Why President Obama Went to Cuba

At the beginning of the 20th Century, Havana, Cuba was a place where Americans would go to have a good time. The last time a US President visited Cuba, prior to President Obama and his family’s trip there last Sunday, was in January 1928, when Calvin Coolidge attended the Pan American Conference. The good times ended with the Cuban Revolution, which lasted from 1953 till 1959, and the establishment of a socialist state and Communist Government led by Fidel Castro, began. As a response, on October 19, 1960, the Eisenhower administration imposed a trade embargo on Cuba. This in turn led to many Cubans to cross 90 miles distance and move to the United States. By 2008, more than 1.24 million Cuban Americans were living mostly in South Florida. I visited Cuba twice in 2013, and loved the people I met there. As a result I produced my first photography book, “Soy Cubano”.

I was happy to find out about our President’s decision to renew the relationship with Cuba and to take a trip there, 88 years after the last presidential visit. But why not lift the embargo? After all, the Ayatollah in Iran and Communists in China persecute those who oppose them, and there are no embargoes. Why punish good, hard-working people in Cuba? It is about time to figure out that almost 56 years of the embargo did not change the Communist Government. But not everyone agrees with this idea; especially those who left Cuba, and disagree with Mr. Castro and his government. And then there is the U.S. military prison, located in Guantanamo Bay, which Mr. Obama promised to close. Apparently, the United States has been leasing the area from Cuba for $4,085 per year (the lease started in 1903). It is also not clear what the new president will do. After all, President Obama used the Executive Order to renew the U.S.’s relationship with Cuba, which can be repealed by the new President of the United States. As they say in Cuba, it is complicated.

I decided to write about the trip after reading an article in “The New York Times “ on Sunday, March 20, 2016 “Cuba Is Set to Embrace Obama, but U.S. Goals May Get Colder Greeting”. In the same paper, in the Travel Section I found an article “How to Sample Americana in Havana”. And I’ve seen many other articles about the trip, since.
There are number of ways to travel to Havana, and I am sure more ways will open up. The Canadian company “Club Cubano” might be a good choice for package deals. You can reach them at 1-855-687-2822. I used their services on our last trip. If you mention my name, I might get a discount on my next trip.

P.S. I am planning to publish another photography book, “42 Encounters in Cuba With Couples”, in the future. Meanwhile, my first book in the series “42 Encounters in San Francisco” is being printed. Will keep you posted. In the meantime, enjoy some of these images that I captured in Cuba.

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