Obama: the future of Cuba will be decided by Cubans

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 21 (acn) The future of Cuba will be decided by Cubans and no one else; Cuba has the right to be sovereign, said in Havana US President Barack Obama who is on an official visit in Cuba.

After holding talks with his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro, Obama thanked the Cuban government and people for welcoming him. This visit is for Obama ¨a new day for the two countries¨ that are working towards the normalization of bilateral relations.
Obama said he was aware change won't come overnight, and expressed his interest to look for new business opportunities that create jobs both for Cubans and Americans.
¨We fully trust that if we stay on this path we will achieve a better future for both peoples, ¨and added that the five decades of estrangement will not disappear in the short term, and cited differences in issues like democracy and human rights
However, he said, this doesn't mean that the US dictates Cuba what to do, but that both sides can learn from each other. This trip has as a goal to work on issues of mutual interest like culture, commerce, economy, education, environment and others, always keeping in mind the existing differences.
He added he was pleased for the respectful dialogue he held with Raul, which shows the spirit of working together with the aim of improving the life of the two peoples; ¨we are moving forward on a new chapter of our relations, we don't see Cuba as a threat to the United States¨
He tackled some of the measures taken since December 17, 2014, as the easing of travel to Cuba for US citizens, though still not as tourist, the agreements of telecommunications, and the use of US dollars in Cuban transactions, which will create more business opportunities for trade, he said
Regarding the US blockade, Obama expressed his trust Congress ends this policy; he added that the blockade didn't serve the interests of the Us or the Cuban people
Obama also congratulated the Cuban doctors that worked in Haiti and West Africa to fight cholera and Ebola, respectively. He also thanked Cuba for the role it is playing on the peace talks in Colombia