President Obama visits Cuba

The Obama visit to Cuba is part of a 16-month rapprochement that the administration hopes will ultimately lead to more bilateral trade with and political freedom in the island nation.    President Obama landed in Havana, Cuba on Sunday, the first time a United States president has visited the Caribbean island nation in almost 100 years.
   The visit is part of the administration’s foreign policy goal of engaging with Cuba so that commercial and cultural opportunities will influence the government to allow more political freedoms in a nation struggling economically because of communist rule and the 55-year-old U.S. trade embargo.
   Since opening a dialogue with the Castro regime 16 months ago, the United States has removed Cuba from the list of state sponsor’s of terrorism, restored diplomatic relations, opened an embassy in Havana, and loosened many trade and travel restrictions.
   The United States, for example, recently restored direct postal service between Cuba and the United States, has allowed the Starwood Hotel chain to sign a deal to manage some hotels in Cuba, is working with Cuba to re-establish scheduled air service between the nations, and has given permission for cargo vessels to operate directly between the nations without special licenses or other restrictions.
   President Obama is scheduled to meet with Cuban officials, as well as dissident groups, give a speech to the nation and attend a baseball game between a Cuban team and Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays.