I went to Cuba in 2014 for 10 days- just for a holiday with family, no flying link. We did the ancient American car tour with a guide, who spoke openly about the regime- when the driver was 'over there, minding the car'. Interestingly, foreign travel restrictions have eased significantly. The management method the regime uses, is to ensure that whole families never go together- a family of 'ordinary' Cubans will never get to go vacationing in Venuzuela and slip off en masse to a third country.
CG