martes, 14 de abril de 2015

U.S., Cuba Face Hurdles to Normalized Ties

U.S., Cuba Face Hurdles to Normalized Ties
Momentous meeting gives way to concerns about opening embassies and
removing embargo
By CAROL E. LEE and JOSÉ DE CÓRDOBA
April 12, 2015 7:30 p.m. ET

Aides to U.S. President Barack Obama faced a problem rare in six years
of meetings with foreign leaders when they secretly prepared for his
momentous encounter with Cuban President Raúl Castro.

The standard backdrop—the flag of each nation—wasn't permitted. The lack
of formal diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Cuba preclude it, leaving
the White House to use an oversize insignia for the summit of regional
leaders Messrs. Obama and Castro were attending.

The little-noticed aesthetic in a snapshot of history illustrates the
long and complicated path to normal relations the U.S. and Cuba face,
even as their presidents sat side-by-side.

The immediate next step would be the opening of embassies in Washington
and Havana, a difficult process after more than 50 years of animosity.

A Cuban embassy would require access to the U.S. banking system that is
currently blocked. Now, Cuban diplomats carry suitcases of cash, a U.S.
official said. Havana has also demanded the U.S. remove Cuba from its
list of countries that sponsor terrorism.

The U.S., which closed its embassy in Havana in 1961, shortly after the
Cuban revolution, insists American diplomats be able to broadly engage
with Cubans and operate more freely than Cuba's government generally
allows. Cuban officials have suggested restricting American diplomats'
engagement with the island's dissidents and nascent independent
civil-society groups.

Even after the establishment of embassies, hurdles would remain. Some of
them, such as a complete lifting of a 54-year U.S. embargo on Cuba, may
not be overcome before Mr. Obama leaves office in January 2017. That
would require a vote from Congress, where there remains strong
opposition to normalizing U.S. ties with the Castro regime.

Meanwhile, the White House is pressing Congress to take smaller steps
toward easing restrictions on travel and agricultural commerce between
the U.S. and Cuba.

A normalized economic exchange with the U.S. would transform Cuba.
Already, the steps Mr. Obama has taken unilaterally to free up commerce
and travel have prompted a surge of tourism on the island of 11 million
people. More businesses—from Citigroup Inc. to the grain producer
Cargill Inc.—are looking at the Cuban market.

While Cuba is driven to restore ties to the U.S. largely by economic
need, Mr. Castro has made clear his government has no intention of
transitioning to capitalism soon.

"We shall continue working to update the Cuban economic model with the
purpose of improving our socialism," Mr. Castro said on Saturday.

Mr. Obama, however, hopes restoring relations will catalyze political
and human-rights overhauls on the island over the long term.

U.S. officials explicitly say they aren't seeking regime change in Cuba,
while continuing to voice concerns about its government's practices. The
issue stokes long-held suspicions in the Cuban government that
Washington is seeking to undermine its authority at home.

"We have very different views on how society should be organized," Mr.
Obama said at a news conference after his meeting with Mr. Castro on
Saturday on the sidelines at the Summit of the Americas.

Mr. Castro, in remarks at the start of his meeting with Mr. Obama,
expressed a willingness to discuss issues of human rights and political
freedom.

"We are willing to discuss every issue between the United States and
Cuba," Mr. Castro said. "But we need to be patient—very patient. Some
things we will agree on; others we will disagree."

The U.S. dismisses Cuba's demand that it hand over the military base at
Guantanamo Bay, and discussions are slow to progress over each country's
list of people they would like the other to extradite.

Saturday's meeting, and bookend handshakes, between Messrs. Obama and
Castro at a Panama City convention center seemed to herald the beginning
of the end of Cold War-era hostility that at its peak brought the world
to the brink of nuclear war.

During their hourlong discussion of opening embassies and unraveling
longtime policies, the two leaders marveled at the unlikelihood of their
meeting, U.S. officials said.

Mr. Castro is 83 years old, five years younger than his brother Fidel,
who led the revolution that swept him to power in 1959—two years before
Mr. Obama was born.

The generational divide has helped shape Mr. Obama's policy. In his news
conference, Mr. Obama noted that most U.S. actions with which Mr. Castro
found fault "took place before I was born" and argued change would come
to Cuba even without U.S. engagement, in great part because the Castro
generation was fading.

"There will be a revolution in Cuba, no matter what we do," Mr. Obama said.

The extent of those changes, however, depends heavily on the Cuban
government. Both Cuban and U.S. officials see the future unfolding in
phases.

The opening of embassies would complete a first phase and come with a
flurry of ceremonious activity, including a likely visit to Havana by
Secretary of State John Kerry—and the raising of the Cuban and American
flags.

Write to Carol E. Lee at carol.lee@wsj.com

Source: U.S., Cuba Face Hurdles to Normalized Ties - WSJ -
http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-cuba-face-hurdles-to-normalized-ties-1428881444

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