Rising expectations of Cuba

President Raul Castro of Cuba was the only president and country not invited to the fifth Summit of the Americas held in Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday. Obama and Castro exchanged dialogue and are now playing who’s going to make the next move. Obama and his staff have made up a list of things that Cuba can do in order to amend their relationship with the United States and open the doors to the country. In doing so, Obama has stated that he is working to reverse Bush’s restrictions and allow remittances by relatives of Cuban-Americans in Cuba. America is eager to trade with Cuba especially with the way the economy is in the United States right now but with Castro still holding strong to the embargo it is impossible. A radio host in Miami, Ninoska Pérez Castellón, blames the Latin-American leaders for the embargo with the United States and not Cuban government against its people. During the Summit of the Americas meeting, it was hard for Obama to talk about other issues except for the embargo with Cuba due to allied countries bringing up the topic. On the other hand of the meeting, the United States had Mexico, Brazil, and the Organization of Caribbean Nations set up and provide their services as to be intermediaries between the United States and Cuba.



http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/world/americas/19diplo.html?ref=politics