The island was a refuge for my Jewish grandparents in the mid-1920s, at a time when the United States was imposing cruel quotas on European Jewish immigration. And I feel a bond, deep and mysterious, to this place, so small and yet so important to modern history.
Among the sharpest memories Guillermo "Bill" Vidal has of being sent from his childhood home in Cuba was waiting in the airport. There he was in 1961, he and his two brothers and so many other kids, distraught, excited, scared, separated from their parents by glass.
MONTERREY, Mexico — Latin American leaders across the political spectrum praised U.S. President Barack Obama's decision announced on Wednesday to reestablish diplomatic relations with Cuba, a move that could spark more investment in the Caribbean island and ease Cold War-era resentments throughout the hemisphere.
PARIS – Pope Francis led a chorus of global plaudits for Wednesday's breakthrough in U.S.-Cuban relations, hailed as "historic" in Europe and South America and prompting celebrations on the streets of Havana.
It took six years and months of secret negotiations, but on Wednesday, President Barack Obama finally delivered on a pledge that cuts to the heart of his foreign policy. It's a view of the world that emphasizes pragmatism over ideology, engaging enemies rather than isolating them and setting aside historic grievances in order to reshape the future.
The idea of “democracy promotion” is noble, but Washington’s efforts in Cuba – emphasizing clandestine and covert operations to drive regime change – have wasted a couple hundred million dollars, cost the United States valuable prestige on the island, and hurt relations with Costa Rica and other countries.
The United States needs a smarter way to achieve regime change in Cuba. It might start by exporting its best weapon — capitalism — instead of engaging in more half-baked covert operations.
Economists say that to achieve the government's goal of six to eight percent GDP growth, investments in the economy will have to increase by 25 to 35 percent a year, many times more than the 4.4 percent in 2013.
