The communist island nation of Cuba will allow its citizens freedom to travel abroad for the first time in decades according to an announcement by the Migration and Foreign Nationals’ Ministry. Athletes, sports stars, and communist party officials will still require special permits to travel abroad. Cuban athletes are some of the best in the world and its teams routinely deal with desertion when competing abroad. Many believe this is because of a lack of private sports organization in the island state. Prior to these reforms Cubans were required to apply for an exit visa as well as receive an invitation from a host country prior to departure from Cuba, a process that could cost on average $200 per person in a country with an average monthly salary of $20.