Raul Castro's time in office has seen dramatic changes in Americans' ability to travel to Cuba, with a dramatic opening under U.S. President Barack Obama, then a partial reduction under President Donald Trump: ___ BEFORE DETENTE Before former President Barack Obama launched detente with Cuba in December 2014, most Americans without family ties to Cuba could travel to the island only on expensive guided tours dedicated to full-time "meaningful interaction" with the Cuban people and — in principle at least — avoiding activities that could be considered tourism, which is illegal under U.S.