Just a week ago, United States President Joe Biden announced plans to ease tough sanctions imposed on Cuba and Venezuela.For Cuba, this includes expanding flights, easing travel restrictions, and lifting limits on sending remittances to people on the Spanish-speaking Caribbean island. The US is also increasing consular services and re-establishing a family reunification programme suspended in 2017. As it relates to Venezuela, the Biden administration moved to ease some economic sanctions to encourage further discussions between Maduro and Venezuela’s opposition. The changes will also allow for US oil company Chevron to begin talks with the government in Caracas over potentially restarting oil production.Two Democratic contenders challenging Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, Charlie Crist and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, supported Biden’s moves. Crist said it could be a “game-changer for freedom and democracy in Cuba,” while Fried said she supports the “relentless pursuit of greater connectivity to, from and among the Cuban people”.
