A Cuban couple watch a ferry, that was hijacked
IN PHOTO: A Cuban couple watch a ferry, that was hijacked with 50 people aboard by armed men in a thwarted bid to reach the United States, being towed back into Havana Bay by a tugboat, April 4, 2003. The hostage crisis ended April 3 in the port of Mariel, west of Havana, when two women threw themselves overboard and a young man tackled the only hijacker with a gun and pushed him into the water. Other hijackers threw down their knives and security forces took control of the ferry in an operation overseen by Cuban President Fidel Castro. REUTERS/Rafael

Ferry services between Cuba and Florida were announced after a 50-year spell of trade embargo clamped in 1960 between the U.S. and Cuba, stopping ferries from plying between the two locations. While, ferry operators hailed the move, calling it a historical event, four Florida companies said that the U.S. government had made possible the granting of licenses to them for operating the boat services there.

These four companies to whom licences have already been issued are United Americas Shipping Services, Havana Ferry Partners, United Caribbean Lines and Airline Brokers. However, they said since the permission was yet to be granted from the authorities in both the countries the actual commencement of the services may take a while.

According to the BBC, there are still some impediments to be overcome as bureaucratic obstacles still exist. Thus, first these stumbling blocks will have to be cleared before the services begin. But undoubtedly, this proclamation signals the desire by the U.S. to stop the policies of alienation vis-à-vis Cuba and start a new phase of inter-personal relations.

After the thaw in ties, even as the US treasury lifted the ban on ferry service, the US airline JetBlue announced the commencement of direct charter flights to Havana from New York city. Apparently, New York is second only to Florida in comprising the second largest populace of Cuban-Americans.

But there are some conditions attached to it. It is important that American travelers to Cuba come under one of the 12 listed categories. These are pertaining to official government business, sports gatherings, family visits and humanitarian projects. The categories apply to both plane and ferry service.

But even when the restrictions were in place due to absence of diplomatic relations, the number of American travellers to Cuba had heightened in recent years and several went through other countries.

Besides this, just a week after the U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban leader Raul Castro attended the 35-nation Summit of the Americas in Panama, America revoked the designation given to Cuba of that of a state sponsor of terrorism.

The writer can be contacted at ritambanati@yahoo.com

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