Transcripts For ALJAZAM Inside Story 20240622

Its inside story. Welcome to inside story. Im ray suarez. The amount of money people can send to relatives in cuba has been adjusted travel restrictions loosened sales of Agricultural Products established will become easier. The United States removed cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and the doors of organization of american state and summit of americas reopened. After decades of hostile relationships. Countries with intertwined commercial association and close political ties dont pick up where they left off. You might say a lot of the easy stuff is done re opening diplomatic relations makes it possible to begin to talk about the hard stuff. There was pomp and circumstance as the cuban flag was raised over the new embassy in washington. An historic moment. Within minutes cuban diplomats entered an outpost. Translation we reaffirm cubas willingness to move forward. Without prejudice to independence or interference in affairs. Cubans foreign minister bruno warning the United States against meddling in his countrys affairs. A shot across the bow, reminding both sides that old wounds of the cold war left visible scars. Im totally lifting of the blockade, the return of the legally occupied territory of guantanamo, as well as the full respect for the cuban sovereignty and the compensation to our people for human and economic damages. That blockade is the longstanding u. S. Trade embargo on cuba, paralyzing the economy for half a century. You cant use american credit cards at hotels in cuba and the u. S. Has no formal blanking relationship in the country. The embargoes has been loosened. Only congress can lift it. If anyone thinks the sanctions will go away that the embargo will go away they have not been paying attention to the attitude of congress. Congress unlike president obama understands that the castro regime are the oppressors. Some committed to blocking the confirmation of a u. S. Ambassador tore havana. Many say the human rights record is the most pressing issue. Palma says he will not visit the island until things improve. Freedom of Speech Assembly of the press. Its clear cuba has progress to make in all of those areas. The embargo, and human rights are dominating the conversation. They are not the only fences left to mend in the new relationship. One issue is the u. S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay. Its the only permanent overseas u. S. Base in the americas. Havana wants the land back. No anticipation and no plan with respect to the Guantanamo Bay naval station in cuba washington has controlled the deep water bay, and 45 square miles of land on cubas southeast end since 1903. It was a spoil of the spanish american war. The u. S. Has been paying 4,000 a year in rent for decades, but fidel castro stopped cashing the checks in the 1960s, and called on the u. S. To leave. I think that the United States has a historical debt it owes cuba on this front. Its clearly the terms of the initial agreement were unfair unbalanced and a different time history. As diplomats haggle over lingering hurdles with frayed and travel trust may be the biggest obstacle for many cubans born and raised to fear the stars and stripes. The same way they bombed iran and iraq we felt we had to protect ourselves from possible attacks from the United States. Joining me now, michael a ph. D. Candidate in latin American History in yale specialising in cubanu. S. History. Welcome to the programme. I was making a couple of quick notes before we began. Telecommunications banking, terms of trade, harmonisation of maritime standards when you work hard at being strangers for 54 years, isnt there a lot to do more than reopening embassies . Yes, absolutely. The list of its on the bilateral agenda is long and probably will continue to grow. Some issues are very very complex. The embargo is one of them. Its one of the toughest things to have on the bilateral agenda given that congress controls its destiny. That said theres a number of practical issues that in the short term it may be easy to develop trust around. Law enforcement. Theres a number of fugitives of u. S. Justice in cuba that may be a practical issue around which both can find common ground. I wonder after all this time since there are no old cuba hands in american politics circles, thats a boom. We dont have people with habits of mind because the people that made the policy is gone. Thats true. I add to that the same will be the case on the cuban side. That said on the cuban side we see science of a rhetorical text coming from a prior reara. This lack of trust is something that is palpable in the statements both have been making. Already we have seen in commentary on the cuban side a question or concern as to whether the newest policy amounts from an attempt to do the same thing, by other more friendly means. I suspect thats a debate to continue in the years ahead. Despite the younger generational bases at least from the Foreign Ministry side in cuba are leading this negotiation. Given what you said there are senses in which the success of this initiative is out of the United States hands. This is as you say, a bilateral relationship and cuba is capable of scotching things. I think cuba is capable of handling Diplomatic Affairs over many years. What i would say is theres still, to my mind uncertainty as to what the end game is here for the United States. The president announced policy change as a better way to help Cuban Society to open economically socially and politically. That means folks in miami and other sectors will expect dividends. Theres a converse, is there a rhetoric or conditions placed for the openings as far as they can be controlled from the executive branch. Given what you know and your knowledge of the history of the past 60 years, would you counsel americans to be patient. Not look for big home runs in the reopening of the bilateral relations . Yes, absolutely. An indication of hays of things to come is how long it took to where we are now with two functioning embassies, it took seven months. That may not seem like a long time when you take into account the many years of bilateral estrangement estrangement. What is faced is the short window of time that they had to get the slam dunks, what they had to achieve. Enough victory or advances so that its impossible to role back. President obama is approaching the end of his term. Raul will retire in 2018. Theres a short window of time. It will work up against both sides wanting to go slow. A cuban scholar from Yale University thank you for being with us. Along with the laws in black and white in statute books, theres politics and Unfinished Business between cuba and the United States will not be the result of legal briefs and courtroom action and the rough and tumble businesses lobbying congress. What remains to be done before the u. S. And cuba are normal countries. Stay with us. Its inside story. Youre watching inside story im ray suarez. In 1996 the helms berden act ramped up the trade embargo against cuba already in force for more than 30 years. It meant the embargo didnt just apply to American Companies that might want to sell something in cuba but tried to pressure Foreign Countries and companies to stay out of cuba by making it tough to do business in the u. S. The european union, canada and mexico said the law didnt apply to them. It had a Chilling Effect on companies, it didnt want to risk business in the biggest markets by selling in a small and poor. Its one example of the legal maize that awads businesses on both sides of the florida straight. Joining me now, an attorney in private practice in washington who represented among others the father as he fought to bring the boy back to cuba in the United States, and chair of the International Practice from aikerman alp and through the cuban reform. Let me start with you. With the embargo in place, in the face of all the changes that are promised by the Obama Administration pushed forward by secretary of state john kerry, is it congress in charge of moving the process forward from where it is today . Certainly congress had a big role to play precisely from what it was explaining. Theres legislation in place, embargo is the law of the land its a statute. The common name is a helms burton law. It has a prevision that sets the rules of the game for lifting the embargo and a series of preconditions for what needs to happen for the embargo to be lifted. If they were not met. The only way to remove the provisions of the law is to have Congress Take action to do away with the law, lock stock and barrel. Thats unlikely with the congress. Those provisions include having a government that doesnt include the castros, does that take lifting the embargo off the table until 2018. Thats one of the conditions. There were others such as having free and democratic elections. That was assembling for state security. Compensation for losses in property. Theres a series of preconditions. It goes beyond the castros, but it names names. We never broke relations during the cold war, with romania, bulgaria. In the face of continued diplomatic relations, the issues piled up so that when the berlin wall came down. Here we talk about another country that hadnt spoken in decades. They hadnt spoken officially. But for years and years, you are right. Theres a lot of work that needs to be done in the next few years to remedy a lot of the problems that had been created by this cold war between the United States and cuba. Nonetheless, i am cautiously optimistic that we can get some things done. The president last december on december 17th poked a lot of holes in this blockade with the United States they call it there an embargo. The president , being the president , has president ial authority under the constitution of the United States to do sa number of things such as opening an embassy, such as licensing certain activities that have been prohibited. He has given licence to people people travel and a number of ways of getting to cuba. He cant, by himself, without the intervention of congress allow tourism to go to cuba. On the other hand the momentum thanks to the president s action is such that if not this year maybe next Year Congress will allow manner tourists to visit cuba. Earlier in the program we heard the congressman say no dice on lifting the embargo, absolutely opposed to making any changes. Just as there are multiple tend edgesies and multiple camps in american politics are there in cuban politics. Are there go slow coalitions in the ruling circles in havana. Thats a great question and, of course cuban politics seem to be more opaque. Theres no donald trump on the stump trying to promote one thing or another. Everything we hear is that yes, in effect there is a go slow or the story goes a camp in cuba the hardliners whatever you want to call them. That want to the maintain the purity of the revolution do not want to the deal with america, dont trust the United States believe that this is all an elaborate ruse to continue regime change and they basically present one faction in cuba. There are some others that are far more pragmatic. These are bureaucrats, folks that are usually of a younger generation. They continue to be born and raised under the rev loougs. They have a pragmatic approach to reality, and understand that cuba has an ageing population and problem. And the ecs, and best avenue for cuba to really develop economic potential is to make peace with the United States, then theres folks that want the whole kit and caboodle with the u. S. They are, i think, not in a position to make their voices heard at the moment. I think theres a bit of everything in Cuban Society and the cuban political system and i think raul has been the one to keep a lid on the whole thing and presents it in a pragmatic but, at the same time steady slow path to reform and opening up with the u. S. Stay with us when we return we focus on embedments to normalizing ties. One sore spot the american nave ail base at Guantanamo Bay, home to sailors and marines since 1903 and prisoners in the war on terror since 2001. Unfinished business its inside story. Welcome back to inside story. Im ray suarez. Its fair to say most americans are only dually aware that the United States invaded cuba kicked out colonial power spain, and maintained cuba as a u. S. Protectorate. Congress passed a law called the platt amendment in which the u. S. Awarded itself the right to intervene in Cuban Affairs when basically the cuban government did anything it displease the United States. This country reopened cuba briefly since the spanish american war from 1906 to 1909. For decades the u. S. Paid its rent for the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, and the castrol governments havent cashed the checks. The government wants them to leave. My guests are with me when cubans cubans talk about guantanamo should americans understand its more than bluster. Something like an historical memory and defensiveness that is it earned. You are right. When we talk about cubans added, everything add of course, referring back to the analysis of people in cuba being cautious. You have to understand the history of the u. S. Cuba relations over the years. You mentioned the United States invaded cuba in the 19th century. They sponsored cuba in 1961 and there has been terrorism directed against cuba by cuban american terrorists protected in miami. There has been allegations of biological warfare. Theres a blockade. Theres a territory of guantanamo since the United States has maintained since 1903 against the wishes of the cuban government or the cuban people. The United States talks about violations of human rights. In cuba good process has not been based in guantanamo and there has been allegations of torture, by the United States government and not by cuba. When cuba is hesitant about accepting the new thaw in relations, and saying everything is great, and they are cautious about it they have reasons to think that. Is jose right, it the United States case undermined by what has gone on at guantanamo. When the secretary of state, when an n. G. O. Presumes to talk to cubans about the state of human rights in their country . As an american i have to tell you we did ourselves no favors by what we have done in guantanamo in the context of the post 9 11 world. I think president obama is correct top shut it down and be done with it. Its a black mark in our history. Because we are free and open whatever abuses happened there came to the public light. There has been outcry upheaval about it. We are moving forward and getting rid of that situation and the prisoners, it certainly does not bolster our case when we take a position on human rights and have been guilty ourselves of doing something of this nature. That having been said. Guantanamo has to be looked at in an historical complex. It was a polling takes in the United States. Got out of the war of independence. And the spanish american war. The United States had a series of statements. Its a bit of an anachronism. We dont need coal every 500 miles, we shut the base in puerto rico we gave the panama canal back to the panamanians. And further down the road when historical and political conditions are correct, guantanamo will probably follow suit. To wrap up the programme, id like to close with your prognosis, your crystal ball for a hotel on things that people have not thought about, that we havent anticipated or talked about. Do you have anything in mind before we close . Gosh yes. The first and foremost is something that has come up in the conversation called trust. You cannot overcome 54 years of mistrust on both sides of the straight in seven months. Aim quite frankly pleased with the process so far. Im an optimist. I think the cuban and American People want this to happen it will happen. System take a little bit of time. Jose a tough issue in the coming years . One of the toughest things is not just with regard to cuba but latin america as a whole. Russia seems so think it owns countries in latin america. And tells the government what it can have. Cuba does not belong to the United States. Thank you both gentlemen. Ill be back in a moment with a final thought on what the cubau. S. Relationship one of intimate strangers, may look like in the future. Stay with us, its inside story. Cuba has been romanticized. Sodomized and demonized. So few americans go to see if for themselves for so long reallife and personal experience couldnt drive out bad information. Cuba was never as bad as Many American conservatives portrayed it not compared with similar countries around the world. Nor was it the brave egal tarrian paradise volunteers from the west who travelled to work for the revolution. It gaoled people for what they believed ended careers, throttled futures, of people who deserved better and many cubans who support the revolution are proud of their educational and health systems, proud of what a small country leaned on by the most powerful country on the planet went ahead and accomplished. The cubans amet on two long trips knew they could be should be better off. They were weary of shortages of rationing and lack of access to the internet. They had a healthy skepticism from the system at home and capitalism from brothers sisters abroad. I have suspicion that americans will be surprised and disappointed by the rule cuba and cubans. Theyll be different from those we turned to symbols and flesh and blood people. As we heard on tonights programme, its not even close to over yet. Im ray suarez thats inside story. Story. Could this be wreckage from the missing flight mh370. Malaysia sends investigators to the indian ocean to find out hello, im Darren Jordon in doha with the world news from al jazeera. Also on the programme. Those against. Russia uses a veto to block those that shot down the Malaysia Airlines over ukraine from the tra