Today, the United States reopens its embassy in Havana, Cuba and formally re-establishes diplomatic relations. The embassy will primarily perform standard functions such as issuing visas and facilitating dialogue between the two countries. The U.S. government has also eased travel restrictions, allowing Americans to travel to Cuba provided they meet one of 12 criteria, including family visits and education.
This is a diplomatic development only; the embargo on trade between the U.S. and Cuba remains in place. Only the U.S. Congress can lift the embargo and it is unlikely to do so anytime soon. Members of Congress have threatened to restrict funding for the embassy and block the appointment of an ambassador.
“The Cipher Brief has become the most popular outlet for former intelligence officers; no media outlet is even a close second to The Cipher Brief in terms of the number of articles published by formers.” —Sept. 2018, Studies in Intelligence, Vol. 62
Access all of The Cipher Brief‘s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+Member.
