US to open Cuba embassy later this month
US President Barack Obama
(CNS): President Barack Obama announced the re-establishment of embassies in both Havana and Washington Wednesday after the American and Cuban governments finalized an agreement. Since December, the two countries have been negotiating to restore ties after half a century of animosity and the US embassy in Havana could open this month. Ending the freeze with Cuba has been central to Obama’s foreign policy and he has argued that the embargo on the island was ineffective.But the thawing of the cold war relationship between the governments could have a serious knock on impact on Cayman as more Cuban migrants attempt to make it to the US before the government ends the policy of allowing Cubans who make it to US soil to stay.
Since the two governments began talking in earnest about re-establishing a relationship, migrant numbers have increased significantly and they often find themselves stranded in the Cayman Islands as they attempt the treacherous trip to the US by sea to Honduras then overland to the States.
Although it is a major milestone, the announcement about the re-opening of embassies is not the end of negotiations between Obama and Cuban leader Raul Castro as the men press on to normalize relations between their two countries. Talks continue over human rights, compensation for confiscated American properties in Havana and damages to Cuba from the embargo, as well law enforcement and the controversial topic of US fugitives sheltering in Havana.
Obama wants Congress to repeal the economic embargo on Cuba but he faces opposition from those who believe the president would be prematurely rewarding a regime that engages in serious human rights abuses.
Category: Caribbean, USA, World News
45:16 to do that you are going to have to get rid of the cruise ships. High end and cruise tourism are like oil and water – they don’t mix.
Firstly, I accept that people do have a right to voice their opinions but what I can’t understand, and I’m not a native Caymanian, is if you hate the place so much and is cheering for its demise, then why stay?
Secondly, there is nothing to fear about Cuba. Sure there will be interest like I have to visit Cuba but with its primitive infrastructure and a place lost in time it will take billions of investment among other initiatives and years before it can outcompete Cayman or or other regional destinations. Moreover, with it just being next door there might be opportunities to offer twin packages, especially for visitors coming from far that want to get the most for their time traveling this far. It’s like traveling to East Asia and more often they will inlcude as my family and I did so were others we encountered on our trips, include one of the sophisticated destination with one of the lesser off destinations to maximize your travel and cultural experience.
Lastly, President Obama has done the right thing for Cuba and international affairs and comity of nations. The only thing to fear is fear itself as articulated by a former U.S. President.
Get off the fear and hate speech – you are no different than that other clown running for the U.S. GOP nomination.
If lower visitor numbers translates to reduced non-native personnel and or even a reduced financial industry – it may actually be a societal blessing for this country.
I’m an 80’s baby and I can clearly remember our days of bliss when we existed quite fine without the ASSHOLES that are showing their behinds in this very post.
(You have never meant anything good for this country therefore were a liability from the day you set foot here. Hey, try your luck in Cuba why don’t ya – since your own country is obviously subpar.)
Good riddance. Go back to your home countries and work hard to turn them into whatever it is about Cayman that attracted you here in the first place. That way you wouldn’t have to spend so much time attacking and tearing down a place that you clearly despise 🙂
See ya … wouldn’t wanna be ya!
Everyday Caymankind racism.
You’ll have to elaborate on that one buddy.
I.e. What race am I, and more importantly, against what race did I discriminate?
Look forward to your reply.
(Since you replied I guess you fall into the category I was addressing. So tell us, will you return home to help raise your country to the level of Cayman’s?)
Yes, maybe when all of the ExPats leave you and your mother can resume twisting thatch rope and trading it for kerosene, like the good old days, right?
ExPats are what make Cayman what it is – not turtle sandwich eating failures who need government mandates to actually find a job.
Goodbye Cayman Islands.
4:16 that is what Bermuda thought. Target the rich and what did that get them? Empty flights and empty hotel rooms! Be careful what you wish for.
Well said Marathon!
Low prices and scenery for starters…
Someone should ask tourists if they would return here…and why for heaven’s sake?
Cayman is done its a third rate destination anyways
the reason the air arrivals are up is because the rooms are cheap rooms in high season were under $200 Its just too bad those budget visitors were raped on everything else
perhaps they would of comeback some day
Caymans will soon have what they dream of their own island of chaos run by clowns
IMHO Fidel wasn’t all that bad, but Barack really sucks.
The US made Castro. His regime would have fizzled within a few years if they hadn’t made him their bogeyman.
As a wise Caymanian philosopher recently observed, “rat love soldier crab and soldier crab love rat!”.
The Cayman Tourist Board should be very, very worried. Once travel to Cuba becomes unrestricted to US nationals, watch the drop in numbers of stay-overs and cruise ship visits. Cayman won’t be able to compete.
Nor should it compete. Cayman is better suited as a limited numbers, high quality, boutique tourism destination. We are ruining Brand Cayman by playing the mass tourism game.
People are ruining the English language by unnecessarily moving adjectives to after nouns.
Yeah…. right. “Boutique” tourism meaning…. sitting on a hot, flat rock with no resources and a rapidly deteriorating coral reef?