By ANDRES CASTILLO, SARAH DARIAN, JOSEPH FARLEY
President Obama’s plans to re-establish full diplomatic relations between United States and Cuba after more than half a century is raising skepticism among some Cubans in New Jersey.
Obama said, “Any policy that has failed to work in 50 years needs revisiting.”
His announcement garnered mixed emotions from the local Cuban community. Some opinions were mixed even in the same household. Kristian Rivera, 24, a second generation Cuban-American, sees it as less prominent in his life.
“Growing up I definitely heard Castro this and Castro that, but never really in my house, it was always when i visited relatives in Miami,” Rivera said.
His father, Arty Rivera, 54, had a stronger opinion on the issue. “My father spoke of Castro often. He got out in the 50’s, but he had many friends he left behind, he heard terrible stories.” Rivera is referring to the massive land seizures, the political imprisonments, the executions. “He really held onto that hate, often called him our Hitler.”
The recent announcement prompted a response from former Cuban president Fidel Castro. “I don’t trust the policy of the US nor have I exchanged a word with them, but this does not mean I reject a pacifist solution to the conflicts,” said Castro, according to NBC news. Since 2008, Raul Castro, brother of Fidel, has been acting Cuban president.
Since the 1960’s during the Cold War, Cuba and the United States have found themselves on different sides of the same global issue: the economy. Cuba decided to side with the Soviet Union espousing a communist form of government contrary to the American capitalist standard.
Former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower imposed the first trade embargo in 1960 ultimately breaking diplomatic relations with the island nation weeks before his departure as the president.
A number of diplomatic skirmishes have occurred since the 1960s, including the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Bay of Pigs Invasion. There have been recent initiatives aimed at improving life in Cuba instituted by the Cuban government like the expansion of the internet, which has become accessible to most Cuban citizens.
Speaking to local Cuban-American citizens it is apparent that in the past Cuba has used announcements of thawing relations with the West as a tool to open dialogue with the international community. A history of non-action has overshadowed optimism for a change in relations between the U.S. and Cuba.
“Announcements of reforms in Cuba happened before a couple years ago when they allowed Cubans to use the internet,” said Cuban-American student Jose Rosado. Rosado, 21.
When asked about developments on the ground in Cuba, Rosado added,”I really don’t think they are going to do much development. In the end they will blame the United States for the lack of development.”
Pope Francis was a major player in the country’s renewed relations with Cuba. According to the New York Times, for over a year several secret conferences between President Obama and President Raul Castro, Pope Francis acted as a mediator and was able to broker a deal with the two feuding nations.
For now, relations appear to be on the uptick, as a high ranking U.S. official recently visited Havana in further efforts to restore relations.
The article was well written, I would’ve liked to know a little more about President Obama’s ideas and how he plans on moving forward to resolve this crisis. Maybe that could be part of the follow up article in the future.
I feel as though this story can have a better ending to conclude everything stated in the article. It left me wanting more of something. Where did the Cuban American’s you quoted live in this area? What percentage of Cuban’s reside there, or in the state or country? Perhaps add what will be going on from this point forward in order to show the positives AND negatives of what is to come from the US restoring relations.