The Trump administration on Tuesday implemented new travel restrictions for US citizens heading to Cuba, eliminating some of the most commons ways American tourists visit the country — including organized group travel and cruise ship visits.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in a statement attributed the limitations to Cuba’s “destabilizing role” in the Western Hemisphere, including the county’s support of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.

“This administration has made a strategic decision to reverse the loosening of sanctions and other restrictions on the Cuban regime,” Mnuchin said. “These actions will help to keep U.S. dollars out of the hands of Cuban military, intelligence, and security services.”

President Trump has been critical of Cuba’s relationship with Venezuela, even threatening in April to implement a “full and complete embargo” with the country, if its military didn’t stop supporting Maduro.

Before these new restrictions, Americans were permitted to travel to Cuba under certain circumstances — including organized group travel, cruise ships and yachts, and private and corporate aircraft, according to the State Department.

These new constraints will steer “American dollars away from the Cuban regime, and its military and security services, who control the tourism industry in Cuba,” a State Department spokesperson for Western Hemisphere affairs told CNN.

Family travel and other lawful forms of travel to Cuba via commercial flights will still be allowed, the spokesperson added.

Tuesday’s move to curtail travel to Cuba reverses the practices put in place by former President Barack Obama, who opened up travel to Cuba for educational tours, commercial air travel and cruises to the island.

Business group Engage Cuba, which promotes US-Cuba relations, lashed out at the new restrictions, calling them an “attack on our fundamental right as citizens.”

“The federal government should not be policing where Americans go on vacation. Our core freedoms should not be held hostage by politicians for naked partisanship,” James Williams, president of Engage Cuba, told CNN.

Americans account for the second highest group of foreigners visiting Cuba – behind Canadians – according to Cuban government statistics.

With Post wires

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