La Opinión

Editorial: Buen momento para la apertura con Cuba

La Opinión — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 11:12:04 +0000

Las condiciones políticas en Cuba y EEUU se prestan para reanudar relaciones

Portavoz de Obama no descarta visita de Raúl Castro a la Casa Blanca

EFE — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 09:12:54 +0000

Tampoco se descartó que Obama visite Cuba durante los dos años que le quedan de mandato

Exilio pide estar presente en el diálogo con La Habana

EFE — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 20:12:42 +0000

El presidente del Movimiento Democracia dijo que el anuncio "es un reto" para los opositores cubanos en el interior de la isla y en el exilio

Castro y Obama acordaron por teléfono acercamiento histórico

EFE — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 20:12:02 +0000

Los mandatarios de Cuba y EEUU hablaron del histórico acercamiento entre los dos países

Pope Francis helped make U.S.-Cuba deal a reality

Impremedia — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 17:12:00 +0000

The deal to re-establish diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba might not have become a reality had it not been for the involvement of one leader: Pope Francis. In a conference call with reporters, a senior administration official explained the key role Pope Francis played in helping broker the U.S.-Cuba deal, which also included the release of U.S. citizen Alan Gross who had been jailed in Cuba for five years. SEE ALSO: Obama says its time for a new approach on Cuba Pope Francis personally issued an appeal through a letter he sent to President Obama and to President Raul Castro, calling on them to resolve the case of Alan Gross and the cases of the three Cubans whove been imprisoned here in the United States and also encouraging the United States and Cuba to pursue a closer relationship, the official said. The Vatican then hosted the U.S. and Cuban delegations where we were able to review the commitments that were making today. The senior administration official said the appeal from the Pope was very rare and unprecedented. We havent received communications like this from the Pope that Im aware of, the official added. In a 15-minute speech on Wednesday, Obama thanked Pope Francis for his engagement in talks between American and Cuban officials. In particular, I want to thank His Holiness Pope Francis whose moral example shows us the importance of pursuing the world as it should be rather than simply settling for the world as it is, the president said. Castro also thanked Pope Francis for his work to help improve relations between the U.S. and Cuba. The news about the U.S. and Cuba agreeing to restore diplomatic ties came the same day Pope Francis was celebrating his 78th birthday. He began his day watching as thousands of tango dancers gathered at St Peters Square to wish him a happy birthday and ended his day hearing the news on the U.S.-Cuba deal. The Vatican released a statement Wednesday congratulating the U.S. and Cuba for re-establishing diplomatic relations. It also confirmed that Pope Francis wrote letters to Obama and Castro earlier this year and that the Vatican hosted delegations from the U.S. and Cuba in October. In addition, the Vatican stated that Pope Francis will continue to assure its support for initiatives which both nations will undertake to strengthen their bilateral relations and promote the wellbeing of their respective citizens. SEE ALSO: US-Cuba relations after President Obamas speech According to a White House official, the engagement of Pope Francis was particularly important given the esteem with which many Americans and Cubans hold the Catholic Church and also given that Pope Francis was the first-ever pope to be elected from Latin America. The official also said that when Obama met with Pope Francis in March, the U.S. relations with Cuba was among the top issues they discussed. President Obama has enormous respect for Pope Francis and his personal engagement in this was important to us, the official added.

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Obama says its time for a new approach on Cuba

Impremedia — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 15:12:00 +0000

President Barack Obama announced Wednesday that the United States is taking steps to re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba, putting an end to 50 years of frozen relations between the two nations. I believe that we can do more to support the Cuban people and promote our values through engagement, he said in a televised address. After all, these 50 years have shown that isolation has not worked. Its time for a new approach. The relations between Cuba and the U.S. have been severed since 1961. That year, the U.S. closed its embassy in Cuba and imposed an embargo. Obama said that while only Congress can lift the embargo, he is making a number of policy changes to improve relations with Cuba. SEE ALSO: Alan Gross released from Cuba after five years Obama announces policy changes The president said he instructed State Secretary John Kerry to immediately initiate discussions with Cuba on the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with the communist country. The president also instructed Kerry to review Cubas designation as a state sponsor of international terrorism. Cuba has been on the list since 1982. Obama also announced that the U.S. will also re-establish an embassy in Cuba and allow high-ranking American officials to visit the island to advance shared interests on issues like health, migration and counter-terrorism. Furthermore, the president also announced his administration is easing economic and travel restrictions on Cuba. Obama noted he had been prepared to take these steps for some time but that the wrongful imprisonment in Cuba of U.S. contractor Alan Gross and a man described as a U.S. intelligence asset kept him from moving forward. Gross had been jailed in Cuba for five years, while the intelligence agent had been jailed in Cuba for nearly 20 years. The Cuban government on Wednesday released Gross on humanitarian grounds. Cuba also released the U.S. intelligence agent who was convicted of espionage. He was released in exchange of three Cuban spies who were also convicted of espionage. Senior administration officials told reporters prior to Obamas televised speech that the policy changes came after multiple meetings between American and Cuban officials. The meetings have been ongoing since June 2013. Canada hosted most of these meetings but did not participate in the discussions. The Vatican also played a critical role in hosting and participating in an important meeting that took place in the fall between American and Cuban officials. That meeting led to final decisions being made, according to a senior administration official. Pope Francis, who is the first pope from Latin America, also played an important role. He issued a personal appeal to Obama and Castro through separate letters, urging them to resolve their problems and pursue a closer relationship. SEE ALSO: A huge moment in the history of US-Cuban relations Senior administration officials also noted that the U.S. has been severely criticized by other countries for its policies on Cuba. They said they hope that opening up relations with Cuba will substantially help the U.S. have greater influence in the hemisphere, especially when it comes to issues like democracy and human rights. They also noted that Obama spoke to Cuban President Raul Castro over the phone on Tuesday, which marked the first engagement at the presidential level between Cuban and the U.S. in more than 50 years. The two presidents discussed the new policy changes as well as potential for cooperation between the U.S. and Cuba in the future on issues like counter-terrorism. The president also made clear his intent to pursue these policy changes but also to continue our advocacy for human rights in Cuba, a senior administration official told reporters. Members of Congress react But not everyone is supportive of Obamas new policy shifts on Cuba. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the outgoing Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair and the son of Cuban immigrants, praised the release of Gross. But he also criticized the Obama administration for swapping the Cuban prisoners for Gross, even though administration officials say Gross was released on humanitarian grounds. Trading Mr. Gross for three convicted criminals sets an extremely dangerous precedent, Menendez said in a statement. It invites dictatorial and rogue regimes to use Americans serving overseas as bargaining chips. I fear that todays actions will put at risk the thousands of Americans that work overseas to support civil society, advocate for access to information, provide humanitarian services, and promote democratic reforms. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the son of Cuban immigrants, also expressed disappointment over the release of the three Cuban spies, whom he noted were linked to the murder of several pilots of a Miami-based humanitarian organization. He said the shift in U.S. policy toward Cuba is just the latest in a long line of failed attempts by President Obama to appease rogue regimes at all cost. He also said that once he becomes chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committees Western Hemisphere subcommittee next year, he plans to make every effort to block this dangerous and desperate attempt by the President to burnish his legacy at the Cuban peoples expense. SEE ALSO: Implications of ending the Cuban embargo

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Editorial: Cambio histórico con Cuba

La Opinión — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 12:12:06 +0000

La apertura de relaciones con la isla ayudará a recuperar libertades

Casa Blanca no descarta una futura visita de Obama a Cuba

EFE — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 11:12:36 +0000

Obama anunció hoy desde la Casa Blanca el inicio de un nuevo capítulo en las relaciones con Cuba

Alan Gross released from Cuba after five years

Impremedia — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 11:12:00 +0000

UPDATE (11:25 am): Alan Gross has landed in Andrews Air Force base. — Cuba has released American Alan Gross after five years in prison. “Mr. Gross boarded an American government plane and was en route back to the United States, according to an American government official who declined to be named pending further developments,” The New York Times reported. Gross was originally sentenced to 15 years in prison and accused of being a spy, he was freed as part of a deal that included the release of three Cubans jailed in the U.S. SEE ALSO: Alan Gross marks 5 years in Cuban jail President Obama plans to speak publicly on the case at noon, the official said. In addition, Cuban television announced that President Raul Castro will also speak at noon and make “an important announcement on US-Cuba relations.” AP reported that officials say the U.S. is also looking to open an embassy in Havana in the coming months. The news agency quoted Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as saying the agreement between the two countries includes the normalization of banking and trade ties. “This is going to do absolutely nothing to further human rights and democracy in Cuba,” Rubio said in an interview. “But it potentially goes a long way in providing the economic lift that the Castro regime needs to become permanent fixtures in Cuba for generations to come.” The USAID contractor was arrested during his fifth trip to Cuba, according to Global Post, when he was attempting to establish an online network for Havanas Jews. He was accused of crimes against the state. In December 2013, Peter Wallsten of The Washington Post told NPR Gross was being detained in a 10-foot by 12-foot room, with two other prisoners. Gross’ wife, Judy, said her husband had lost more than 100 pounds during his detention. “He can barely walk due to chronic pain, and he has lost five teeth and much of the sight in his right eye,” she said in a statement. SEE ALSO: Alan Gross goes on hunger strike while Cuban Twitter scandal grows

The post Alan Gross released from Cuba after five years appeared first on Voxxi.

EEUU y Cuba negociaron secretamente por 18 meses

Impremedia — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 10:12:50 +0000

Canadá facilitó los encuentros entre las naciones

Alan Gross: “Gracias al presidente Obama”

EFE — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 09:12:53 +0000

Su liberación fue a cambio de la de tres de los agentes del grupo de "Los Cinco"

ONU y Latinoamérica felicitan a Cuba y EEUU por paso ‘histórico’

EFE — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 09:12:29 +0000

EEUU decretó en 1961 un embargo económico unilateral sobre Cuba

USAID is implicated in another Cuba scandal

Impremedia — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 10:08:00 +0000

USAID is making headlines again for operations to topple the Castro regime in Cuba; this time its a new report indicating President Barack Obama approved…

Russian spy base soon to reopen in Cuba

Impremedia — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 13:07:00 +0000

UPDATE (07-17-14): The Russian spy base in Lourdes, Cuba will not be reopening. “Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied reports that he made a deal…

Jose Azel discusses Cubas transition; life after the Castro brothers

Impremedia — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 18:07:00 +0000

VOXXI correspondent Diego Rosette sat down with Cuban exile scholar, Jose Azel currently a senior scholar at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies at…

Investing in Cuba remains a tricky bet

Impremedia — Sun, 01 Jun 2014 17:06:00 +0000

Foreign news outlets have taken a liking to labeling the Cuban governments recent passing of its Foreign Investment Law as a liberalization of the Cuban…

Cuba congelará fondos vinculados a Al Qaeda

EFE — Fri, 24 Jan 2014 10:01:37 +0000

La medida responde a un decreto del Gobierno de la isla que actualiza y fija normas para la lucha contra el lavado de dinero y el terrorismo

Cuba levanta prohibición para alquilar casas

Impremedia — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 08:01:14 +0000

El proceso, que ahora se tramitará por medio de las inmobiliarias estatales, costará $5 mensuales por metro cuadrado para viviendas y $7 para locales comerciales

Obama y Raúl Castro sorprenden con estrechón de mano (video)

EFE — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 13:12:41 +0000

En lo que es un gesto sin precedentes, los dos mandatarios se saludan durante el acto de homenaje a Nelson Mandela en Sudáfrica

Reacciones encontradas al saludo de Obama a Raúl Castro

Impremedia — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 13:12:41 +0000

Mientras unos opinan que es "decepcionante", otros consideran que el saludo a Raúl Castro fue un gesto protocolar del mandatario estadounidense

Exilio cubano reprocha apretón de mano de Obama y Castro (video)

EFE — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 07:12:04 +0000

Califican de "decepcionante" e "indignante" que el presidente de EEUU haya saludado al de Cuba durante los funerales de Mandela en Sudáfrica

Cuba anuncia eliminación de dos monedas

Impremedia — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 14:10:25 +0000

El gobierno puso en vigor las medidas que conducirán a la unificación monetaria y cambiaria, destacó el diario Granma.

Hija de Raúl Castro hablará de sexo en Dominicana

EFE — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 07:09:33 +0000

Mariela Castro, hija del presidente de Cuba, impulsará la educación de sexual entre los dominicanos

Gorbachov: Se debe respetar a Raúl Castro

Impremedia — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 13:09:08 +0000

En su edición de junio del 2011, el diario ruso Pravda planteó la pregunta: “¿Pudiéramos pensar que Raúl Castro es el equivalente cubano a Gorbachov o Deng Xioping?”. Han transcurrido dos años y todavía no hay una respuesta clara. Lo nuevo es que el mismo Gorbachov es ahora el que se une al coro de […]

Cuba, sus prisas y sus pausas

Impremedia — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:04:11 +0000

Llegó el momento de que los ciudadanos empiecen a saber qué futuro les espera con esas transformaciones

Castro confía en continuidad política en Venezuela

Impremedia — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 15:03:05 +0000

El presidente Raúl Castro manifestó el sábado su confianza en que los nuevos dirigentes de Venezuela continúen la obra del fallecido mandatario Hugo Chávez.

Raúl Castro llega a Venezuela para funeral de Chávez (Fotos)

Impremedia — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 06:03:50 +0000

Hace unas horas, el mandatario estaba en Cuba rindiendo tributo al presidente venezolano en las ciudades de Santiago y La Habana

Raúl Castro se solidariza con convaleciente Chávez

Impremedia — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 14:12:25 +0000

El presidente cubano, Raúl Castro,calificó de "hermano de lucha" a su colega venezolano y hoy convaleciente Hugo Chávez, y se solidarizó con su padecimiento de salud, que lo trajo a la isla para ser operado esta semana.

Raúl Castro está de gira en China

EFE — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:07:27 +0000

Es su primer viaje a Pekín como presidente cubano.

Menéndez critica visa a sobrina de Castro

Impremedia — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:05:53 +0000

Mariela Castro Espín, hija del presidente cubano Raúl Castro, asistirá a un congreso académico en San Francisco