The Black List

We must face up to things as they are: When Obama won his first elections, many people from both the U.S. and abroad believed that he would manage to accomplish his program and partially modify some aspects of U.S. foreign policy.

However, most of Obama’s promises have gone with the wind, such as the final closure of Guantanamo Bay detention camp, which has deeply disappointed many of his supporters from both the U.S. and abroad, and not achieving peace in the Middle East. It is evident that Obama supports Benjamin Netanyahu, so their feigned antipathy is not enough. Actually, it is useless. What would have been really relevant is if Obama had forced his ally to return to the negotiating table with the Palestinians, not to mention if Obama, along with his European allies, had been somehow involved with the Ukrainian conflict.

Having said that, we should cheer his two last foreign policy initiatives: the negotiations with Iran and Cuba. Both are historic events. That Iran has turned from a country to be beaten to a country that the U.S., at least, holds conversations with and apparently improves foreign relations with, and that Obama himself has requested the U.S. Congress to remove Cuba from its “black list” of state sponsors of terrorism are decisions that concern both American and worldwide politics. In fact, these are going to be virtually Barack Obama’s only achievements. If you ask me, the decision on Cuba is the more important of the two decisions.

Castro’s regime is fading away. Fidel is sick and away from his country’s politics. As for his brother Raúl, he has more past than future in terms of age. For decades, the U.S. had blocked Cuba and the main ones affected were Cuban citizens. Such a block did not vanquish the Castro brothers. The evidence is that their regime is still alive.

Given the situation described, blocking Cuba is useless, which Obama seems to have understood despite the complaints of the strong Cuban community living in the U.S. in exile. Most representatives complain that Obama does not demand anything from Rául Castro in return for the normalization of the two countries. The Republican Party is also outraged by the fact that Obama has decided to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The American president has been realistic by strengthening relations with Cuba despite the Cuban regime because he knows that this regime does not have much time left. Obama does not want the U.S. to be disadvantaged when such a regime disappears.

While the disappointment, annoyance and frustration of the Cuban exiles is understandable, there is no doubt that Obama has made the right decision. As I said before, Obama has left a trail of disappointment because he had promised a lot and therefore a lot was expected of him, but it is fair to say that he is finishing his term by beginning the normalization between the U.S. and Cuba. It is better than nothing.