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Peter Baker reports at the NYT that in a deal negotiated during 18 months of secret talks hosted largely by Canada and encouraged by Pope Francis, the United States will restore full diplomatic relations with Cuba and open an embassy in Havana for the first time in more than a half-century. In addition, the United States will ease restrictions on remittances, travel and banking relations, and Cuba will release 53 Cuban prisoners identified as political prisoners by the United States government.
Although the decades-old American embargo on Cuba will remain in place for now, the administration signaled that it would welcome a move by Congress to ease or lift it should lawmakers choose to. “We cannot keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. It does not serve America’s interests, or the Cuban people, to try to push Cuba toward collapse.
We know from hard-learned experience that it is better to encourage and support reform than to impose policies that will render a country a failed state,” said the White House in a written statement. "The United States is taking historic steps to chart a new course in our relations with Cuba and to further engage and empower the Cuban people."
(Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday December 18 2014, @11:15PM
Interesting question.
Its not like the Cubans can afford anything in this country, they aren't likely to be buying much here. From their perspective, I just don't see the gain.
There was mention of normalizing monetary flows, which is code for cuban immigrants in the US sending money home to relatives in Cuba. (This was always possible via devious routes through Mexico).
I suppose they expect a huge rush of tourists eager to visit 1958. Some parts of Cuba have been popular with Canadian tourists, but I question whether the Cuban community in the US is going to be in any rush to return to possible prison sentences.
But other than another prison emptying exercise [wikipedia.org] I just don't see why the Cubans would go for this, other than the "we wore them down" bragging rights.
Similarly I see even less in this for the US. Other than another legacy building exercise. Both houses of congress and both parties are currently like warm on the whole thing.
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(Score: 2) by Jeremiah Cornelius on Thursday December 18 2014, @11:22PM
The big deal is there is a fresh crop of new credit victims for the global-banking pyramid scheme. Fidel and Raoul's cronies will become wealthy - everyone will have a TV and a Hyundai - in exchange for their universally acclaimed standards for free, public healthcare.
You're betting on the pantomime horse...
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Friday December 19 2014, @08:33PM
From Cuba's point of view it's a new market for cigars and sugar, located conveniently close. It's probably also going to become a tourist trap, just like it used to be. Tourists are a good source of cash.
From the US point of view things are less clear. Cuba is much less important to the US than the US is to Cuba. So Cuba is going to need to be quite careful about what agreements it signs.
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(Score: 2) by frojack on Friday December 19 2014, @09:52PM
Given that restoring old cars is all the rage these days, I would expect the Cubans could trade their old cars [google.com] for brand new ones, and maybe pocket some cash along the way.
There is no reason to believe that Cuba is going to welcome a flood of american tourists with welcome arms, nor that they have enough facilities to do so, or the willingness to allow outside external companies to build resorts. They have some very nice resorts (chock full of Canadians), but a 10 minute walk from some of these can put you in squalled areas that make Mexico look like paradise.
Still, its likely to be safer than Mexico.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.