President Obama’s meeting with Raul Castro made history because it was the first time that a U.S. president formally met with the leader of Cuba since 1958.
According to pool reports, the president said in part:
“This is obviously an historic meeting. The history between the United States and Cuba is complicated, he said. After 50 years of policy that had not worked it was time for us to try something new. We are now in a position to move on a path toward the future.”
President Obama stressed that there will be disagreements between the two countries, but that it was time to turn the page and develop a new relationship between the two countries.
The Obama/Castro meeting was historic because it marked the first time since 1958 that a U.S. president formally met with the leader of Cuba.
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Sen. Marco Rubio related to the advancement in international diplomacy by calling it ridiculous. Rubio said, “It’s ridiculous. I don’t see how they can rationalize taking them off the list, other than the president’s desire to achieve a legacy issue that he’s the one that opened up Cuba and changed fifty years of policy.”
The Cold War is over, and communism is dead. The only thing ridiculous about President Obama moving the U.S./Cuba relationship into the 21st Century is the Republican opposition.
President Obama was well on the way towards building a legacy of note long before the thawing of relations with Cuba and the Iran nuclear deal. Obama’s presidency has been historic on many levels, but changing the relationship with Cuba is the sort of bold presidential step that is remembered for generations.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
