A Biden government spokesman told CBS News that more charter and commercial flights to Havana would be made available, US consular services on the island would be expanded, and family reunification programs would be revived.
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Releasing sanctions will, for example, mean lifting the limit on family remittances, ie sending money to families on the island.
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Previously, migrants were not allowed to send more than $ 1,000 (over 23,600 crowns) to relatives in Cuba in three months, the BBC said.
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The report on easing sanctions will be a relief to thousands of Cubans who are desperate to see their families in Florida and elsewhere, the BBC said.
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The change in the United States’ policy towards Cuba comes after a revision launched by the US authorities after a series of large-scale protests on the island in July last year, the AP agency noted.
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According to Reuters, these are the most significant changes in Washington’s approach to Havana since Democrat Joe Biden took over the presidency last January.
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Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez welcomed the announcement, saying Washington’s decision was “a small step in the right direction.”
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At the same time, however, he said that the current actions of the US government “do not change the embargo” in force since 1962.
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Trump defended the warming of relations
A few years ago, Republican President Trump interrupted the warming of US-Cuban relations begun by his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, and imposed a number of sanctions on Havana for arresting dissidents and restricting government freedom of speech and democracy.
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In late September 2017, the United States withdrew almost all staff from its embassy in Havana after some American diplomats complained of health problems.
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The Trump administration has restricted visa processing, money transfers and tightened rules for US citizens who want to travel to Cuba for reasons other than family, the BBC said.
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However, US officials will not remove anyone from the list of communist government-related companies in Havana that US citizens are banned from doing business with.
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Washington imposed economic sanctions on Cuba as early as 1960, after the revolution overthrew pro-American dictator Fulgencio Batista and the new Cuban government nationalized the assets of foreign companies.
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In January 1961, the United States cut off diplomatic relations with Cuba, which were resumed by President Obama.
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