J. Tyler Holmes

(News article written for Feature and Opinion Writing edited by ex-Chicago Tribune Editorial Board member Dodie Hofstetter – 3/23/16)

After five long decades of tension dating back to the Cold War, President Barack Obama and his family landed in Cuba on Sunday to put any remnants of feuding between the nations in the past.

With only months left in office, Obama is making an effort to considerably loosen restrictions on travel and contact with the neighboring country. Cuban President Raul Castro met with Obama on Monday in a diplomatic display of restoration to discuss human rights and a new era of openness during a joint news conference.

Obama, while polite in his words, did not resist emphasizing the different stances each country possesses on democracy and human rights. Cuba lacks interest in changing from a communistic state and still hinders its citizens from achieving person freedoms.

However, it is clear that a change is on the horizon – a distant horizon.

Castro stressed how important the lift of the United States’ trade embargo, put in place after Fidel Castro seized power in 1959, would be to the people of his nation. Obama not only concurred and announced he believed that action was approaching, he accepted further judgments from the Cuban president on U.S. policies.

Obama continued his three-day-long tour with a speech addressing the people of Cuba at the Grand Theater of Havana on Tuesday. His speech acknowledged the rich culture of the country and reassured that the amount of change would be a factor decided by them. America is in a delicate position forging ties with a Communist country where there is so much fluctuating history on international relations, and imposing democratic policies would not be part of the agreement.

Obama’s visit comes at a necessary time in order to offer an olive branch. With the U.S. presidential election looming overheard, it is difficult to foreshadow what international relations could become in the approaching year. However, it is refreshing to see a leader with diplomatic power trying to forge ahead while he still can.