Cuba’s ruling party and the Havana visit of Roberta Jacobson

Cuba's ruling party and the Havana visit of Roberta Jacobson
VICTOR ARIEL GONZALEZ, Victor Ariel González | Enero 21, 2015

The opinions broadcast on Cuban Television spaces such as the National
News or the Telesur channel show points in common, although there are
also contradictions, with regards to the Havana visit of the Assistant
Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs from the US Department of
State, Roberta Jackson. There are "great expectations," says the
journalist Cristina Escobar; while the analyst Esteban Morales says, "We
don't have many illusions."

However, everyone recognizes that the negotiations on Thursday will mark
a "historic" event, because they will address the reestablishment of
diplomatic relations between the two countries. In short, the Interest
Sections in Washington and Havana will be transformed into embassies.

On Tuesday's National News it was reported that at the high-level
meeting Havana "will discuss the banking situation of the Cuban Interest
Section in the American capital, which has gone a year without offering
normal services because no bank wants to offer them services due to the
regulations of the blockade."

It was also announced that, "There will be no lack (…) of issues like
the fight against narcotrafficking, human trafficking, oil spills,
search and rescue, counterterrorism, and confronting epidemics."
According to the official commentary, this information was provided by
"a source from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs" on the Island.

Cuba is also anxious to be removed from the United States' list of
states that support international terrorism. That decision depends on
President Obama.

Within the current political détente, the official media highlighted the
current embargo. "Is the blockade over? Absolutely not," concluded
journalist Cristina Escobar in an analysis before Jacobson's arrival.
The journalist added that "the blockad will end the day that financial
transactions between the United States and Cuba are not regulated by
Congress," which will be "a long and complex road." Coincidentally, a
few hours later, during his most important speech of the year, the US
president asked Congress to end the Cuban embargo.

As was expected, one of the most fortified trenches on the Cuban side
has been nationalist ideology. The regime will talk about human rights,
democracy and individual freedoms – "the most difficult issues,"
according to Esteban Morales on Telesur – with emphasis on "no
interference" from outside and "sovereignty." Morales argued that the US
should not "demand that we follow a direction ordered [by them], in
terms of organizing our democratic system and our individual liberties,"
and there should also be a willingness to "throw on the table the
problems of democracy, human rights and individual freedoms that exist
in the US."

The Cuban analyst does not think our northern neighbor "has renounced a
political strategy to regain control of Cuba," but now our country would
have "the possibility of developing a much more positive activity"
thanks to the existence of the embassies. Thus, "there will be a much
more organized dynamic."

Another concern of the ruling party is that the final lifting of the
embargo might be postponed beyond the Obama administration, because the
question would "depend a lot on whether we have a future administration
that will stick to this idea."

While the emphasis of the high-level meeting is diplomatic
rapprochement, one agenda item that will be discussed on Thursday that
does not go unnoticed is that this Wednesday will be the 28th meeting
between the two governments on migration issues. Havana will take the
opportunity to discuss the Cuban Adjustment Act, the "wet foot dry foot"
policy, and "an interpretation of the document that could change."

The Cuban side is most likely to oppose a resolution that benefits all
those on the Island who emigrate to the United States, a legal
phenomenon that creates certain contradictions in this country with
regards to migration reform. Paradoxically, those Cubans who are capable
of establishing themselves in the United States – thanks largely to the
Cuban Adjustment Act – constitute one of the principle sources of income
to the regime's economy.

Turning to the meetings on diplomatic relations, the previous scenario
had to be reconfigured in record time. In little over a month, the
United States announced the rapprochement with our country, started to
implement the legal measures relating to it, and its president asked a
Congress dominated by the opposition party to end the half-century
embargo. The speed of events is excessive for those who do not usually
deal with politics in a timely fashion: the Cuban leaders.

Beyond the expectations and mistrust generated among the Island's
authorities by Roberta Jacobson's visit, there is a notable sense of
consternation. Basically, what the regime is hoping for is that things
will proceed slowly, so that they will not have to deal with the
consequences of an excessive enthusiasm.

Source: Cuba's ruling party and the Havana visit of Roberta Jacobson -
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