Latin America
Related: About this forumInsight - How Obama outmanoeuvred hardliners and cut a Cuba deal
Insight - How Obama outmanoeuvred hardliners and cut a Cuba deal
By Warren Strobel, Matt Spetalnick and David Adams
WASHINGTON/MIAMI Mon Mar 23, 2015 5:13am GMT
(Reuters) - The December breakthrough that upended a half-century of U.S.-Cuba enmity has been portrayed as the fruit of 18 months of secret diplomacy.
But Reuters interviews with more than a dozen people with direct knowledge of the process reveal a longer, painstakingly cautious quest by U.S. President Barack Obama and veteran Cuba specialists to forge the historic rapprochement.
As now-overt U.S.-Cuban negotiations continue this month, Reuters also has uncovered new details of how talks began and how they stalled in late 2013 during secret sessions in Canada. Senior administration officials and others also revealed how both countries sidelined their foreign policy bureaucracies and how Obama sought the Vaticans blessing to pacify opponents.
Obama's opening to Havana could help restore Washington's influence in Latin America and give him a much-needed foreign policy success.
More:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/03/23/uk-cuba-usa-insight-idUKKBN0MJ0AV20150323?rpc=401
Demeter
(85,373 posts)and especially the conclusion: "Obama's opening to Havana could help restore Washington's influence in Latin America and give him a much-needed foreign policy success. "
Obama basically decided it was time to ignore the Right, and screw the Castros at the same time. His plan, mercifully, will only have him meddling for a couple of years, and then perhaps a miracle will bring us someone worthy of the office (I know, unlikely, but miracles do happen).
A full Spring cleaning of apparatchiks would also be required....but think how new and exciting the future would be, if it actually happened...
hack89
(39,171 posts)Judi Lynn
(160,217 posts)Peace Patriot
(24,010 posts)flamingdem
(39,304 posts)It took some effort to get around those idiots in Miami, and Menendez, but it's too late to turn back the opening now.
Viva Obama on this one Somehow I don't see Hillary prioritizing Cuba so it wouldn't have happened essentially for years and that goodness there was someone else to throw into the mix for the swap.
Leahy was great on this one too.
Judi Lynn
(160,217 posts)She and her husband went the full "exile" route during their campaigns.
Patrick Leahy is an wonderful guy, outstanding. Didn't he help with Alan Gross?
flamingdem
(39,304 posts)just that he was on the plane with him.
I'm sure you heard that Leahy carried sperm to help get the wife of Geraldo of the Cuban Five (3) - a great humanitarian for sure. Her pregnancy and his release were really joyous moments for the Cubans.
Judi Lynn
(160,217 posts)Daniel537
(1,560 posts)in 2008 she campaigned almost to the right of McCain on Cuba, but just as President Obama based his decision on a political calculus, its possible Hillary might have eventually done the same thing. I just finished reading Back Channel to Cuba, and its interesting and disappointing how Bill Clinton openly expressed his disdain for the Cuba embargo in private, but his ultimate goal was breaking the GOP lock on Florida, so he swung hard-right on Cuba. He eventually eased up a bit in his second term, but by then the die was cast with Helms-Burton, a decision whose ramifications we will be dealing with for a long time, i'm afraid to say. As a plus, i'm glad Obama kept State out of these discussions for a while. Its been full of anti-communist neo-cons since the Reagan years and would have almost certainly derailed any breakthrough in relations. I hope his advisers keep a close eye on them as talks continue.
flamingdem
(39,304 posts)I think Hillary changed her views on Cuba due to the changing electorate in Florida.
At this point Obama is pitching to the non-Cubano hispanics since they are 90% plus Dem voters and he's got a little over 50% with Cubans from what I understand. It's all in the numbers. Hillary knows the stats. Had no idea that Bill was doing that but should have known. Always thought it was Hillary's bro-in law's wife who is a Cuban American. Cover story?