they're slightly addled when they do)

And if you take a moment to look at the eveness of the diet, policing, housing, and then extrapolate from government policies like even the foreign owned buses that take tourists like me from the airport to the resort being required to pick up hitchhiking Cubans on the other leg of their journey, you'll get that things like the restrictions (Now easing) on WiFi weren't about keeping it away from Cubans, but making sure that all Cubans (And temporary Cubans like tourists) had the SAME chance of accessing the internet.

So, instead of the ordinary American tourists making the ordinary Cubans they dealt with question what the Cuban government was telling them and doing, the ordinary American tourists were questioning what the American government was telling them and doing. And now, they won't, because their government won't let them see for themselves, just hear an unending stream of propaganda.

The issue here is for Cuba to stop supporting Venezuela's current political and military powers and allow Venezuela to resolve their national problem on their own.

Apparently Trump and the administration figures that affecting their economy is the most expedient way to affect and effect Cuba's involvement in Venezuela, which by all indications are being supported and influenced by Russia and China (both Communist countries). What we do not know is whether Russia or China is actually giving aid to Cuba (which is still economically weak) to be able to send their troops to support the regime now in question.

But then, Venezuela has created a major problem for S America and the US. One of which may be the mass migration and attempt to enter the US via the south border, Mexico.

USA: Land of the free?

Cuba has been open to non-Americans for ages. Lots of my Canadian friends and family vacation there, and one has worked there on infrastructure projects for extended periods. I haven't yet been myself, but at least I'm free to go where I please.

Thanks, RichardPearce, for your first-hand insights. Re-confirms other first-hand accounts I've heard.

Just push Cuba closer and closer to China and Russia.

Another great move by this President.

If the Cubans offered to build a hotel or resort with Trump’s name on it, the embargo would end within a year.....

I wonder if the people so 'concerned' about Cuban support for the (democratically elected in a fair election, popularly supported) 'Maduro regime' in Venezuela have any qualms about the American support for the (rigged election, popularly opposed) Hernandez regime in Honduras (especially given that Hernandez did change the 'unchangeable' term limit on his Presidency that the accusation of intending to change was deemed to be sufficient grounds for the military coup against Zelaya)

If the Cubans offered to build a hotel or resort with Trump’s name on it, the embargo would end within a year.....

If the Cubans get rid of their communist leadership ways, probably.

The US foreign policy: do as we say, grovel to us or we will put sanctions on you, topple your government or invade you. US is the most extensive dictatorship in the past 70 years and no one will stand up to it, including its so-called allies and Western Powers. When will the nations of the world get a backbone?

The US foreign policy: do as we say, grovel to us or we will put sanctions on you, topple your government or invade you.

Funny, the majority of Cuban refugees that call the US their home overwhelmingly despised Castro and his murderous regime. Even stars like Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan loathed the regime and thought the US should never normalize relationship with the Island as long as that repressive regime stays in power. I would tend to agree. If Cuba was so great then thousands would never risk their lives to come to the US. So we don’t need to topple their government, we will just not do business with them. The people have the right to be free and Cuba has not right to imprison political opponents.

US is the most extensive dictatorship in the past 70 years and no one will stand up to it, including its so-called allies and Western Powers.

We are not a dictatorship, if we were, Democrats would all be locked up, the press would not be allowed to talk bad about this President and curfews would be ongoing.

When will the nations of the world get a backbone?

When they stop asking us for help and our money.

Most Cubans want to leave Cuba.

Nobody wants to leave their home unless there are direct, physical, threats.

Americans outside south Florida really don't think much about Cuba, unless they smoke cigars. It really doesn't matter how the US govt decides to interface or not with Cuba. Few Americans have ever met any Cubans. I've spoken for hours with 1st generation Cuban immigrants.

They have a love for their home. They love their culture, their neighbors, their families and don't want to be separated. A few have had enough of the Cuban govt and want to leave for varied different reasons. Perhaps they feel oppressed since they can't run the business they want or have 2 businesses so they can make a better life for their family. Some were imprisoned for political reasons by the Cuban govt.

Cuba doesn't allow free speech or free commerce. And Americans remember when the "Cuban revolution" decided to steal their companies without compensation. Few things piss off America more than that.

Venezuela can see their future in Cuba. Is that really the future they want? If Russia or China were such great friends, wouldn't they invest in companies in those countries? Of course they won't. Nobody will invest when the govt will steal their business and run it into the ground.

If Trump followed his agenda then why not ban tourism to Russia, China and all repressive regimes that meddle in other counties business, oh wait a minute doesn't the USA do that too.

Why the fixation with Cuba? There are plenty of repressive regimes out there. It can’t be a matter of principle as Trump does cute little jigs with the beheading, limb-cutting, journalist-butchering Saudis.

Oh, votes. I see.

And if Cuba were such a great place, then why have tens of thousands of Cubans left?