My Turn: Patti Melaragno: Trump’s policy shift hurts Cuban … – The Providence Journal

Having recently returned from a trip to Cuba, I can attest that President Donald Trumps reversal of portions of the reforms that President Barack Obama put into place restoring relations with Cuba is disingenuous, a disservice to Americans and harmful to the people of Cuba.

Trump said:We will not be silent in the face of communist oppression any longer. Yet the United States does business with China, an authoritarian country that treats its workers unfairly, including those who make Trump-branded products.

Cuba is one of the only countries that the U.S. government prohibits its citizens from freely visiting. Why?

Heres what I learned on my trip that shows how Trumps change in policy will impact Americans and Cubans.

I met a businessman from a medical research company who has been traveling to Cuba to negotiate a deal with the government for a cancer vaccine. Trumps act restricting business with the government could keep Americans from getting access to the vaccine, which might save their lives.

Trump is also restricting Americans freedom to visit Cuba and learn what Cubans actually need to improve their lives. I learned that they are hard-working fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit that has come about as the result of their government now allowing them to own and operate their own businesses. Those businesses, which are mainly travel-related, rely on tourism to grow.

A man named Robert owns and manages his own taxi and tour service, which transports visitors to tobacco farms. The farmers share their experiences with the tourists and have an opportunity to sell their products to supplement the mere $30 a month they get from the government. Robert had hoped to partner with an American online travel company to grow his business and support his fellow Cubans.

Pacheco, who has a masters degree and is earning his Ph.D., is employed by the government as a school teacher and supplements his government earnings by driving a private taxi in the evenings and on weekends. Limiting the number of Americans allowed to visit Cuba will directly impact the growth and income potential of Pacheco and Roberts businesses.

Then theres the story of the owners of Paladar Los Mercadres. Paladares are restaurants that Cubans are allowed to own and operate out of their homes. The owner of Los Mercadres is an engineer who left his low-paying government job and opened a restaurant in his home. The restaurant was superior to any of the government-run restaurants in which we dined. It also manages to pay local farmers a fairer price for their produce than they get from the government.

The new travel restrictions will certainly impact Los Mercadres and other paladares, hurting these business-savvy entrepreneurs and the farmers they support.

These are but a few stories of actual Cubans and their quest for a better life despite living in a communist-run country. All of those I met are proud people who are not looking for the U.S. government to solve their problems. They are trying to do it themselves.

If President Trump truly wants to raise Americas voice to end the oppression of the Cuban people, he should not preclude the progress of an entire country and limit the freedoms of Americans. Instead, he should seek ways to support the valiant efforts of the Cuban people and the entrepreneurial endeavors that will, in time, force the government to give power to its citizens, as they are the ones paving the way to Cubas independence and prosperity.

Patti Melaragno, of Bristol, is a communications consultant.

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My Turn: Patti Melaragno: Trump's policy shift hurts Cuban ... - The Providence Journal