US, Cuba reach understanding on restoring commercial flights

DeLaurentis told reporters Tuesday that American travel to Cuba is up 50 percent this year.

Thursday marks the one year anniversary of the announcement by the USA and Cuba that they would restore ties severed during the Cold War.

The U.S. still maintains an economic embargo on Cuba, which bars most trade and travel to Cuba.

The Obama administration has chipped at its edges where it can, easing restrictions on travel and sending money to Cuba, for example.

The market would grow further if the U.S. Congress were to lift either the tourism ban or the embargo.

The return of the defectors on Tuesday was a landmark in the new relationship between Cuba and the United States and a dramatic manifestation of Cuba’s shifting attitude toward the hundreds of players who fled the country that trained them. “We want to support the growing private sector on the island”.

Cuba “has always said it would not negotiate on domestic issues in exchange for better relations” with the United States.

The US says the ball is in Cuba’s court.

DeLaurentis says it would help Cubans.

Business aside, the Cuban government continues to arrest hundreds of dissidents. And what I’ve said to the Cuban government is: ‘If, in fact, I with confidence can say that we’re seeing some progress in the liberty and freedom and possibilities of ordinary Cubans, I’d love to use a visit as a way of highlighting that progress’.

“Many of the unilateral measures proposed by the USA government – such as authorizing air and maritime transport, exporting communications technology and allowing credit cards for authorised transactions – have still not been reciprocated by the Cuban government”, he said.

The Castro regime’s crackdowns on dissent remain a source of discord.

Unnamed officials in Cuba and the United States said an announcement was imminent.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, St. Louis Cardinals catcher Brayan Pena and Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu were among those who ran 10- and 11-year-old Cuban players through a three-hour skills camp on the second day of a three-day mission meant to warm relations between Major League Baseball and Cuba.

Communist Cuba is prickly about criticism on such matters, insisting its sovereignty be respected.

US State Department spokeswoman Kerry Humphrey said the countries “are making progress but still negotiating”.