Obama: The Time to Bury the Last Remnants of the Cold War in the Americas Has Come

On Tuesday, March 23, Barack Obama urged the people of Cuba to think about the future with hope and described his historic trip to Cuba as a time "to bury the last remnants of the Cold War in the Americas." According to the Associated Press, the speech by the U.S. President marked the beginning of the last day of his trip to Cuba, during which he met with several government opponents and attended a baseball game. Obama's visit to Cuba and the programs of this historic trip are the result of the normalization of relations between the two countries, a process that began 15 months ago. In part of his speech at the Great Theater of Havana, Obama said, "The distance from Havana to Florida is only 150 kilometers, but to get here we had to travel a long way." Despite the great joy in Cuba and the U.S. over the normalization of relations between the two long-time adversaries, Obama emphasized that deep differences still exist, particularly regarding human rights and democracy. Although Raul Castro, the leader of Cuba, was present in the audience, Obama called for the Cuban people to "be able to express their thoughts freely and without fear and to choose their leaders in a free election." When Obama stressed that he would ask the U.S. Congress to lift economic sanctions against Cuba, describing them as "an old burden on the shoulders of ordinary Cubans," the audience enthusiastically approved his remarks. Raul Castro also described the sanctions as "the most important obstacle to Cuba's economic growth" during a joint press conference with Obama on Monday. The last day of Obama's trip to Havana coincided with horrific attacks in Brussels, resulting in the deaths of over 30 people due to explosions at the airport and metro station. The U.S. President pledged to take "any necessary action" to assist Belgium. The Associated Press adds that during his presidency, Obama has tried to pay more attention to regions like Latin America, which have been overshadowed by crises and wars in the Middle East. The U.S. government hopes that improving relations with Cuba will positively affect relations with other Latin American countries that have always been dissatisfied with Washington's severed ties with Havana. Critics of Obama's policy argue that he has not received much in return, particularly regarding improvements in human rights in Cuba, for the concessions made to the country. However, the White House has pointed to Obama's meeting with critics and opponents of the Cuban regime on Tuesday as a condition for the U.S. President's trip to Havana. Although the Cuban government is still criticized for the detention of many protesters, the instances of condemning government opponents to long prison sentences have noticeably decreased in recent years. The issue of political prisoners is very important for Cuban immigrants living in the U.S. and the international community. However, for the majority of Cubans, important issues include economic problems, shortages of basic goods, and cumbersome bureaucracy in the country. Obama's speech was broadcast on the heavily controlled Cuban state television, providing a unique opportunity to speak directly to the Cuban people about the future of their country. Obama referred to painful chapters in the history of U.S.-Cuba relations but dedicated most of his speech to the future. He stated, "The time has come to put the past behind us." Obama emphasized the necessity of moving towards democracy, reminding that political changes do not happen easily, citing the tumultuous history of the U.S. He described the U.S. presidential election as an example of progress over time. In the Republican nomination race, two Cuban-American politicians, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, participated, although Rubio withdrew from the race earlier this month. Since the beginning of his trip on Sunday, Obama has tried to familiarize himself with the culture of the country in addition to official meetings. He visited various parts of Havana and on the last day of his trip attended a baseball game between the Cuban national team and one of the major baseball clubs in the U.S. In this context, Obama stated: "A new day has begun in U.S.-Cuba relations."