It appears the new White House Chief of Staff may have some ideas about Cuba that contradict President Trump’s policy towards the island nation. U.S. President Donald Trump’s choice for White House chief of staff, retired Marine General John Kelly, was one of the military’s longest-serving commanders before Trump named him secretary for the Department … Read more
The Trump administration has indicated that an announcement will likely be made in the “coming weeks,” based on a review of Cuba policy that has been ongoing since January of this year. According to a report released last week by Engage Cuba, rolling back the current U.S. policy on Cuba could cost U.S. businesses and … Read more
Cuban President Raul Castro on Tuesday met a delegation of US Congressmen led by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Thad Cochran (R-Miss) who were visiting Cuba. Judging by comments expressed by the congressional delegation, Castro appears to want to continue working on improved ties with Washington despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s vow to reverse direction. … Read more
Cuban President Raul Castro said last week that Cuba hopes to continue to normalize relations with the U.S, but clarified that the Island Nation would not accept concessions affecting matters of sovereignty. “Cuba and the United States can cooperate and live side by side in a civilized manner, respecting our differences and promoting all that … Read more
In December, Trump announced that Jason Greenblatt will be his “special representative for international negotiations.” He is believed to be Trump’s negotiator for all matters Cuba. Greenblatt has worked with Trump as the executive vice president and chief legal officer for all of the president’s businesses for at least the past two decades. Greenblatt said … Read more
President-elect Trump has recently stated his dissatisfaction with the detente between the U.S. and Cuba. His campaign focused on the plight of U.S. middle-class workers unemployed due to a supposed exodus of companies seeking lower labor costs outside the U.S. In an apparent contradiction to his convictions, the U.S Labor Department recently awarded Trump approval … Read more
While Trump has said he wants to negotiate a better deal with Cuba, it is unclear how much he is willing to reverse President Obama’s measures. Representative Rick Crawford, an Arkansas Republican, said he didn’t necessarily think there would be, “a knee-jerk reaction,” to what Obama had done. “I think it’s time to take off … Read more
President Obama’s use of executive authority to re-engage with Cuba means that same authority can be swiftly used by President-elect Trump to unravel the two years of detente between the two nations after Trump’s inauguration. But experts say Trump most likely will face tough resistance and challenges. “He could break diplomatic relations on his first … Read more
President Barack Obama proudly hailed the opening of U.S. ties with Cuba after 50 years of hostility and reacted diplomatically to the death of former President Fidel Castro, expressing condolences to his family. President-elect Donald Trump has criticized Obama’s Cuba policies, and released a toughly worded statement calling Fidel Castro a brutal dictator. The differences … Read more
