In Cuba, a Diplomatic Cautionary Tale

On December 10, 2013, at the memorial service for former President Nelson Mandela of South Africa, U.S. President Barack Obama shook hands with Cuban President Raúl Castro. On December 17, 2014, President Obama and President Castro simultaneously announced that the two countries would move to restore full diplomatic relations. Reportedly 18 months of secret negotiations, and a personal telephone conversation between the two leaders the week before, preceded the December 17 announcement. In the January 20, 2015 state of the union address President Obama noted, “In Cuba, we are ending a policy that was long past its expiration date … And our shift in Cuba policy has the potential to end a legacy of mistrust in our hemisphere and removes the phony excuse for restrictions in Cuba, stands up for democratic values and extends the hand of friendship to the Cuban people. And this year, Congress should begin the work of ending the embargo.”