US restricts travel, trade with Cuba

The United States Government has made it harder for its citizens to travel and do business in Cuba, following up on an announcement by President Donald Trump in June, this year.

The restrictions will take effect on Thursday.

The US State Department has published a list of 180 entities, including hotels, stores, rum makers, marinas and a economic development zone at the Port of Mariel, which are believed to financially benefit the Cuban military, intelligence and security services and which the U.S. citizens will no longer be permitted to frequent, reported CNN.

The full list of 180 sanctioned Cuban businesses includes some famous hotels in Havana like Hotel Ambos Mundos and Hotel Armadores de Santander, the report said.

"We have strengthened our Cuba policies to channel economic activity away from the Cuban military and to encourage the government to move toward greater political and economic freedom for the Cuban people," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

The new regulations allow the U.S. travellers to be able to make authorized trips to Cuba with a U.S.-based organization and accompanied by a U.S. representative of the group.

However, it will be harder for them to travel solo.

In June, Trump had announced that he would be rolling back some of the changes made by his predecessor, Barack Obama, who sought in his second term to restore diplomatic relations with the island nation.