I read an article from the New York Times called, Obama Calls for Thaw in United States Relations with Cuba. This article talks about how Obama wants to have friendlier relations with Cuba. It states, "The United States seeks a new beginning with Cuba." Obama's words during the opening ceremony at the Summti of the Americas, gave hope and said that the U.S. is willing to "change direction" in it's dealings with Cuba. The Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Cuba's leader, Raúl Castro had suprisingly warm words with each other as well.
Other leaders felt that they were witnessing a historic shift when Obama extended his hand to Cuba. Cuba has been barred from the Organization of American States since 1962. So Cuba wasn't even on the agenda or invited but many leaders have been trying to make Cuba an issue. Well it worked and now the door is opened for discussions and they've abandoned the "longstanding restrictions on the ability of Cuban-Americans to travel freely to the island and send money to relatives there." Everyone knows that their trust in Cuba will take a while but we've made steps in the right direction to begin to have better relations with them. They are willing to engage in a wide range of issues from human rights, free speech, and democratic reform to drugs, migration, and economic issues.
Cuba felt ignored by the U.S. during the Bush administration so Obama was going there to reach out to them. He stated, "I didn't come here to debate the past, I came here to deal with the future." Mrs. Kirchner praised Obama for what he did to stabilize the relationship from the absurd restrictions imposed by the Bush administration. Castro told his people of the plans for Obama's administration's decision to lift restrictions on family travel and remittances in an appraising way. He is willing to go along with and give his people freedom on everything.
Some leaders have plans on raising the issue getting Cuba back into the Organization of American States at the summit meeting. There are no plans for Obama and Cuba's leader to meet privately, however there are plans for them to meet together with other leaders. They weren't friends with Bush, but they hope to be friends with Obama.
I think bringing Cuba back into the mix and having better relations with them is a very good idea. We all need to be on the same side, it will make the World work better. It could possibly mean no more wars!!! I'm all for that. I just don't think they should trust anyone one hundred percent first because anyone could lie.
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Obama is a man of the people. I also like that he is trying to make an amends to all the countries we have had trouble with in the past.
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