• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Obama to Press Human-Rights Issues in Cuba

by William Gallo, Aru Pande February 18, 2016

U.S. President Barack Obama will raise human-rights issues and meet with dissidents 'seeking to support basic universal values' when he makes a historic visit to Cuba next month, White House officials say.

Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said the two-day visit, which begins March 21, marks the latest wave in a 'sea of change in U.S. policy' toward the communist-led island.

Rhodes said Obama would discuss a wide range of issues with Cuban President Raul Castro but has no plans to meet with his brother, Fidel Castro, the revolutionary leader who took power in Cuba more than half a century ago but has retired for health reasons.

Obama said Thursday his trip would seek to advance bilateral ties and 'efforts that can improve the lives of the Cuban people.'

'This historic visit – the first by a sitting U.S. president in nearly 90 years – is another demonstration of the president's commitment to chart a new course for U.S.-Cuban relations and connect U.S. and Cuban citizens through expanded travel, commerce, and access to information,' a White House statement said.

Cuban officials welcomed the upcoming visit and expressed a willingness to discuss any issue.

The Cuba trip suggests Obama remains determined to push ahead with what he sees as a legacy achievement before leaving office 11 months from now.

Since the historic thaw in ties was announced in December 2014, Obama has made steady progress breaking down diplomatic barriers with the former Cold War enemy. The successes include restoring diplomatic relations and reopening embassies in each country's capital.

The U.S. has removed Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, and Presidents Obama and Castro have talked regularly and met twice.

Using his executive authority, Obama has persistently chipped away at the longstanding U.S. restrictions on business, investment and travel in Cuba.

The latest step came last week, when the two countries reached an arrangement to restore direct regularly scheduled commercial flights between the countries, the first in more than 50 years.

Cuba slow to make reforms

But while Obama has loosened restrictions on Cuba, progress on the Cuban end has stalled, according to John Kavulich, president of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council.

'The Cubans haven't really done anything, other than allowing more individuals into Cuba and making more money from them,' Kavulich told VOA.

But Havana could be motivated to make some major concessions over the next year, Kavulich said, in part to forestall any future U.S. president who might want to reverse Obama's policies.

'Everything can be reversed,' Kavulich said. 'And if the only activities are some airlines traveling to Cuba, that's not going to be much of an impediment for a new president. So the Cubans now know they're going to have make some things happen.'

Obama can also continue to loosen restrictions on his own. The biggest change would be to allow Cuba to use U.S. dollars in its international transactions, a move that could dramatically and rapidly stimulate the Cuban economy.

'That is the last of the big regulations that [Obama] has control of,' Kavulich said. 'He may be saving that for this trip.'

Embargo remains in place

But there are limits to what Obama can accomplish unilaterally.

The U.S. economic embargo on Cuba, which has been in place for decades, can only be removed by Congress. Support for the embargo has been declining, but it still has widespread backing from lawmakers in both parties who say lifting restrictions would essentially reward what is one of Latin America's most politically repressive countries.

Obama argues the embargo is a broken policy that has failed to spur democratic reforms, something he says will only come when Cuba opens up to the world.

There is little evidence detente has led to human-rights improvements. Cuba has released some political prisoners and improved Internet access for ordinary citizens, but censorship remains widespread and rights groups say dissidents continue to be jailed at about the same rate as in past years.

Nonetheless, there are hints Cuba is considering at least modest reforms to its rigid, one-party political system. President Castro has proposed term limits for senior leaders and raised the possibility of a constitutional referendum.

Significantly, President Castro, who took over from his brother, Fidel, in 2006, has promised to step down in 2018. If that does happen, it will be the first time since 1959 that a Castro has not been in power in Havana.

Sticking points remain, but US attitudes changing

Other issues that complicate U.S.-Cuban relations include the American-run military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Raul Castro has said the only way for ties to be completely restored is if Washington returns the base to Cuban control. There are no U.S. plans to do that, but Obama is working to meet the promise on taking office in 2009: closing down the controversial prison at Guantanamo, which holds dozens of suspected terrorists.

The American public does not appear to view its southern neighbor with as much suspicion as it once did. An opinion poll released this week by Gallup reports 54 percent of Americans have a favorable view of Cuba, up from only 10 percent who had a positive view of Cuba in 1996.

However, Gallup noted the partisan political divide over Cuba has grown wider. While 73 percent of Democrats view Cuba favorably, only 34 percent of Republicans do the same.