tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166373147417754257.post5170298733651294525..comments2024-01-02T07:12:39.616-05:00Comments on El Yuma: It Ain't Your Father's Cuba (but is it still his exile?)El Yumahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14100978974463973370noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166373147417754257.post-23317421531054191332010-11-20T17:41:01.517-05:002010-11-20T17:41:01.517-05:00Much more light must be thrown on this and other t...Much more light must be thrown on this and other topics vis-à-vis the changing state of things in the US where Republicans have gained ground due to Obama' s Cuba-related lack of vision and his tendency to rule from the Right! <br /><br />Washington should take steps beyond the lines of compliance with Cuban-American voters... which obviously brought no good results for Obama in the last November elections. <br /><br />Washington should also send back the ball to the Cuban leaders’ s court with facts and positive actions. If he fails to do that he would evidence his lack of honesty, coherence and boldness he will send the wrong message.... to whom?<br />Obama has nothing to lose by sticking to his words to bring change into US-Cuba relations. No need for Obama to learn from DEFEAT!<br /><br />With Ileana Ros-Lehtinen having a stronger clout now at the House of Representative I sincerely doubt that pro-Cuba Travel Ban lifting efforts stand a chance to succeed.. not in the near term!. Hard-line ideologues such as Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, will strongly oppose any positive and coherent motions in the HR to make “some” changes happen.<br />Control of the House International Relations Committee will overwhelmingly damage Obama's Cuba-related efforts and his policies to bring up more effective and engaging opening towards Cuba.<br /><br />What has Obama done to reciprocate the steps taken by the Cuban Government so far? Do we need to name those steps? While some of those steps are considered "COSMETIC" by many Cubans living in the island, many are also the voices and eyes raised abroad celebrating and welcoming those changes as good-will gestures and well-intentioned changes: The release of Cuban political prisoners and the NOT-SO-NEW economic reforms intended to liberalize my country' s troubled economy and lift restrictions which smother the people and keep the nation and its people stagnant in all respects. <br /><br />Cuba-U.S. relations could be on the brink of a new era. Cuba has demonstrated willingness to respectfully engage with the US on outstanding issues, and has given President Obama the great and unprecedented opportunity to make substantial changes in policies towards the island. Obama, in return, needs to bring Cuba to the front burner in terms of discussions and decision-making, even by mandate…. “YES… HE CAN”… one would daresay by quoting him…ops! <br /><br />Mr. Obama needs to reverse what people think about him right now in regards to Cuba: “He doesn't have what it takes to make the historic change in Cuba policy”.<br /><br />Would Mr. Barack Obama be willing to objectively rethink previous Administrations' s policies regarding Cuba? Would he gather what it takes for him to re-write the history?<br /><br />Cuba is not making concessions to the US, as many would like to think or wrongly assume. The island' s leaders are just responding to necessity to continue to re-invent the country' s economy and to guarantee that achievements for the people still be there for them. Cuba is taking strong and difficult measures to address its economic conditions despite the suffering these steps might cause on the Cuban people that still evidence support to the reformed Socialist system and its leaders.<br /><br />Not only the Cuban leaders need to reinvent the economy and introduce wide-scope domestic changes that translate into real freedoms for the Cuban people but also in the necessity for Obama and his Administration to rethink Cuba policies.<br /><br />The US has the moral obligation to lift the blockade and move away from utterly absurd, counterproductive, barbaric, genocidal and inhumane policies initiated long time ago under President John F. Kennedy.<br /><br />What would the implications be not only for Cuba but also for the US if only the Cuban and the US governments be able to advance these interests? RELAXATIONS OF TENSIONS BETWEEN U.S AND CUBAN GOVENMENTS AND ELLIMINATION OF OUTDATED COLD WAR RHETORIC; COMMITMENT, ENGAGEMENT, RAPPROCHEMENT, WARMER RELATIONS AND END OF THE U.S BLOCKADE AGAINST CUBA!, that's it!. Let’ s call spades a spade!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166373147417754257.post-22366813911867252732010-11-06T17:15:33.525-04:002010-11-06T17:15:33.525-04:00The clan Castro can not expect policy change witho...The clan Castro can not expect policy change without conceding at least some elemental changes in the way it treats its "constituency" in USA. The embargo that the family dynasty has on Cubans living abroad should end, if they are ever serious on changing USA policies ...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com