No one said the road to normal relations between the United States and Cuba would be smooth and fast, not after a half-century of mutual enmity and distrust. So it should not be surprising that progress hit a few speed bumps Monday during President Barack Obama’s historic visit to the island nation.
Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro outlined starkly different visions of their countries. But more important at this juncture was the powerful symbolism of the moment — Obama and a Castro, standing side by side in Havana, after more than 50 years of an ineffective and counterproductive cold war between the two neighbors. Obama rightly pronounced it a “new day.” And it was long overdue, even if it arrived with some serious labor pains.
Much of that revolved around the miserable human rights record of Raul and Fidel Castro’s regime. Obama said he will continue to press Cuba to make progress on democracy and the freedoms of speech, assembly and religion, as he does with China, Vietnam, Russia and others. That’s the right call. Castro’s response that, essentially, Cuba has no political prisoners, was sadly familiar. He also called Obama’s criticism a double standard on human rights, chiding the United States for its failures on poverty, inequality, race relations and health care. Castro also said relations would blossom only with an accord on the Guantánamo Bay naval facility and a lifting of the embargo. But cooperation deepens in other areas. Agreements were announced in air and sea travel, agriculture and medicine. Business deals will be signed.
Obama is on the right track. He knows he can’t force real change in Cuba. That must come from the Cuban people themselves. But he has faith in the process underway, that when Cubans meet Americans they will learn from each other and that change will follow. We agree.
Obama threw out a first pitch of sorts on Monday. He will attend a ballgame Tuesday between the Tampa Bay Rays and Cuba’s national team. The burgeoning relationship between Cuba and the United States will have plenty of curves and sinkers. But for now, we all should celebrate the fact that they’re finally playing ball.
