2009 Year-End Report: What Has and Hasn’t Changed in U.S.-Cuba Relations

In January 2009, as Barack Obama, the proponent of “change,” took office as the United States president, the confrontational U.S.-Cuba relationship, which has lasted nearly half a century, has seen some new changes. Both sides have seriously toned down their verbal attacks and are resuming routine dialogues. However, the U.S. and Cuba still have significant differences regarding certain core issues, and the mutually antagonistic situation between them still has not changed.

In April 2009, Obama attended the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, where he stated that the U.S. is looking for a new beginning in its relationship with Cuba. After the summit, the Obama administration adopted some practical measures, such as resuming talks on immigration issues and direct postal service between the two countries. Topics of discussion also involved allowing Cuban-Americans to visit their relatives in Cuba without restrictions and to send them money.

The Cuban government has responded positively to Obama’s policy changes. n April 2009, when Raúl Castro, President of the Cuban Council of State, met with visiting Democrats from the U.S. Congress, he stated that he is willing, under equal conditions, to have talks with Obama on bilateral relations. He added that both countries could talk about any subject during the dialogues.

However, even as the international community expressed its pleasure at the thawing of U.S.-Cuba relations, Obama announced on September 15 that the U.S. embargo against Cuba would be extended for another year. Since the victory of the Cuban Revolution in 1962, the U.S. has maintained economic and trade embargos against Cuba. Deputy Foreign Minister Rodriguez of Cuba expressed his discontent regarding this matter. He pointed out that the U.S. embargo has directly cost Cuba $96 billion in losses and that it is a criminal “act of genocide” that cannot be accepted, based on moral standards. He also mentioned that the embargo is futile and bound to fail.

Two months later, when responding to questions online from Cuban “dissidents,” Obama emphasized that Cuba must improve its human rights situation and adopt a democratic system.

Cuba is unable to accept this request from Obama; Cuba has a minimum standard with regard to diplomacy and improving its relationship with the U.S. In different circumstances, Cuba has repeatedly emphasized that the U.S. cannot lay out conditions before a talk and cannot request that Cuba make ideological concession. In other words, the U.S. cannot touch on any issues related to Cuba’s state institutions.

It is not hard to see that progress in U.S.-Cuba relations will be difficult, because there are problems with certain core issues. From Cuba’s perspective, the core issue in U.S.-Cuba relations is that the U.S. must give up its antagonistic attitude toward Cuba’s socialist system, as well as the economic and trade embargoes that have arisen with it. Regarding Obama’s “new beginning,” Cuba’s attitude is to wait and see if the U.S. really will repeal these policies.

In addition, the U.S. government’s recent actions toward Latin America have caused Cuba to be wary of Obama. In June 2009, after the coup in Honduras, many Latin American countries criticized the coup; supported the reinstatement of left-wing president Manuel Zelaya, who was elected by the people; and later stated they did not accept the results of the Honduran election in November. However, the U.S. government expressed its approval of the election result. In October, the U.S. and Colombia signed an agreement to construct a military base within Colombian borders, making some Latin American countries feel that the U.S. presented a military threat to neighboring areas.

In August, Bill Richardson, governor of New Mexico, visited Cuba and made a statement regarding the future of U.S.-Cuba relations – that the restoration of this relationship will be long and hard and that a good atmosphere is needed, one that will allow the improvement of the relationship.