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: 4, Interesting) by Arik on Thursday December 18 2014, @11:29PM
That's also why this has yet to happen. And I am guessing that the Bacardi family must be in emergency mode right now trying to find some way to stop it still, along with a good percentage of Puerto Rico (where the closest substitutes for Cuban goods are produced, and where many producers are going to be severely inconvenienced if they have to compete against Cuban goods in the US market again.)
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 18 2014, @11:34PM
PR at least doesn't have import taxes to bump up their prices.
(Score: 2) by Arik on Thursday December 18 2014, @11:49PM
Puerto Rico is very close on the climate, but it's a lot smaller, and the cost of labor is a *LOT* higher.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by redneckmother on Friday December 19 2014, @01:49AM
"... their two main products: alcohol and tobacco."
Damn! Time to unload my black market stocks of rum & cigars! This SUCKS!
Mas cerveza por favor.