US announces easing of visa restrictions for Cuba

The United States said on Monday it is easing restrictions imposed during former president Donald Trump's administration on travel to Cuba and on the sending of family remittances between the United States and the island state.

The loosening of the embargo on Cuba will see increased visa processing, including at the Havana consulate, but with most visas still handled at the US embassy in Guyana.

The State Department's statement said it will "facilitate educational connections" between the two countries, as well as support for professional research including "support for expanded internet access and remittance process companies".

To boost the flow of remittances, the US government will lift the current limit of US$1,000 per quarter for each sender, and also allow non-family remittances to "support independent Cuban entrepreneurs". It said it would increase the number of flights permitted between the US and the Caribbean island, and serving cities other than the capital Havana. It will also allow certain group visits, which are currently forbidden.

Cuba's foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez, tweeted that the move was "a small step in the right direction", but emphasized that it does "not modify the embargo" in place since 1962.

"Neither the objectives nor the main instruments of the United States' policy against Cuba, which is a failure, are changing," he wrote.

A senior administration official said on Monday it was a "coincidence" that the announcement came just after Mexico said it would boycott the next Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles following Cuba's complaints of being excluded from the meeting.