Yes, Mama, big news on Cuba.....I, too, vacationed there each winter from 1993 to 1997. Varadero twice, Guardalavaca twice and Santa Lucia once. The first two I highly recommend.
Here's today's big news release:
Obama to allow travel, money transfers to Cuba
Last Updated:Monday, April 13, 2009 | 1:42 PM ETComments5Recommend14
The Associated Press
U.S. President Barack Obama has directed his administration to allowunlimited travel and money transfers by Cuban-Americans to family inCuba, as well as taking other steps to ease U.S. restrictions on theisland, according to a senior official in his administration.
The official announcement was expected later Monday at the White House. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.
The official said the changes are intended to help create new spacefor the Cuban people in their quest for political freedom and ademocratic government, in part by making them less dependent on theCastro regime.
Other steps taken Monday include allowing gift parcels to be sent toCuba, and issuing licences to increase communications among and to theCuban people.
Obama had promised to take these steps as a presidential candidate.It has been known for over a week that he would announce them inadvance of his attendance this weekend at a Summit of the Americas inTrinidad and Tobago.
Cuba became a communist country after a revolution in 1959. The U.S.imposed a trade embargo and travel restrictions after many U.S.companies were nationalized by the government of ex-president FidelCastro.