President Obama Discusses ‘New Chapter in Cuba’

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, whose father fled to the US from Cuba in the 1950s, said Obama shouldn’t visit while the Castro family remains in power. Five court settings must take place before the trial begins unless she makes a plea, according to Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Samantha Jordan.

For Maria Elena Piedra, a primary school teacher from the Havana district of Vedado, Obama “is fulfilling his campaign pledge”. More Americans are visiting Cuba than at any time in the last 50 years-Cuban-American families; American students, teachers, humanitarian volunteers, faith communities-all forging new ties and friendships that are bringing our countries closer. He said it will take time, but he focuses on the future, as he is confident that his visit will advance the U.S goal, promote its interests and values and a better future for Cuba, a future with more freedom and opportunity.

A meeting with President Raúl Castro will be held during Obama’s visit, to discuss the progress they have made in the ongoing process of normalizing relations.

“I hope Obama walks our streets and speaks with the common people”.

Obama said he will also “speak directly to the Cuban people about the values we share and how I believe we can be partners as they work for the future they want”.

Maria Elena del Rio, a laboratory technician at a maternity hospital, was a little skeptical, stating that longstanding differences would not so easily be solved after over half a century of enmity, no matter how happy people were of the visit. Last year, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said a plea deal with Snowden was a possibility, but Snowden told the BBC in an interview in October that he and his lawyers were still waiting to hear from the government.

President Barack Obama will pay a historic visit to Cuba in the coming weeks, senior Obama administration officials said, becoming the first president to set foot on the island in almost seven decades. I’ll meet with Cuban entrepreneurs to learn how we can help them start new ventures.

Saturday, Snowden said that while some of his former colleagues at the NSA and the Central Intelligence Agency were sympathetic to his beliefs concerning individual privacy and freedom, others said “the Constitution doesn’t really matter”.

The White House pointed to Cuba’s recent release of long-term political prisoners, expansion of Internet hotspots and easing of restrictions on private business. “The problem with the Cuban government is that it’s not just a communist dictatorship, it’s an anti-American Communist dictatorship”, Rubio said. Last year Flake traveled to Havana with Secretary of State John Kerry as the American flag was raised over the re-opened U.S. Embassy.

The trip will continue the president’s efforts toward normalization of relations with Cuba, advance bilateral cooperation and express support for human rights.

“When Michelle and I go to Havana next month, it will be the first visit of a United States president to Cuba in almost 90 years”.

“I think Obama is going to announce new measures to eliminate bits and pieces of the embargo … and that’s a positive step”, said the journalist and foreign affairs analyst.