Obama Team Could Ease Cuba Embargo

[Jimmy2]

Obama Team Could Ease Cuba Embargo

By ANITA SNOW

posted: 4 HOURS 22 MINUTES

(Dec. 2) - Barack Obama will be the first American president in nearly 50 years to have a relatively free hand in deciding whether to ease punitive Cold War-era policies toward communist Cuba, and the foreign policy team he announced this week seems predisposed to make it happen.

For 17 years in a row, the United Nations' General Assembly has overwhelmingly called on the United States to lift its five-decade trade embargo on communist-ruled Cuba.

Obama said during the campaign that immediately after taking office on Jan. 20, he will lift all restrictions on family travel and cash remittances to Cuba — not just roll them back to previous rules that were tightened by the Bush administration.

Obama also said he would uphold the embargo imposed after the island went communist, to use as leverage until Cuba shows "significant steps toward democracy," starting with freedom for approximately 219 jailed political prisoners.

For nearly five decades, the embargo is where the two nations have been stuck, each side demanding that the other change first.

What's different now is that Obama says he will talk directly with Cuban President Raul Castro, who recently and repeatedly offered to negotiate on neutral ground as equals.

These openings have Cubans feeling more optimistic about getting unstuck than ever before.

"What we want is that the Americans no longer look at us as enemies," said Lazaro Medardo, 68, who was selling sunflowers, red roses and gladiolas from a pushcart in old Havana on Monday. "We aren't their enemies."

Cuban-Americans have had a mixed reaction to Obama's campaign promises — most voted against him, but Obama carried Florida and didn't even need the state's votes to win the presidency, confounding the notion that the support of anti-Castro Cuban exiles is essential in presidential elections.

"Obama already has a much freer hand than Bush did," said Daniel Erickson of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington, D.C. think tank. "He does not owe any of his political success to Cuban-Americans in South Florida."

[Don Candido]

Get your smokes while you still can!

[aavkk]

Just the article I needed to justify a rather large order

[Hangfire]

Obama may or may not do this. Two observations however:

Obama promised many things during the campaign that now, in the full light of reality, look like they may not happen. Gates as Sec Def ?

Putin and Medvdev' (sp?) recent schmoozing with Cuba on top of the recent tensions might not encourage the moves suggested in the article. Perhaps they should?

[kilroy]

Obama may or may not do this. Two observations however:

Obama promised many things during the campaign that now, in the full light of reality, look like they may not happen. Gates as Sec Def ?

Putin and Medvdev' (sp?) recent schmoozing with Cuba on top of the recent tensions might not encourage the moves suggested in the article. Perhaps they should?

Meh... what can one really expect out of a career politician? When I hear a politician talk about 'change' it means I'm going to lose all of it thats spare in my pocket!

That or what he means is that the balance of corruption...er... I mean power will shift towards them and their interests. Doesn't matter what political leanings..

About the Cuba thing... I'm torn. I'd like to be able to get legal cuban cigars, coffee and rum but not at the expense of diplomatic standings and the subsequent raping the government will do to us in taxes on these wonderful imports. Nor would I like to see a country having gone so long blessed by not being corrupted by American culture wind up going that way. I want to goto Cuba and not see one single golden arch!

[Miami101]

I wish them luck with that...with Cubans you never no which way the tide will go..............never give a chance to a Cuban to protest....

This should be a fun year.

[WYPirate]

I'd like to be able to get legal cuban cigars, coffee and rum but not at the expense of diplomatic standings and the subsequent raping the government will do to us in taxes on these wonderful imports.

I'd like to see those items legal too, but not with all the strings attached. But hey, there will always be the folks at Cigar Czar.

[aavkk]

Now that I have found this place and am currently enjoyed some really high quality habanos I dont want anything to change other than the dollar strengthening. Lifting the embargo and selling cuban cigars to the USA will definitely result in one of two things. Either more cigars will be produced and the quality suffers or they stick with the current export #'s and increase the prices. Im not sure where I heard this and others please correct me if Im wrong but doesnt the USA currently purchase more than 30% of all Habanos produced? I dont know about others in the USA but I certainly dont lose sleep at night because I am doing something "illegal". For me I see absolutely no good coming out of lifting the embargo right now.