First Presidential Visit to Cuba in 90 Years

On March 21st to the 23rd,  President Obama and his family went to Cuba. This has been the first time since 1928 that a United States president has visited Cuba. While in Cuba, the president worked to continue normalizing relations with Cuba, discussing human rights, and “advancing  commercial and people-to-people ties.” Additionally, president Obama visited Raul Castro, the current president of Cuba, along with entrepreneurs and other locals.  

During the meeting between the two presidents, they discussed bilateral and regional issues including progress made on normalizing relations and where the visit of the Obamas can be used to support this progress.

In addition to the meeting with president Castro, Obama attended an MLB exhibition game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban National Team during his trip to Cuba. At the game President Obama was seated with his wife and President Castro. President Obama decided to continue going to the game even after the attack in Brussels because he claimed that “The whole premise of terrorism is to try to disrupt people’s ordinary lives,” so the president did not give in to the fear that terrorists try to invoke. However, President was criticized for going to the game so soon after the attack in Brussels by other members of the united states government.

Before the Obama family arrived in Cuba, authorities rounded up dissidents who held and anti-regime protest in the Cuban capitol. Around 50 protesters were detained by Cuban authorities of the 300 protesters that participated in the demonstration.

Hopefully this visit to Cuba will help normalize relations between the United States and Cuba in the future.