NEW restrictions by U.S. President Donald Trump on Cuba were formally announced by White House on Tuesday, placing tighter limits on US citizens’ travel to the island.

The measures, which come into effect after midnight, are meant to punish Cuba for what the U.S. considers Havana’s “destabilizing role in the Western Hemisphere.”

While Trump has long sought to reverse the loosening of sanctions on Cuba which were made under former president Barack Obama, the administration has been angered by Havana’s support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in recent months.

The U.S. has been supporting opposition leader Juan Guaido, who recently failed to oust Maduro after an attempted uprising.

The new measures by the administration remove the authorization for group people-to-people educational travel.

There are also restrictions on non-family and recreational travel to Cuba. Journalistic and academic travel is largely unaffected.

Another key recent measure on Cuba was the lifting of a ban which had prohibited US citizens from suing foreign companies and individuals utilizing property confiscated from them by the Cuban government.

The latest raft of measures had been announced by national security adviser John Bolton in a speech back in April.

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– June 4, 2019 @ 9:14 GMT /