Changes to the U.S. policy toward Cuba expected to roll-back development – GCSM President

Georgetown: President Trump will travel to the Cuban-American enclave of Miami on June 16 to unveil changes to the U.S. policy toward Cuba which is expected to roll-back the path between the Cold War foes after more than 50 years of isolation which maybe ill advised, according to President of the Guyana Cuba Solidarity Movement (GCSM) Haleem Khan.

Khan explained that although the US and Cuba re-established diplomatic relations on December 17, 2014, the most punitive aspects of the cruel US blockade on Cuba remain. In fact, since December 17, 2014 alone the US government has fined 11 companies for a total of over $2.8 billion for doing business with Cuba.

Regardless of Trump’s announcement on Friday, June 16, Khan said “we must unite our voices with the people of Cuba for an end to the US blockade on Cuba and the full normalization of US/Cuba relations.”

The GCSM President noted that the embassies that were reopened in Havana and Washington will likely remain open, and the governments are expected to continue working on a variety of diplomatic issues. Cuba experts, he said believe Trump will focus on smaller changes that will make it more difficult for Americans to travel to Cuba and for U.S. businesses to do business directly with the Cuban government.
“It will be a departure from Obama's strategy of engagement. His administration argued that 50 years of diplomatic isolation had done nothing to end the rule of Fidel Castro, who died in November, and that engaging and empowering Cuban citizens was a more effective way of getting the communist government to change its ways,” Khan said.

Khan noted that Trump repeatedly bashed Obama’s efforts to work more closely with Cuba, saying he could have gotten a better deal for the U.S. and vowing to renegotiate the deal.