'New chapter' in US-Cuba ties

[webfact]

'New chapter' in US-Cuba ties

WASHINGTON: -- US President Barack Obama has hailed a "new chapter" in US relations with Cuba, announcing moves to normalise diplomatic and economic ties.

Mr Obama said Washington's current approach was "outdated" and the changes were the "most significant" in US policy towards Cuba in 50 years.

Cuban President Raul Castro said he welcomed the shift in a TV address.

The move includes the release of US contractor Alan Gross and three Cubans held in the US.

Wednesday's announcements follow more than a year of secret talks in Canada and at the Vatican, directly involving Pope Francis.

US-Cuba relations have remained frozen since the early 1960s, when the US broke off diplomatic relations and imposed a trade embargo after Cuba's revolution led to communism.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30516740


-- BBC 2014-12-18

[neverdie]

I can't believe foreign policy can be left so long as to outdated itself, like what's being suggested here.

Sounds like this was well overdue.

Be interested in hearing what the American guys and girls think.

[NeverSure]

Cubans are mostly nice, hard working people. Many have immigrated to the US. Some risked the 90?? mile trip by boat.

Their government under Fidel Castro was hard-core communist and it probably wasn't possible to normalize relations.

Raul Castro appears to be a lot more moderate and more open to a relationship with the West. It would certainly be to his advantage since its such a tiny island nation which doesn't produce much in the way of consumer manufactured goods.

It is astounding to go to Cuba because they are still driving mainly US made cars that were made before the revolution.

Look at this.

Time has passed them by and perhaps Raul realizes that "No man is an island" doesn't work for Cuba either.

I have the highest hopes for the people of Cuba. They are mostly Catholic, pretty much pacifist, totally passed by with technology, poor, lacking medical facilities, but very nice to strangers.

I would like to see a win-win situation between the US and Cuba, similar to what exists between the US and Canada. We're different but we can get along and mutually benefit each other.

[NamKAheng]

I have the highest hopes for the people of Cuba. They are mostly Catholic, pretty much pacifist, totally passed by with technology, poor, lacking medical facilities, but very nice to strangers.

Lacking medical facilities? Really! They have one of the best health care system in the world.

If people think that Cuba is a kind of banana republic, they are wrong, Cuban are well educated and proud of their Cuban heritage.

We Canadian, have enjoyed good relation with Cuba since the revolution, we did not apply the US isolation politic even when the US tried to pressure us to do so. Oh! And we are free to travel to Cuba whenever we want, and we have Cuban product on our shelves, just bought Cuban coffee today.

Since the end of the 80's our airlines are allowed to do business with Cuba, good change since we don't have to fly in those old Russian Ilyushin aircraft anymore.

I remember in 1980 flying on Cubana, they were not allowed to fly over USA air space so our trip from Montreal to Havana had to take a detour over the Atlantic ocean to avoid USA air space, they did not lose that occasion to make an announcement that the trip was longer because of the US embargo.

Cuban are very welcoming, resilient and resourceful. Did you know that the American people are welcome to travel to Cuba? They don't hate the American people, they hate the US government, but they make a clear distinction between the people and the government.

[NamKAheng]

I forgot to say that after my trip to Cuba in 1980, later that year I got the third degree at US immigration when I presented my passport with a Cuban stamp. Now these days we only get the visa paper stamp (entry card), not the passport to avoid harassment from US immigration.

[maidee]

after the fall of the berlin wall & russian empiry, they should have done something to stop this nonsense

but hey, make the people scared of the red invasion, good for spending super big amounts on military

in stead of FREE HEALTCARE, as in the rest of the civilized world !!!!

[webfact]

That was long overdue

[kamahele]

Long overdue although in small steps. Congress needs to repeal the act in full but glad that Obama has made this move as it is long overdue. These sanctions have been a rallying cry for the right wing to keep punishing Cuba and the keep the support and financial backing of the Cuban immigrants in Florida. However, the older generation is dying out and even the younger Cuban American community is realizing that by punishing the Cuban people for 55 years has only hurt the average Cuban and has helped actually keep the country in Fidel Castro's control instead of forcing him out. Good for Obama and Good for Raul Castro that they are taking these steps.

[Scott]

I wonder if this is in part due to the strained relationship with Russia and a chance to make some in roads while the Ruble is not doing so well?

[NeverSure]

I have the highest hopes for the people of Cuba. They are mostly Catholic, pretty much pacifist, totally passed by with technology, poor, lacking medical facilities, but very nice to strangers.

Lacking medical facilities? Really! They have one of the best health care system in the world.

If people think that Cuba is a kind of banana republic, they are wrong, Cuban are well educated and proud of their Cuban heritage.

We Canadian, have enjoyed good relation with Cuba since the revolution, we did not apply the US isolation politic even when the US tried to pressure us to do so. Oh! And we are free to travel to Cuba whenever we want, and we have Cuban product on our shelves, just bought Cuban coffee today.

Since the end of the 80's our airlines are allowed to do business with Cuba, good change since we don't have to fly in those old Russian Ilyushin aircraft anymore.

I remember in 1980 flying on Cubana, they were not allowed to fly over USA air space so our trip from Montreal to Havana had to take a detour over the Atlantic ocean to avoid USA air space, they did not lose that occasion to make an announcement that the trip was longer because of the US embargo.

Cuban are very welcoming, resilient and resourceful. Did you know that the American people are welcome to travel to Cuba? They don't hate the American people, they hate the US government, but they make a clear distinction between the people and the government.

Black market healthcare (Cuba)

"The difficulty in gaining access to certain medicines and treatments has led to healthcare playing an increasing role in Cuba's burgeoning black market economy, sometimes termed "sociolismo". According to former leading Cuban neurosurgeon and dissident Dr Hilda Molina, "The doctors in the hospitals are charging patients under the table for better or quicker service." Prices for out-of-surgery X-rays have been quoted at $50 to $60. Such "under-the-table payments" reportedly date back to the 1970s, when Cubans used gifts and tips in order to get health benefits. The harsh economic downturn known as the "Special Period" in the 1990s aggravated these payments. The advent of the "dollar economy", a temporary legalization of the dollar which led some Cubans to receive dollars from their relatives outside of Cuba, meant that a class of Cubans were able to obtain medications and health services that would not be available to them otherwise."

LINK

I think we pretty much agree on all you said except for readily available health care in all areas for peasants.

I too like Cubans and wish the best for them. Yes I know Americans can travel there. I've been there. I want to see US/Cuba relationships normalize for the benefit of both countries' people.

[NamKAheng]

I wonder if this is in part due to the strained relationship with Russia and a chance to make some in roads while the Ruble is not doing so well?

Don't think so, the Cuban, Russian relation faded out long ago when URSS went down and stop pouring oil and money in Cuba.

[zydeco]

Good thing for US travel to Cuba and trade. But I don't want to see Havana turned into Greater Miami. Please, no monster condos lining the beaches solely inhabited by millionaire Euros, New Yorkers, and Silicon Valley vacationers.

[klikster]

This touches a bit of my personal history. The "Cuban Crisis" of '62 is what made me decide to enlist in the US Army. Lots of folks thought there might be a war.

A war involving Cuba didn't happen, but an "action" in Vietnam did.

IMO, good relations between the US & Cuba is a very good thing. It's about time. Actually it was time decades ago.

[wilcopops]

It is a constant source of surprise to see that despite their overwhelming technology, finance and numbers US foreign policy is time and again so plainly ignorant and wide of the mark...at least here common sense is starting to prevail....after 50 YEARS!!!!

[Langsuan Man]

Long overdue and has only taken this long because of our (US) Electoral College system which gives Florida so many presidential votes that the Cuban American community has been able to block any changes in policy for far too many years

[VegasVic]

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I wonder if this is in part due to the strained relationship with Russia and a chance to make some in roads while the Ruble is not doing so well?

Scott, This is calculated political move on the part of the Obama administration, just as the unilateral illegal immigration administrative action that Obama took a few weeks ago was. The Democrats were handed an absolute as$ kicking in the November elections in the States and they are now fearful that even Hillary can not win the White House in 2016. Obama had a majority in the House of Reps and a super majority in the Senate for his first two years in office and he didn't didn't do a damm thing on immigration reform nor in 6 years did he do anything in regards to Cuba, now all of a sudden with the most popular governor in recent history in the State of Florida (Jeb Bush) deciding to run for President, Obama has this sudden interest in Cuba The path to the White House in 2016 goes through 2 states, Florida and Ohio and with Jeb bush a potential candidate and Gov. John Kasich (Ohio) another potenial candidate or running mate the DNC is grasping at anything they can that might be able to sway those two states

[NeverSure]

It is a constant source of surprise to see that despite their overwhelming technology, finance and numbers US foreign policy is time and again so plainly ignorant and wide of the mark...at least here common sense is starting to prevail....after 50 YEARS!!!!

When the "Revolution" put the Communist Dictator Fidel Castro in power in Cuba, he aligned himself with the Soviet Union. This was during the Cold War.

Castro allowed Russia to put nuclear missiles just 90 miles off the shores of the US in Cuba. This is known as "The Cuban Missile Crisis." It could have started WWIII as could have other events not involving Cuba during the Cold War.

Castro was belligerent to the US from the start, flexing his muscles as he accepted a lot of cash and military support from the USSR. He continued to get cash support from the USSR until it went belly up.

The whole thing got off to a bad start and Fidel was never trusted. Additionally, the US doesn't normally do business with military dictators who hold power by force.

The "common sense is starting to prevail....after 50 YEARS!!!!" part has to do with a new leader who seems to want to mesh with the West. I have high hopes for this as it would be good for everyone.

[bunuel]

Spent a few weeks working on a Swedish feature film in Cuba during the early eighties, and I was very favorably impressed. While there was no question that there were cold war shortages of just about everything except rum, beer and cigars, the people were great to work with - intelligent, hard working and friendly. Say what you want about Fidel, but most people in Latin America respect the fact that he stood up to Uncle Sam and drove the Mafia out of Havana, We shot scenes in Tropicana, Riviera, and other famous places built by Meyer Lansky and the mob, and I got the feeling the Cubans were proud of their American connections from Hemingway to baseball. They just want to run things themselves. I also felt there was a major difference berween the ideological elite and the great majority of the people - most people are down to earth and practical, unlike the ideological elite. In many ways. Cuba has been caught in a time warp, which is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, the country is clearly behind the times - but this has forced it to cherish its own culture and history, which has made it a great tourist atteaction. And if you have been to the big islands of Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica, Cuba does not look so bad. I believe that if Obama succeeds in normalizing relations with Cuba, both Castros will retire and the country will quickly become a major tourist destination,and the revolution will be over.

[webfact]

Cuba's Raul Castro urges US to lift trade embargo

(BBC) Cuban President Raul Castro has urged the US to end its trade embargo after the two countries opened formal talks on restoring diplomatic relations.

He said the five-decade embargo "caused enormous human and economic damage".

But only the US Congress has the power to lift the embargo, and correspondents say many Republicans are still deeply opposed to this.

On Wednesday, US President Barack Obama and Mr Castro agreed a number of measures to improve ties.

They included the release by Cuba of US contractor Alan Gross and three Cubans held in the US.

Relations between the US and Cuba have been frozen since the early 1960s when the US broke off diplomatic relations and imposed a trade embargo after Cuba's revolution led to communism.

But in unprecedented moves on Wednesday, Mr Obama said the "rigid and outdated policy" of isolating Cuba had clearly failed.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-30526694


-- BBC 2014-12-18

[Qarl]

I have the highest hopes for the people of Cuba. They are mostly Catholic, pretty much pacifist, totally passed by with technology, poor, lacking medical facilities, but very nice to strangers.

Lacking medical facilities? Really! They have one of the best health care system in the world.

If people think that Cuba is a kind of banana republic, they are wrong, Cuban are well educated and proud of their Cuban heritage.

We Canadian, have enjoyed good relation with Cuba since the revolution, we did not apply the US isolation politic even when the US tried to pressure us to do so. Oh! And we are free to travel to Cuba whenever we want, and we have Cuban product on our shelves, just bought Cuban coffee today.

Since the end of the 80's our airlines are allowed to do business with Cuba, good change since we don't have to fly in those old Russian Ilyushin aircraft anymore.

I remember in 1980 flying on Cubana, they were not allowed to fly over USA air space so our trip from Montreal to Havana had to take a detour over the Atlantic ocean to avoid USA air space, they did not lose that occasion to make an announcement that the trip was longer because of the US embargo.

Cuban are very welcoming, resilient and resourceful. Did you know that the American people are welcome to travel to Cuba? They don't hate the American people, they hate the US government, but they make a clear distinction between the people and the government.

Only fools believe such so called "best health care system" in Cuba, the same as in North Korea, which also claims to have the best health care system and the best educational system in the World. Do you believe that? And yeas, Cubans are nice people, American people and the US government don't hate Cuba and Cubans. Don't confuse Cubans with Cuban Communist government, those are totally two different things.

[maximillian]

Long overdue although in small steps. Congress needs to repeal the act in full but glad that Obama has made this move as it is long overdue. These sanctions have been a rallying cry for the right wing to keep punishing Cuba and the keep the support and financial backing of the Cuban immigrants in Florida. However, the older generation is dying out and even the younger Cuban American community is realizing that by punishing the Cuban people for 55 years has only hurt the average Cuban and has helped actually keep the country in Fidel Castro's control instead of forcing him out. Good for Obama and Good for Raul Castro that they are taking these steps.

Time to close down Guantanamo prison and remove all US facilities from Cuba.

That would be the right move towards a peaceful relationship with Cuba.

[NamKAheng]

QarlOnly fools believe such so called "best health care system" in Cuba, the same as in North Korea, which also claims to have the best health care system and the best educational system in the World. Do you believe that? And yeas, Cubans are nice people, American people and the US government don't hate Cuba and Cubans. Don't confuse Cubans with Cuban Communist government, those are totally two different things.

I am not a fool, Cuba as nothing to do or compare to North Korea, this is pure and simple propaganda. Have you been there to make such a comparison?

Cuba as a better life expectancy than the US, lower child mortality rate and a better literacy rate than the US.

[dao16]

I think it was, has has been, long overdue for a while. To understand why, you need to look at Florida and its importance in elections. Then the Cubans who live there, most of whom do not want normalized relations with the island (at least the older people). In a state that is won or lost by small margins, an issue like this is very important, politically.

[NeverSure]

Long overdue and has only taken this long because of our (US) Electoral College system which gives Florida so many presidential votes that the Cuban American community has been able to block any changes in policy for far too many years

I don't understand how that works. The Cuban-American population would like to see relations normalized and would be in favor of this.

This rift between Cuba and the US has gone on through the presidencies of Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and on and on for decades.

It has been in effect through Republican and Democrat controls of the government and neither side had any inclination to change relationships with Fidel Castro. There is no place to point a finger here. It was always about Fidel Castro and all sides always agreed.

If Raul Castro can convince Obama AND Congress that things would be different with him, it could be done. But even that isn't a done deal yet.

Raul Castro is a Marxist-Leninist politician and revolutionary and I wouldn't place my bets just yet.

[Qarl]

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Qarl Only fools believe such so called "best health care system" in Cuba, the same as in North Korea, which also claims to have the best health care system and the best educational system in the World. Do you believe that? And yeas, Cubans are nice people, American people and the US government don't hate Cuba and Cubans. Don't confuse Cubans with Cuban Communist government, those are totally two different things.

I am not a fool, Cuba as nothing to do or compare to North Korea, this is pure and simple propaganda. Have you been there to make such a comparison?

Cuba as a better life expectancy than the US, lower child mortality rate and a better literacy rate than the US.

Both Cuba and North Korea are ruled by Communist government, what's the big diffrenece? North Korea also claims to have a better life expectancy than the US, lower child mortality rate and a better literacy rate than the US. You can hear such propaganda in almost every Communist regime, it you want to believe it, go ahead.

[Johpa]

A good move long, long overdue. If you compare Cuba with it Caribbean peers, Castro does not come out looking too bad.

[Langsuan Man]

Long overdue and has only taken this long because of our (US) Electoral College system which gives Florida so many presidential votes that the Cuban American community has been able to block any changes in policy for far too many years

I don't understand how that works. The Cuban-American population would like to see relations normalized and would be in favor of this.

This rift between Cuba and the US has gone on through the presidencies of Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and on and on for decades.

It has been in effect through Republican and Democrat controls of the government and neither side had any inclination to change relationships with Fidel Castro. There is no place to point a finger here. It was always about Fidel Castro and all sides always agreed.

If Raul Castro can convince Obama AND Congress that things would be different with him, it could be done. But even that isn't a done deal yet.

Raul Castro is a Marxist-Leninist politician and revolutionary and I wouldn't place my bets just yet.

The older generation of Cuban-Americans are so anti Castro that they cannot / will not even entertain the idea of normalizing relations. The younger generation, that were born in the US, are open to the normalization process, and want it to happen

Older people vote, and older Cubans vote only for politicians that tow the anti Castro line.

The expression cutting off your nose to spite your face explains the question in your first sentence

[NamKAheng]

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Qarl Only fools believe such so called "best health care system" in Cuba, the same as in North Korea, which also claims to have the best health care system and the best educational system in the World. Do you believe that? And yeas, Cubans are nice people, American people and the US government don't hate Cuba and Cubans. Don't confuse Cubans with Cuban Communist government, those are totally two different things.

I am not a fool, Cuba as nothing to do or compare to North Korea, this is pure and simple propaganda. Have you been there to make such a comparison?

Cuba as a better life expectancy than the US, lower child mortality rate and a better literacy rate than the US.

Both Cuba and North Korea are ruled by Communist government, what's the big diffrenece? North Korea also claims to have a better life expectancy than the US, lower child mortality rate and a better literacy rate than the US. You can hear such propaganda in almost every Communist regime, it you want to believe it, go ahead.

There is a big difference, Cuba is not a close country like North Korea. Just by assumption you compare Cuba to North Korea, how about some facts?

The numbers I look for the life expectancy, mortality rate and literacy rate are coming from the CIA World Factbook, last time I check, the CIA was an American organization.

[Scott]

An off-topic post has been removed.

[granuaile]

I can't believe foreign policy can be left so long as to outdated itself, like what's being suggested here.

Sounds like this was well overdue.

Be interested in hearing what the American guys and girls think.

As an American, I for one have long disagreed with the U.S. policy towards Cuba. Of course, the Republicans are already barking about this and looking for ways to sabotage it. This is long overdue...