Cuba Blasts Trump's Policy Speech as 'Hostile Rhetoric' That 'Reverts' Progress

"Effective immediately, I am canceling the last administration's completely one-sided deal with Cuba", Trump said.

Under the President's executive order, the Trump administration will begin strictly enforcing the exemptions that allow travel between the USA and Cuba and prohibit commerce with Cuban businesses owned by the military and intelligence services.

In response, the Cuban government late Friday said that any attempt to change the political system on the island would be destined to fail.

Actor Armando Ricart watches U.S. President Donald Trump announce his new Cuba policy, in Havana, on Friday.

"I think it is a step in the right direction that the Trump administration is going to follow the immigration laws that have been passed by Congress and are on the books and it's not going to continue President Obama's illegal executive amnesty in the DAPA program", said Senator Ted Cruz, R - Texas. Some Republicans said the policy did not go far enough, while Democrats charged the roll back as reactionary.

By restricting individual U.S.travel to Cuba, the new policy also risks cutting off a major source of income for Cuba's private business sector, which the policy is meant to support.

Granma, the official organ of Cuba's Communist Party, described Trump's declarations in real-time blog coverage Friday as "a return to imperialist rhetoric and unilateral demands". He said Trump's policy may put US national security at risk as strategic competitors move to fill the vacuum the uncoupling could create. Trump is preparing to tighten at least some of Obama's changes, including restricting business with the Cuban military and U.S.travel that resembles tourism.

USA companies and citizens will also be barred from doing business with any firm controlled by the Cuban military or its intelligence or security services, walling off crucial parts of the economy, including much of the tourist sector, from US access.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott also praised Trump's changed position. In fact, President Trump negotiated an arms deal with prominent human rights abuser Saudi Arabia valued at $100 billion.

"You could say, 'You could buy a drink anywhere, ' but we want to come to a famous, very nice place", said Russell Francis, 35, a special education teach from Houston, after visiting Sloppy Joe's, which won renown during the 1920s U.S. Prohibition era when American tourists flocked to Havana to drink and gamble to their heart's content. "The Cuban people are the ones that are going to be harmed, the ones that are going to suffer".

The changes that Trump has announced will have an impact on the Cuban economy within three months, once the new regulations are put in place.

"Travel brings people and cultures together, so we are excited about the upcoming cruises to Cuba for our guests".

Members of Cuba's small but vibrant independent civil society say they fear the new policy will do more harm than good. The limitation of prohibited dealings to "direct transactions" will likely mean that the revised regulations will permit USA businesses to sell their goods and services into Cuba, so long as they are not contracting with or selling to prohibited military, intelligence, or security services entities.

Donald Trump in Miami announcing his new policy on Cuba.

"If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S.as a whole, I will terminate deal", he tweeted.

"There was a lot of speculation about whether Trump would introduce a 180-degree reversal or cancellation of Obama's policy".

Trump on Saturday flew for the first time to Camp David, the government-owned retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains.

The change could have sweeping implications for USA companies, but it is not clear how it will affect existing deals, such as the one struck by Starwood Hotels and Resorts previous year to manage hotels in Cuba, including one owned by the military conglomerate Gaviota.