21 April 2009
Obama Says U.S., Cuba Taking Critical Steps Toward a New Day
Washington — The fifth Summit of the Americas helped serve as the setting for the United States to re-engage with the nations of the Western Hemisphere and provided a significant moment for President Obama to “seek a new beginning with Cuba.”
Although Cuba was not on the summit agenda, nor were Cuban representatives invited to attend the gathering of 34 democratically elected hemispheric leaders in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, the country was nevertheless on everyone’s mind. Obama acknowledged as much in opening remarks April 17.
“There’s been several remarks directed at the issue of the relationship between the United States and Cuba, so let me address this. The United States seeks a new beginning with Cuba,” he said.
The president’s remarks, which were warmly received at the summit, provided the clearest signal yet to hemispheric leaders and to the Cuban people that U.S. foreign policy is changing toward the island nation, which is about 90 miles off the southern coast of the United States.
“I know that there’s a longer journey that must be traveled to overcome decades of mistrust, but there are critical steps we can take toward a new day,” the president said.
The president said his administration is prepared to engage with the Cuban government on an array of issues, from illicit drug trafficking, migration and economic issues to human rights, free speech and democratic reforms. But Obama also said he is not interested in talking for the sake of talking.
“I do believe that we can move U.S.-Cuban relations in a new direction,” he said.
The warming of relations began April 13 when White House officials announced an easing of U.S. restrictions during the regular daily news briefing. The United States will allow Cuban Americans unlimited travel and money transfers to family in Cuba. (See “U.S. Administration Announcement on U.S. Policy Toward Cuba.”)
Cuban Americans may also send clothes, personal hygiene items, seeds, fishing gear and other personal necessities to family members. U.S. businesses will be able to obtain export licenses to sell cellular telephones, television services and computers to Cubans, and to permit family members in the United States to pay for them, the White House said.
The announcement came four days before the Summit of the Americas was set to begin. For the first time, a White House official also repeated the announcement in Spanish. White House officials said the announcement was intended to reach out directly to the Cuban people.
On April 16, Cuban President Raúl Castro responded, while attending a meeting with some hemispheric leaders in Venezuela, that “we are willing to discuss everything — human rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners, everything, everything, everything they want to talk about,” according to news reports.
José Miguel Insulza, secretary-general of the Organization of American States (OAS), announced April 17 that he would call for readmitting Cuba to the OAS. Cuba was barred from membership in 1962.
“All of Latin America and the Caribbean are awaiting a change in policy toward Cuba,” Insulza said in an interview with Bloomberg News. “They value what Obama has promised, but they want more.”
The United States broke diplomatic relations with the Castro regime in 1961 and imposed a trade embargo in 1962. A year later, travel to Cuba by U.S. citizens was banned by then-President John Kennedy.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a press conference with Haitian President René Préval in Port-au-Prince April 16 that Cuba’s willingness to discuss all of the political, economic and social justice issues confronting the two nations was welcome. She added that actions by the president and her in the last several months clearly indicate a genuine desire to pursue a new path with the Cuban regime, “but we do expect Cuba to reciprocate.”
“We would like to see Cuba open up its society, release political prisoners, open up to outside opinions and media, have the kind of society that we all know would improve the opportunities for the Cuban people and for their nation,” Clinton said.
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For more information on the fifth Summit of the Americas, please see Summit of the Americas: Advancing Prosperity.
