On the day that President Donald Trump rolled back several new policy stances toward the island of Cuba, people from both sides of the political aisle are reacting to the changes.
The reversal of policy changes enacted by former President Barack Obama were touted by President Trump as an inspiration for those citizens of that nation to embrace new “political and economic freedoms.”
“Open yourselves to political and economic freedoms,” President Trump said. “We will work for the day when a new generation of leaders brings this long reign of suffering to an end.”
The new policies enacted by the president restrict individuals travelling to Cuba, and they seek to keep money out of the hands of the Cuban military.
Some Cuban-Americans are in support of the changes, and Elias Sanchez, who left Cuba 50 years ago, is one of them.
“Obama made a very bad deal,” he said. “I support President Trump 100 percent. I know people over there that are suffering, and they are repressed all the time.”
The moves cancel many of the changes that the former president enacted when he was in office, and one of his foremost political allies spoke out against the moves on Friday.
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“What President Trump is trying to do is to satisfy an extremely small percentage of Cuban-Americans who will never accept a new relationship with Cuba,” Senator Dick Durbin said.
Under the new restrictions, Americans travelling to Cuba cannot stay in hotels connected to the Cuban military.
