Obama to announce historic overhaul of relations; Cuba releases American

[Suzanimal]

Too long to cut-n-paste.

Washington (CNN) -- U.S. contractor Alan Gross, held by the Cuban government since 2009, was freed Wednesday as part of a landmark deal with Cuba that paves the way for a major overhaul in U.S. policy toward the island, senior administration officials tell CNN.

President Barack Obama spoke with Cuban President Raul Castro Tuesday in a phone call that lasted about an hour and reflected the first communication at the presidential level with Cuba since the Cuban revolution, according to White House officials. Obama is expected to announce Gross' release and the new diplomatic stance at noon in Washington. At around the same time, Cuban president Raul Castro will speak in Havana

President Obama is also set to announce a major loosening of travel and economic restrictions on the country. And the two nations are set to re-open embassies, with preliminary discussions on that next step in normalizing diplomatic relations beginning in the coming weeks, a senior administration official tells CNN.

Talks between the U.S. and Cuba have been ongoing since June of 2013 and were facilitated by the Canadians and the Vatican in brokering the deal. Pope Francis -- the first pope from Latin America -- encouraged Obama in a letter and in their meeting this year to renew talks with Cuba on pursuing a closer relationship.

Gross' "humanitarian" release by Cuba was accompanied by a separate spy swap, the officials said. Cuba also freed a U.S. intelligence source who has been jailed in Cuba for more than 20 years, although authorities did not identify that person for security reasons. The U.S. released three Cuban intelligence agents convicted of espionage in 2001.

The developments constitute what officials called the most sweeping change in U.S. policy toward Cuba since 1961, when the embassy closed and the embargo was imposed.

Officials described the planned actions as the most forceful changes the president could make without legislation passing through Congress.

...


http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/17/politics/cuba-alan-gross-deal/index.html

[Brian4Liberty]

Nothing wrong with friendly relations with our neighbors, especially when both of our governments are Marxist and authoritarian.

[Lucille]

He finally did something good!

I would love to go to Cuba.

[Suzanimal]

Nothing wrong with friendly relations with our neighbors, .

We should definitely have good relations with Cuba.


especially when both of our governments are Marxist and authoritarian

lol

[Suzanimal]

He finally did something good!

I would love to go to Cuba.

Me too.:)

[specsaregood]

He finally did something good!

I would love to go to Cuba.

Well it doesn't open up the country for tourism. Supposedly you'd need congress to do that; but not like that has stopped him before.

[presence]

US, Cuba Seek To Normalize Relations (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/17/us-cuba-talks_n_6340468.html)Huffington Post-1 hour ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Cuba will start talks on normalizing full diplomatic relations, marking the most significant shift in ...




Obama to announce historic overhaul of relations; Cuba releases ... (http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/17/politics/cuba-alan-gross-deal/)
CNN-27 minutes ago



US, Cuba taking steps to normalize relations, officials say (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/cuba-frees-american-alan-gross-after-five-years-in-prison-official-says/article22114565/)
Opinion-The Globe and Mail-1 hour ago



US to start talks with Cuba to normalize ties (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/report-cuba-frees-american-alan-gross-after-5-years-detention-on-spy-charges/2014/12/17/a2840518-85f5-11e4-a702-fa31ff4ae98e_story.html)
In-Depth-Washington Post-9 minutes ago



Obama set to announce sweeping changes to US-Cuba relations ... (http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2014/dec/17/alan-gross-cuba-prisoner-freed-obama)
Live Updating-The Guardian-2 hours ago



Cuba Frees American Contractor Alan Gross (http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/12/17/371398638/cuba-frees-american-contractor-alan-gross)
Blog-NPR (blog)-51 minutes ago

..

[specsaregood]

Remember when Dr. Paul went to that Univision debate in Miami and called for ending the sanctions and isolationism with cuba? shocked people were.
Can't find a tube of that, but here he is with the same message in 2012:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws7_nTP_mfw&feature=player_embedded

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gr_PnMMOPLk

[Brian4Liberty]

Obama giving a speech about Cuba right now. He emphasized the prisoner exchange, reminiscent of his previous Guantanamo prisoner exchange.

[Mr.NoSmile]

And Rubio has already come out a-swinging hard against it. This is like when Romney had a statement immediately after the Benghazi incident:


"At a minimum, I would say this. Barack Obama is the worst negotiator that we've had as President since at least Jimmy Carter, and maybe in the history of this country," he said on Fox News' "America's Newsroom."

Rubio, whose parents emigrated to the U.S. from Cuba, said he was glad Gross would be reunited with his family. But he added that the prisoner exchange would set a "very dangerous precedent."

"It puts a price on every American abroad," he said. "Governments now know that if they take an American hostage, they can get very significant successions from the U.S."

The Florida Republican also criticized Obama's reported move to normalize relations with Cuba, arguing that opening up commerce and trade on the communist island wouldn't bring democracy to its people.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/marco-rubio-obama-worst-negotiator-alan-gross

[Brian4Liberty]

Wow. Obama slipped in a phrase in Spanish without translating it! He said that "we are all Americans" in Spanish. Open those borders up for the new American Union.

[69360]

I'm fine with this. Obama did something good for maybe the second or third time.

[CaptUSA]

"It puts a price on every American abroad," he said. "Governments now know that if they take an American hostage, they can get very significant successions from the U.S."
Lol... Did Rubio really say that?!

I guess with the super negotiator Rubio in charge, he'd go after every succession he could find! Or maybe that's what Jeb is counting on?

[Brian4Liberty]

And Rubio has already come out a-swinging hard against it.

Of course. Many of the neoconservatives will squeal like stuck pigs over this. The Cuba situation has been advantageous to them over the years. If relations with Cuba normalize, they won't have a hook to manipulate the Cuban community any more.

[Brian4Liberty]

"Uh, can I go back to Cuba now?"

545254874443952128

[Zippyjuan]

You can already go to Cuba if you call it a "cultural exchange". Thousands did last year. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cuba I considered it (and would still like to visit there) as someplace not a lot of people visit. US will set up embassy, travel restrictions and sending of money restrictions will be eased (but not eliminated). You will now be able to bring in some Cuban cigars too (up to $100 they said on the radio) but the embargo will still be in place.


http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-17/obama-to-announce-u-s-cuba-relations-shift-as-gross-is-released.html


Cuba also agreed to release 53 people the U.S. considers political prisoners, some of whom have already been released, the officials said.

The White House plans to move swiftly. The administration expects to issue regulations within weeks and open an embassy as soon as is logistically possible, according to White House officials who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity before Obama spoke. Obama said he will work with Congress to lift the full trade embargo.

Travelers will be able to use credit and debit cards in Cuba and Americans will be able to legally bring home up to $100 in previously illegal Cuban cigars treasured by aficionados.

U.S. companies will be permitted to export to Cuba telecommunications equipment, agricultural commodities, construction supplies and materials for small businesses. U.S. financial institutions will be allowed to open accounts with Cuban banks.

Remittances

Limits on Cuban-Americans’ remittances to relatives in their homeland will jump to $8,000 from $2,000 annually. U.S. companies will be permitted to export an expansive list of goods including building materials and allowed to build telecommunications infrastructure on the island.

Exports will mainly be permitted to Cuba’s emerging private sector, including residential goods and equipment for small businesses and agriculture, an official said.

The president also ordered the State Department to review Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. Cuba has been listed as a terrorism sponsor since 1982, the official said.

Cuba also agreed to allow greater Internet access for its citizens and easier telecommunications with the United States.

The U.S. and Cuba will begin a series of high-level visits between the government as they negotiate normalization of relations with a visit to Havana in January by an assistant secretary of state for talks on migration policy.

Policies of the last 50 years regarding Cuba have obviously made little difference.

[angelatc]

Yeah, trade is always a good thing. This is going to be one of the areas where we disagree with the mainstream GOP. They're still fighting the Cold War. (While linig up and voting for SS and MediCare, natch.)

[Lucille]

U.S. Takes First Steps to Fix Cuban Policy: Here's What Pundits Are Saying
http://reason.com/blog/2014/12/17/us-takes-first-steps-to-end-the-cuban-em


President Obama announced Wednesday that the U.S. will establish diplomatic ties with Cuba, a huge milestone in U.S.-Cuba relations. While only an act of Congress could repeal the embargo that has existed since 1960, this is a vital first step in allowing market forces to eventually improve the lives of Cubans who have languished under dictatorship for more than half a century.

For fans of human freedom and economic opportunity, the news is undoubtedly encouraging. Over the years, Reason has frequently written about the need to open up Cuba to market forces. As Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) told Reason TV in 2011, "the whole trade embargo is silly." Flake explained that it was wrong for the American government to limit its citizens' interactions with Cubans.

Unfortunately, all too many Republicans remain committed to Cold War-era posturing on outdated and ineffective national security measures. Neocon Sen. Lindsey Graham leads the pack:
[...]
But neoconservatives aren't the only critics of improved relations with Cuba. Some Twitter leftists seem depressed about the prospect of their tropical island socialist paradise transforming into a capitalist hellhole:
[...]
It would appear there's more overlap between delusional, angry neoconservatives and authoritarian-worshipping leftists than one would expect, huh? [not really, since Neo-Trots are just delusional, angry, authoritarian-worshipping leftists in red jerseys -L]
[...]
To end on a positive—and highly sarcastic—note:

545243092392378369

[JK/SEA]

Had to happen some day...may as well be today. 50 years of sanctions and bluster and Cubans somehow survived.

Its always good to have another tropical place to take a vacation...

Will this work out?....i think so. Time will tell.

[jmdrake]

Well Obama got one thing right.

[Brian4Liberty]

Obama: "Todos somos Americanos".

It's a big story in the Latin American press. Not so much here. Pretty much ignored. Obama can send an untranslated message right in the middle of a speech and no one asks questions.

This is pretty much the only reference I've found in English language press, and it's from the UK, not the US.


“We will end an outdated approach that for decades has failed to advance our interests,” Mr Obama said in a televised address from the White House. “These changes will begin a new chapter among the nations of the Americas.”

Later he said: “Todos somos Americanos”, or “We are all Americans.”

[Brian4Liberty]

They're still fighting the Cold War. (While linig up and voting for SS and MediCare, natch.)

Yep, the neoconservatives love the Cold War, and are still battling Russia. But when this news came out, the thought occurred to me that Obama is fighting Russia more effectively than the neoconservatives. Making friends with Cuba and potentially removing a Russian ally on our coast seems like a good maneuver.

[JK/SEA]

Yep, the neoconservatives love the Cold War, and are still battling Russia. But when this news came out, the thought occurred to me that Obama is fighting Russia more effectively than the neoconservatives. Making friends with Cuba and potentially removing a Russian ally on our coast seems like a good maneuver.

yeah, i don't think we'll be seeing any missiles being shipped to Cuba any time soon...

[CPUd]

Obama: "Todos somos Americanos".

It's a big story in the Latin American press. Not so much here. Pretty much ignored. Obama can send an untranslated message right in the middle of a speech and no one asks questions.

This is pretty much the only reference I've found in English language press, and it's from the UK, not the US.

It is a big story elsewhere because Estadounidenses always call themselves Americans in an exclusive context, to the point where some from Central, South America (and the Caribbean) take offense to it.

[donnay]

He finally did something good!

I would love to go to Cuba.

As long as it is not Gitmo. <s>

[devil21]

A bit of a poke at Putin?

[Lucille]

One Cheer for Obama?
http://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/one-cheer-for-obama/


The prez is not pressing his boot on the necks of the Cuban people with quite as much virulence. It’s still illegal to travel to Cuba for tourism, and most trade is still forbidden, but all those barriers can and should come down. Surely the decades of vicious anti-civilian sanctions are more than enough, even for the Cuba lobby? Actually not. That Republican pressure group will not be satisfied until the CIA puts them back into power. The libertarian solution? Hands Off Havana, and Free Trade With Cuba. And good for the Vatican for negotiating this first step. Cuba has liberalized economically and religiously. Now is the time for peace, trade, and friendship. And to smoke a Cuban cigar. Oh, and kudos to Ron Paul for always taking the correct position, despite Republican temper tantrums. As will be the case with everything, Ron has been proven right again.

[donnay]

A bit of a poke at Putin?

Exactly...

[charrob]

Wow, that was a fast change in direction.




Top Cuban Musician Tells USAID to "Go to Hell" for Botched Rapper Program: (http://www.democracynow.org/2014/12/17/headlines/top_cuban_musician_tells_usaid_to_go_to_hell_for_b otched_rapper_program)

One of the leading musicians in Cuba has told the U.S. Agency for International Development to "go to hell" for ensnaring his son and other hip-hop artists in a botched plot to foment anti-government unrest. Silvio Rodríguez made the comments on his blog following revelations by the Associated Press that USAID tried to recruit Cuban rappers under the guise of civic causes like HIV prevention. As part of the program, USAID hired Creative Associates International, a firm that also played a key role in the "Cuban Twitter" program — a fake social media program launched in another bid to undermine the Cuban government. In the hip-hop case, Creative Associates was directed to recruit young rap artists looking to make "social change." But the program ended up endangering some of the artists, spiking their careers and forcing some, like Rodríguez’s son, to move to Florida.




Cuba's Silvio Rodriguez to USAID: 'go to hell': (http://www.thestate.com/2014/12/16/3877327/cubas-silvio-rodriguez-defends.html)

Associated Press
December 16, 2014

HAVANA — One of Cuba's most famous musicians is telling the U.S. Agency for International Development to "go to hell" for pulling his son and other island-based rappers without their knowledge into a scheme aimed at sparking a youth uprising against the Communist government.

Folk singer Silvio Rodriguez went onto his Segunda Cita blog this week to fill in his fellow Cubans with the details of the operation revealed by The Associated Press.

His defended his son, rapper Silvio Liam Rodriguez, and Aldo Rodriguez of the Cuban rap duo Los Aldeanos, who is not a member of their family. The two young musicians and a second member of Los Aldeanos now live in Florida because they say the Cuban government made it impossible for them to perform on the island.

"The AP's revelations about the insistent program of USAID are full of anecdotes, but more than anything they offer a clear lesson about manipulation and intervention" in Cuban affairs, Rodriguez wrote.

He issued a veiled knock at Cuban authorities as well. "Should an artist be automatically discredited just because he doesn't think like you?" Rodriguez asked.

The AP last week published the results of its investigation into U.S. efforts to infiltrate the island's hip-hop scene and use artists to unwittingly spark opposition to the Cuban government.

The scheme involved a Serbian music promoter who brought Los Aldeanos to Serbia for an international music festival and planned political training. Silvio Rodriguez was unwittingly drawn into the USAID effort when he lent his name to help get Aldo Rodriguez freed when he was jailed in Cuba, and to retrieve the young rapper's confiscated computer.

Adrian Monzon, who once worked with the Serbians and the USAID contractor Creative Associates, over the weekend confirmed via Facebook he was the only person involved in the project in Cuba who knew about the USAID connection. He now works at a Papa John's pizza restaurant in South Florida and has a small event planning company.

Members of Los Aldeanos, who spoke out against the government long before the USAID project, have said they never received any political training and are solely responsible for their music.

Silvio Rodriguez is well-known throughout Latin America as leader of the "nueva trova" folk music movement, and for his highly symbolic lyrics in songs such as "Playa Giron" and "Ojala."

He said on his blog that he and his son don't always agree, but called the young musicians "rebel spirits."

"They know that in many areas, I don't think like them, even though I insist on defending their right to think and say what they choose," Rodriguez wrote. "As a father, and as an artist, I hope they learn from what has happened to them that they take advantage of it. ... And may USAID go to hell."

Associated Press writers Wides-Munoz and Gisela Salomon reported from Miami.



Here's video from this past April's revelation by the Associated Press regarding USAID's twitter program in Cuba; Alan Gross is also discussed in here:




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPdmul1FvL0&index=73&list=PL0EZz2Yc8N2u0VggYwQYN_oJVa5LTlpNJ

[HOLLYWOOD]

US Embassies and Consulates are Spy and Subversive Operations Centers... everything else is a secondary smokescreen.

Even the Daily Propaganda from today's coordinated State Department Brief confirms their double talk translation:

US StateDept PSAKI
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B5FMRxYCEAAaLRu.png

"we are taking a new tactic to achieve regime change in Cuba"

[presence]

US Embassies and Consulates are Spy and Subversive Operations Centers... everything else is a secondary smokescreen.

Even the Daily Propaganda from today's coordinated State Department Brief confirms their double talk translation:

US StateDept PSAKI
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B5FMRxYCEAAaLRu.png

"we are taking a new tactic to achieve regime change in Cuba"


wait wtf? who is that and she really said that?


Tube.

[DFF]

A bit of a poke at Putin?

This was my first thought.

[Demigod]

It is a big story elsewhere because Estadounidenses always call themselves Americans in an exclusive context, to the point where some from Central, South America (and the Caribbean) take offense to it.

You will always have Yankee.

[Tywysog Cymru]

I'm surprised Obama is allowing this to happen.

[Origanalist]

Lol... Did Rubio really say that?!

I guess with the super negotiator Rubio in charge, he'd go after every succession he could find! Or maybe that's what Jeb is counting on?

I always knew Rubio was a neo-Confederate.

[specsaregood]

wait wtf? who is that and she really said that?


Tube.

You've never seen her? She's great.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jen_Psaki

[Origanalist]

US Embassies and Consulates are Spy and Subversive Operations Centers... everything else is a secondary smokescreen.

Even the Daily Propaganda from today's coordinated State Department Brief confirms their double talk translation:

US StateDept PSAKI
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B5FMRxYCEAAaLRu.png

"we are taking a new tactic to achieve regime change in Cuba"

Can we put all these assholes in Gitmo?

In trying to poke a finger in the eye of Putin, and "conservatives", Obama may well have accidentally done one of the very few things that could be described as a net plus in his entire time in office.

[CaptUSA]

I always knew Rubio was a neo-Confederate.

You're thinking "secession".
Rubio was thinking "concession".
"Succession" is the next thing in line - thus, the Bush comment.

[Henry Rogue]

Moving in the right direction in this particular case. Had Dr.Paul been president, relations would be much further a long at this point.

[Occam's Banana]

http://i.imgur.com/NQ0llUx.jpg

Now let's do the same wrt Iran & North Korea ...

[rodo1776]

Me too.:)

Go to Cuba then and hopefully you speak fluent Spanish and get to talk to the locals. This move by Obama does nothing but make the Castro''s stronger and allow for more repression of civil rights (I.E. there are none in Cuba) All the foreign exchange and tourism dollars that come in to the country end up with the military who run most all tourism and food distribution. They then use part of the proceeds to fund repression.

This is not good for the Cuban people no matter what you read in the MSM. I am waiting for some type of comment by Rand. I hope he is smart enough to see through all of this BS.

i know it is a popular thing for libertarians to applaud something like this but unless you have been to Cuba and see the repression first hand you can talk all day about how I would love to visit Cuba etc but in the end the reality is this move just increases repression.

I wont admit i have been to Cuba for obvious reasons but take it from me I know what is going on there.

Rand will need southern Florida votes in numbers. You can say that this is not a big deal with voters anymore but just look at Miami Dade, Broward county list of public officals. I would guess 70% of Cuban extraction.

trying to pander to votes is one thing but the real issue is the repression and dictatorship in Cuba and what we should be standing up for as Americans and as liberty lovers.

I hope Rand comes out with a statement and that he strongly opposes this move by Obama. My support for him will partially hinge on how he reacts.

Learn something about the real Cuba before you come out and say this is a great thing. The only leverage we had to promote civil liberties was pressure on Cuba.

Read this blog for some more info. Yes it is biased but I can vouch that most is true and you can learn something before just coming out with a knee jerk reaction.

http://babalublog.com/

[specsaregood]

...

[georgiaboy]

wait wtf? who is that and she really said that?


Tube.

all C-SPAN content is on www.c-span.org/

just search for psaki

[enhanced_deficit]

Some neecon pups like Marco Rubio is not happy bout it.


Yet Rubio and others charge the administration with appeasement and even surrender. All because the president is proposing to treat Cuba like the U.S., under Republican as well as Democratic administrations, treats China, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and a host of other repressive states. President Obama suggests that government officials talk to one another. And that peoples visit and trade with one another. Nothing more.


Not a fan of swc ddp but this was right FP move for a change. Also, this deal will help bring Alan Gross home in time for Hanukkah.

[Suzanimal]

For Truly Better Relations with Cuba, Open the Door and Get Out of the Way!

President Obama today took a bold and surprising step toward ending the futile 50 year US embargo of Cuba. The president announced he would begin normalizing relations, including upgrading the diplomatic mission in Havana to embassy status. The president also said he was taking steps to increase travel, commerce, and the flow of information between the US and Cuba.

President Obama said that the half-century US embargo of Cuba was an “outdated approach” that “failed to advance our interests.” He rightly noted that decades of US sanctions have “had little effect.”

He noted, as I have often pointed out, that the US has had economic and diplomatic relations with communist China for 35 years and has even established productive relations with a Vietnam, where the US fought a brutal war just over four decades ago.

I was delighted to see the president make such a dramatic foreign policy move that will result in more freedom and liberty for Americans. I have always believed that the US embargo of Cuba was primarily an anti-American policy, as the US government has no business telling Americans with whom they can trade or visit. Of course the average Cuban suffered greatly under the inhuman US embargo of their country, and I hope this policy shift may result in better lives for them as well.

What is particularly encouraging about this move is that the 50 year freeze in US/Cuba relations was thawed by a simple telephone call between President Obama and his Cuban counterpart, Raul Castro. I have opposed the isolationist policies of sanctions and embargoes and have encouraged US presidents to simply use diplomacy – even a simple telephone call – to clear up differences. There is a lesson in this for similarly tense US relations with Iran, Russia, Syria, and others.

I am optimistic about this policy shift by the US government but I am also very cautious.

Permitting travel to and trade with Cuba is a step in the right direction, but if the US government uses this opening to increase its meddling in internal Cuban affairs it will be one step forward and one step back. We have recently read of yet another hare-brained scheme by the US Agency for International Development to foment regime change in Cuba, this time by co-opting Cuban musicians. Before that, the US was funneling money to NGOs to create a phony Twitter program that was supposed to overthrow the Cuban government. Improving relations should not be seen as a Trojan horse to infiltrate more regime change NGOs into Cuba.

...

http://www.ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2014/december/17/for-truly-better-relations-with-cuba-open-the-door-and-get-out-of-the-way/

[milgram]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BhMGrdA2Ag

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/227400-top-senate-dem-slams-obama-on-cuba

Senate Dem: Cuba trade rewards 'brutal behavior'

I guessed who it was before clicking the link ...


Sen. Robert Menendez (N.J.), the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is slamming President Obama over the deal to release an American held in Cuba.

“President Obama's actions have vindicated the brutal behavior of the Cuban government," Menendez, known for his tough stance on Cuba, said in a statement.

"There is no equivalence between an international aid worker and convicted spies who were found guilty of conspiracy to commit espionage against our nation."

American aid worker Alan Gross, who was held in Cuba for five years for trying to set up Internet for a small Jewish community, was released on Wednesday as the U.S. released three Cuban agents convicted of spying.

Menendez said the move "sets an extremely dangerous precedent."

"It invites dictatorial and rogue regimes to use Americans serving overseas as bargaining chips. I fear that today’s actions will put at risk the thousands of Americans that work overseas to support civil society, advocate for access to information, provide humanitarian services, and promote democratic reforms."

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/can-congress-block-obamas-efforts-to-normalize-cuba-relations/

Can Congress block Obama's efforts to normalize Cuba relations?


Rubio indicated Thursday that would be an uphill battle for the administration.

"I anticipate we're going to have a very interesting couple of years discussing how you're going to get an ambassador nominated and how you're going to get an embassy funded," he said at a press conference.

Rubio will chair the Western Hemisphere subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when Republicans take control of Congress in January. It's not the top perch for the committee that considers ambassadors - that will to go Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, who hasn't tipped his hand on whether he approves or disapproves of Mr. Obama's actions yet.

Rubio, however, has a much more powerful ally in incoming Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, who told the Associated Press Wednesday that he will defer to Rubio on issues because he says that the Florida Republican is the expert on the issue.

[milgram]

Learn something about the real Cuba before you come out and say this is a great thing. The only leverage we had to promote civil liberties was pressure on Cuba.

Don't you agree that approach wasn't really working? It doesn't seem like the embargo would have ever led to a significant tipping point.

[pcosmar]

Can you say "Boom Town"?

Anyone got a bit to invest,?,, Boom Town.

[Brian4Liberty]

Can you say "Boom Town"?

Anyone got a bit to invest,?,, Boom Town.

"We look forward to a fruitful relationship with Cuba once that bastard Castro is dead."

3516

3517

[HOLLYWOOD]

Pressure was on... making US and Israeli governments exposing their tyranny across the globe, especially when compared to Qatar, Bahrain, House of Saud, and China.

General Assembly Demands End to Cuba Blockade for Twenty-Third Consecutive Year, Country’s Foreign Minister Cites Losses Exceeding $1 Trillion

Exposing an intractable demarcation of the international community, 188 Member States voted in favour and, as in previous years, the United States and Israel voted against.
http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/ga11574.doc.htm

Enjoy...one of my Fav Cubano Bands to listen to at the beaches.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sqdNKPY1sc

[BuddyRey]

So how much longer until we can all start ordering our celebratory boxes of Montecristos?

[Brian4Liberty]

We need to push for prerequisites for ending the Cuba embargo...

545759457641504769

545758715849478144

[Suzanimal]

So how much longer until we can all start ordering our celebratory boxes of Montecristos?

Not soon, unless you go to Cuba.


Cuban Cigar Boom? Stores and Customers Say Not Yet

The Cuban cigar is set to make its first legal appearance U.S. in years, with relaxed guidelines allowing travelers to return with a few in their suitcases. But the cigars won't roll into stores just yet, and owners say they aren't worried about business.

Some tobacco shops owners in Miami's Little Havana say most customers can't afford to travel to Cuba for cigars and won't do so regularly.

Licensed American travelers can return home with $100 in alcohol and tobacco products. Experts say that's three to 20 cigars.

Cigars brought back to the U.S. must be for personal use, not resale. If the U.S. embargo with Cuba is eventually lifted, many tobacconists say they'd welcome the change. They could add Cuban tobacco to their blends, and many believe they interest in cigars would increase.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/cuban-cigar-boom-stores-customers-27719623

[Suzanimal]

Cuban Cigar Boom? A Look at What New Rules Mean


Americans travelers can soon legally bring back one of Cuba's most celebrated products, but some limitations remain. Here's a look at some facts and figures surrounding the loosened restrictions on cigars:

? THE RULES

Licensed American travelers can bring back no more than $100 in cigars. That will get travelers three to 20 "habanos," depending on brand and size, said Gary Heathcott, an expert who writes for tobacco magazines. Prices in Cuba range from $6 for a petite Partagas stogie to $30 for a long, chubby Cohiba.

The last time travelers were able to bring Cuban cigars back was before Aug. 1, 2004. On that day, the U.S. tightened restrictions on Cuba and implemented a full ban on personal allotment purchases by licensed American travelers. With the changes announced this week, that ban goes away for travelers, but it remains for commercial importation. Retailers won't be able to get their hands on the tobacco or cigars.

Most Americans are still prohibited from traveling to Cuba. But there are a dozen legal categories of travel to Cuba. Limited groups ? close relatives of Cubans, journalists, academics and people on accredited cultural education programs ? can visit.

And Americans can't rush to Canada or Europe for Cuban stogies. U.S. travelers can purchase Cuban cigars and tobacco only in Cuba. Cuban tobacco products sold in other countries are prohibited for purchase or import.

? THE ALLURE

Many consider Cuban tobacco the finest in the world because of its climate, fertile soil, proximity to the equator and traditional hand-rolling technique. For U.S. aficionados, the "forbidden fruit" aspect adds to the appeal. "Americans like stuff we can't have," Heathcott said

Many in the industry say other countries are turning out competitive products. Eric Newman, co-owner of J.C. Newman Cigar Co., said the cigars his company makes in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua are "more consistent in flavor and construction than those made in Cuba today."

?THE MARKET

The U.S. cigar market sees about 13 billion individual cigars sold each year, according to The International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retail Association. Fewer than 300 million qualify as premium cigars. That market brings in $600 million to $800 million a year. According to the Cigar Association of America, more than 317 million cigars were imported into the country last year from the Dominican Republican, Nicaragua and Honduras. The Dominican Republican sent the most ? 134 million.

? THE FUTURE

The embargo is still in place, which means wide-scale importation and sale of Cuban cigars and tobacco is off the table. The market is so diverse that many retailers have said it will just be one more product on an already bustling scene. "I think Cuban cigars becoming available will create so much interest in the overall industry that everyone should benefit," Newman said.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/cuban-cigar-boom-rules-27720238

[HOLLYWOOD]

Not soon, unless you go to Cuba.You can go to Puerto Rico anyday and pickup the best Cubanos. You can even special order, if you give them enough advancement. ;)

[pcosmar]

So how much longer until we can all start ordering our celebratory boxes of Montecristos?

Romeo y Julieta ,

Ah, memories. There are dozens of businesses that are all ready to go.
One flying boat ferry service.

It's an hour from Key West. A "go fast" will get you there.

[heavenlyboy34]

I went to a Cuban cultural festival once when I was in college. Great food and culture. :) I want to visit. :cool:

[Suzanimal]

Romeo y Julieta ,

Ah, memories. There are dozens of businesses that are all ready to go.
One flying boat ferry service.

It's an hour from Key West. A "go fast" will get you there.

My husband bought some of those in Aruba, I think thy're his favorites.

[devil21]

You can go to Puerto Rico anyday and pickup the best Cubanos. You can even special order, if you give them enough advancement. ;)

Crap. So I was saving a limited edition 2010 Cohiba for nothin? Oh well, I lost it in a boating accident so no biggie.

[Suzanimal]

What The Ending Of The Cuban Embargo Means For Rum Drinking


With today’s historic news of the restoring of relations between Cuba and the United States, ending a more than 50-year-old import embargo, some (the FR editors) are kind of curious: what does it mean for the rum industry? The short answer is, it is now legal to import Cuban rum to the United States, though in very small quantities. “As part of the agreement, the U.S. will allow licensed American travelers to import $400 worth of goods, but no more than $100 of which can be tobacco products and alcohol,” reports Market Watch. The products will not be allowed for resale.

The slightly longer answer is that rum making in Cuba has had a long history, with many attempting to emulate the country's distinct distilling style with little to show for it. The most popular Cuban brand globally is Havana Club, which carries a very unique, slightly smoky nose that sits very well in cocktails like the Daiquiri or Cuba Libre. Journalist Kara Newman, writing for Bloomberg, recently called it the "holy grail for American rum-drinkers" with a slightly emphatic tone. The name of the Daiquiri itself is said to have originated in Cuba around 1900, where there is a small town outside Santiago of the same name.

Outside of Havana Club, there are hundreds of small producers that have yet to be exposed to American drinkers. A visit to Caribbean Club in Barcelona, run by Havana rum expert Juanjo Gonzalez, is a tour through the country’s rich distilling history — category leader Bacardi was founded there 152 years ago, though it has since moved their operation to Mexico and Puerto Rico. A recent visit had Gonzalez pouring all sorts of unique bottles, with flavors ranging from sweet to extremely smoky. The future of the Cuban rum industry in America is extremely positive. We’ll let the big boys talk about the cigar situation.

http://www.foodrepublic.com/2014/12/17/what-ending-cuban-embargo-means-rum-drinking

[Zippyjuan]

Go to Cuba then and hopefully you speak fluent Spanish and get to talk to the locals. This move by Obama does nothing but make the Castro''s stronger and allow for more repression of civil rights (I.E. there are none in Cuba) All the foreign exchange and tourism dollars that come in to the country end up with the military who run most all tourism and food distribution. They then use part of the proceeds to fund repression.

This is not good for the Cuban people no matter what you read in the MSM. I am waiting for some type of comment by Rand. I hope he is smart enough to see through all of this BS.

i know it is a popular thing for libertarians to applaud something like this but unless you have been to Cuba and see the repression first hand you can talk all day about how I would love to visit Cuba etc but in the end the reality is this move just increases repression.

I wont admit i have been to Cuba for obvious reasons but take it from me I know what is going on there.

Rand will need southern Florida votes in numbers. You can say that this is not a big deal with voters anymore but just look at Miami Dade, Broward county list of public officals. I would guess 70% of Cuban extraction.

trying to pander to votes is one thing but the real issue is the repression and dictatorship in Cuba and what we should be standing up for as Americans and as liberty lovers.

I hope Rand comes out with a statement and that he strongly opposes this move by Obama. My support for him will partially hinge on how he reacts.

Learn something about the real Cuba before you come out and say this is a great thing. The only leverage we had to promote civil liberties was pressure on Cuba.

Read this blog for some more info. Yes it is biased but I can vouch that most is true and you can learn something before just coming out with a knee jerk reaction.

http://babalublog.com/

1) How has not trading or having any relations with Cuba over the last 50 years improved things for their people?

2) Keeping the embargo in place gives Castro something to blame all their shortcomings on. Not enough food supplies? It is the US Embargo- not our policies. Not enough energy? The Embargo. Removing the embargo removes their cover and forces them to take more responsibility. Increased trade and exchanges of people lets information and ideas move more. It creates more jobs and opportunities for citizens of Cuba.

Would they be better off if we continue isolationism with them? Has 50 years of it succeeded in making them freer today?

What influence can you possibly have when you have no relations of any kind with them? The threat of cutting off trade when there is none to cut? Influence comes from interaction.

[Lucille]

Starting Friday, U.S. Will Ease Restrictions on Travel to Cuba
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/16/world/americas/us-eases-decades-old-rules-on-travel-to-cuba.html


While ordinary tourism remains banned by law, new rules put in place by President Obama will make it easier for Americans to visit Cuba than it has been for most of the last half-century. If airlines begin regular service between the United States and Cuba, as they quickly moved to do, it could soon be as simple as logging on to a computer to order a ticket and checking a box to say the trip serves a legitimate purpose.

The rules will usher in a new era of contact between neighbors that have been estranged for longer than most of their citizens have been alive. It will be easier not only to travel, but also to send money. American telecommunications providers, financial institutions and agricultural companies will be given more opportunities to do business in Cuba. Visitors will be allowed to spend more, use credit cards and even bring home up to $100 in Cuban cigars.

United Airlines announced on Thursday that it planned to seek approval to begin regular service to Cuba from Newark and Houston. American Airlines, which operates charter flights to Cuba from Miami and Tampa, Fla., said it was reviewing the rule changes.

“This is basically the end of the travel ban, once they work out the kinks,” said Julia E. Sweig, a longtime scholar and author on Cuba. “At first glance, the new regulations look to allow most Americans to travel to Cuba without having to ask for permission in advance, and by booking air travel directly rather than through authorized groups and agencies.”

That is not to say everything will suddenly be possible. The embargo imposed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1960 after Fidel Castro stormed to power remains in effect, and most trade is still illegal. Travelers will have to certify that their visits are for educational, religious, cultural, journalistic, humanitarian or family purposes, among other permitted categories.

[Suzanimal]

US, Cuba talks fail to yield movement toward normal ties


HAVANA — After a euphoric month that left Americans dreaming of holidays in Havana and Cubans imagining US products at their stores, the first real effort at forging a new era was sobering: Much bitter disagreement still stands in the way of normal relations.

Negotiations between seasoned Cuban diplomats and the highest-level US delegation to visit the island in 35 years failed to produce a single significant agreement — beyond the need for more talks.


As Roberta Jacobson, America’s top diplomat for Latin America, told reporters, ‘‘It’s very hard to say how exactly this will work.’’

The two days of talks were hyped, starting hours after President Obama declared in his State of the Union address that the new engagement effort had ‘‘the potential to end a legacy of mistrust in our hemisphere’’ and provided ‘‘new hope for the future in Cuba.’’

Yet by Friday it appeared negotiators had not advanced Obama’s basic objective: restoring diplomatic ties between the United States and President Raul Castro’s governments.

On Thursday, Jacobson called reestablishing diplomatic ties a ‘‘relatively straightforward process.’’ A day later, her Cuban counterpart suggested a key US demand of unrestricted travel for US diplomats was already being snarled over Washington’s support for dissidents the Cuban government sees as mercenaries trying to dissolve the communist system.

Josefina Vidal, Cuba’s top diplomat for the United States, said US support for dissidents is ‘‘action that isn’t acceptable for Cuba, and they know it.’’

Asked whether Cuba would allow US diplomats to go where they want, she said, ‘‘for Cuba, this consideration is associated with better behavior.’’

At its most fundamental level, the US-Cuba divide comes down to separate visions of where closer ties should lead.

Jacobson said the US goal is a ‘‘free and democratic” Cuba. Vidal outlined a different idea — that of two states with deep differences but no economic or diplomatic restrictions.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2015/01/24/cuba-end-historic-talks-with-more-questions-than-answers/tnEM9pWIJilufe8Kwd4ppM/story.html

[Suzanimal]

Cuba's $6B debt to Americans for seized properties hangs over US talks

A $6 billion sticking point could create headaches for the U.S.-Cuba talks.

Though concerns over human rights, press freedoms and U.S. fugitives living free on the island have dominated debate over the Obama administration's negotiations on restoring diplomatic ties, the Castro regime also still owes Americans that eye-popping sum.

The $6 billion figure represents the value of all the assets seized from thousands of U.S. citizens and businesses after the Cuban revolution in 1959. With the United States pressing forward on normalizing relations with the communist country, some say the talks must resolve these claims.

"The administration has not provided details about how it will hold the Castro regime to account for the more than $6 billion in outstanding claims by American citizens and businesses for properties confiscated by the Castros," Sen. Robert Menendez, D-Fla., top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote in a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry ahead of historic talks in Havana last week.

Menendez urged the U.S. to "prioritize the interests of American citizens and businesses that have suffered at the hands of the Castro regime" before moving ahead with "additional economic and political concessions."

Beginning with Fidel Castro's takeover of the Cuban government in 1959, the communist regime nationalized all of Cuba's utilities and industry, and systematically confiscated private lands to redistribute -- under state control -- to the Cuban population.

The mass seizure without proper compensation led in part to the U.S. trade embargo.

Over nearly 6,000 claims by American citizens and corporations have been certified by the U.S. Foreign Claims Settlement Commission, totaling $1.9 billion.

Today, with interest and in today's dollars, that amount is close to $6 billion.

U.S. sugar, mineral, telephone and electric company losses were heavy. Oil refineries were taken from energy giants like Texaco and Exxon. Coca-Cola was forced to leave bottling plants behind. Goodyear and Firestone lost tire factories, and major chains like Hilton handed over once-profitable real estate for nothing in return.

Assistant Secretary of State Roberta Jacobson, after leading the talks in Havana last week, did not mention the U.S. property claims at a press briefing. The department also did not respond to FoxNews.com's requests for comment on the matter. In Dec. 18 remarks, however, Jacobson said, "registered claims against the Cuban government" would be part of the "conversation."

She also noted Cuban claims of monetary losses due to the 50-year-old U.S. embargo.

"We do not believe those things would be resolved before diplomatic relations would be restored, but we do believe that they would be part of the conversation," she said. "So this is a process, and it will get started right away, but there's no real timeline of knowing when each part of it will be completed."

The billions are owed, in part, to an array of major companies.

U.S. banks ranging from First National City Bank (which became Citibank) to Chase Manhattan lost millions in assets. According to the list of claimants, the Brothers of the Order of Hermits of St. Augustine even lost $7.8 million in real estate when they were expelled from the island.

According to a government study commissioned in 2007, however, some 88 percent of the claimants are individual American property and asset owners, many of whom would probably like to see some sort of compensation out of the diplomatic deal-making.

"I think this is a significant issue and it has more resonance today than it would have had 20 years ago," as nationalization has seen a resurgence throughout Latin America in recent years, said Robert Muse, a Washington, D.C., attorney who has represented corporate clients whose assets were seized. "You have to take seriously the notion that a government must support their companies when their [property] is expropriated. You have to have some consistency on that."

Experts who spoke to FoxNews.com agree that fully compensating everyone on the list would be a complicated, if not impossible, endeavor.

First, the Cuban government, even if it did agree in spirit to pay, probably would not be able to afford it.

Some individual claimants may be long dead. Further, some of the original corporations no longer exist, thanks to mergers, buyouts, and bankruptcies over the years.

Such is the case with the Cuban Electric Company, which has the largest claim -- $267.6 million in corporate assets (1960 dollars). The company was part of the paper and pulp manufacturer, Boise Cascade Company (which also has a claim for $11.7 million), at the time of the seizures.

But Boise Cascade has since spun off and the part of it that held a subsidiary with a majority stake in Cuban Electric became Office Max -- which later merged with Office Depot in 2013. Company officials reached by FoxNews.com had no comment on the original Cuban Electric claims.

Muse and others, like Cuba analyst Elizabeth Newhouse at the Center for International Policy, say that companies that still have an active interest in getting compensated might agree to more creative terms -- whether it be for less money, or tax breaks or other incentives on future investments if and when the U.S. embargo is lifted.

"My sense is that some corporations are more interested in having a leg-up in any trade arrangements than they are in getting their money back," Newhouse said.

Thomas J. Herzfeld, who heads the 20-year-old Herzfeld Caribbean Basin Fund which trades shares of firms that would have an interest in Cuba if the embargo is lifted, said his life-long goal has been "to rebuild Cuba." He has approached claimants about taking their claims in exchange for investment shares. He said his fund is "well-prepared" for when normalization resumes.

But others warn about popping the corks too soon, particularly if the Castro regime is unwilling to take the compensation seriously. According to the Helms-Burton Act, which enforces the sanctions, the embargo cannot be lifted until there is "demonstrable progress underway" in compensating Americans for their lost property. (Congress also would have to vote to lift the embargo.)

"This is an issue where they are going to have to put their heads together and figure out how to resolve it," Newhouse said. "I think everyone wants to see it resolved."

Jacobson, at the close of last week's opening talks, said there was some progress on opening up embassies, but there continue to be "areas of deep disagreement," particularly on Cuban human rights and fugitives from U.S. justice in Cuba.

"Let me conclude," said Jacobson, the highest-ranking U.S. diplomat to visit Cuba in more than three decades, "it was just a first step."

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/26/cuba-6b-debt-to-americans-for-seized-properties-hangs-over-us-talks/?intcmp=latestnews

[pcosmar]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97wvwuHUMCw

This will be a huge investment opportunity for any in a position to do so.

When Cuba opens,,eventually,,, it will be a boomtown.

[Suzanimal]

Cuba: 5 Clear Signs Change Is Already Coming


The relationship between the United States and Cuba is changing fast, and that change is already making waves in not just the political sphere, but throughout the private sector as well.

The U.S. public supports the shift more than ever, with a recent Gallup poll revealing that 46 percent of Americans view the island nation favorably, the highest number since the company started polling the question in 1996, when only 10 percent of Americans felt the same way. Here are five indications that, even though the relationship is new, it is already shifting:

The Talks Continue: The negotiations between the United States and Cuba, which began in January in Havana after Obama’s December announced goal to improve relations, are slated to continue on Feb. 27, this time in Washington. The Cuban delegation will meet with Roberta Jacobson, head of the U.S. negotiating team, who has acknowledged the “profound differences” between the two sides but remains confident in the countries’ ability to move forward.

Congress Visits: Since the historic announcement, there has been one trip after another with congressmen and women heading to the island nation. Most recently, Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California and a group of Democratic delegates made the voyage to Cuba Tuesday in an effort to “build on the work done by many in Congress over the years,” she said in statement. The statement also outlined that the delegation’s main focus will be on “agriculture and trade.”

Web Availability Increases: While home connections remain illegal, Internet access via nationwide state-run cafes has become cheaper, at least for the time being. Whereas Cubans had to pay $4.50 an hour before, now they will be required to pay $2.21 per hour of online time, at least until this coming April.

Netflix Opens Doors: The streaming giant recently made its service available to Cubans, announcing that those with access to the Internet and “international payment methods” will be able to watch movies and shows from a “curated selection.” But even with a Netflix subscription, don’t forget they’d still have to pay for that Internet access.

Entrepreneurs Get Busy: With the United States relaxing its regulations on travel to Cuba, an enterprising Fort Lauderdale man is aiming to start a ferry service using his 200-passenger catamaran that whisks tourists from Marathon City Marina in Florida to Havana in four hours. Brian Hall, who is in the process of applying for the he Office of Foreign Assets Control license that would allow his venture to take place, says that he plans to charge $169 per one-way trip and hopes to launch Dec, 1. Even though the first trip is months away, “inquiries are through the roof,” he says. “People are ready to go.”

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/cuba-clear-signs-change-coming/story?id=29103551

[56ktarget]

Obama: "Todos somos Americanos".

It's a big story in the Latin American press. Not so much here. Pretty much ignored. Obama can send an untranslated message right in the middle of a speech and no one asks questions.

This is pretty much the only reference I've found in English language press, and it's from the UK, not the US.

Its almost like the continent is named North AMERICA...