Andio and Behavioral Health harlem activist who had just thended a book launch at open Society Foundation about solitary confinement. We will speak to five mualimmak jazz hayden and play bigger recorded at the scene. I am under arrest for what . For what . Hold on. Amy all that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. President obama has arrived in cuba for a historic threeday visit, becoming the first sitting u. S. President to visit the island in 88 years. Obama is scheduled to meet cuban president raul castro this morning at the palace of the revolution in havana. A state dinner for the obamas will be held tonight. On tuesday obama will address the cuban people. He is also scheduled to meet with cuban dissidents. Well have more on obamas historic trip after headlines. In arizona, demonstrators shut down a highway leading to a rally for republican president ial candidate donald trump outside phoenix saturday, delaying the rally ahead of tuesdays key primaries. Three people were arrested, including jacinta gonzalez, a leading immigrant advocate who had locked her neck to a vans window as part of the roadblock. Gonzalez said she was then transferred to immigration custody, despite being a u. S. Citizen. Yesterday when we were arrested, the two colleagues and was arrested with released. Because my last name was gonzales, i was questioned by ice and placed in the detainer. Proves the hatred and the profiling that trump sense and trust remote is the same that exists in the administration. Amy at a trump rally in tucson, a trump supporter was caught on video sucker punching an antitrump protester as he was being led away. Tony pettway was arrested for misdemeanor assault and released. The protester, bryan sanders, was kicked out of the rally after chanting liar and holding a sign that read, trump is bad for america. Meanwhile, another video from the rally showed Trump Campaign manager Corey Lewandowski appearing to grab a protester by his collar. The footage shows lewandowski, in a blazer, grabbing the mans a man at the same time as a member of trumps private security team. The protester is yanked backwards. Speaking to George Stephanopoulos on abc, trump refused to condemn the violence at his rallies, saying professional agitators bore much of the blame. He also praised lewandowskis spirit. Because of security at the arena, the police were a little bit lax and he had signs they had signs up in that area that were horrendous that i cannot say what they said on the sign, but the ultimate word, and was all over the camera come and frankly, the Television Cameras cannot take it and they cannot do anything about it. I will give him credit step. The video collects wanting tocredit for have spirit. Amy Corey Lewandowski has also been accused of grabbing the arm of a breitbart reporter, leaving her bruised. In new york city as many as 2000 , people marched against donald trump, chanting, racist, sexist, antigay, donald trump, go away. They marched from Trump International hotel and tower in Columbus Circle to another trump tower on fifth avenue. Three people were arrested amid a heavy police presence. Vermont senator Bernie Sanders will skip the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs committee, the powerful proisrael lobbying group. Sanders is the only candidate from either the republican or Democratic Party not to attend the conference. His democratic rival, hillary clinton, and republicans donald trump, ted cruz and john kasich , are all slated to speak there today. Sanders said his Campaign SandersCampaign Said aipac rejected his offer to address the conference by video link, even though republicans mitt romney and Newt Gingrich did so in 2012. A u. S. Marine has been killed in northern iraq. The pentagon said Staff Sergeant louis cardin was killed saturday by enemy rocket fire near makhmur. He was his death appears to have 27. Revealed the existence of a new u. S. Firebase in iraq where cnn reports hundreds of marines have been living in tents. Cardin is the second us servicemember killed since the u. S. Campaign against isil began in 2014. In brussels, belgium, salah abdeslam, a suspect in the paris attacks that killed 130 people, was arrested in a raid friday. Authorities had searched for abdeslam since the attacks in november. Belgian Authorities Say he was plotting more attacks in brussels. In istanbul, turkey, suicide was a turkish citizen who belonged to isil. The attack killed an iranian and three israelis, two of whom also had u. S. Citizenship. Hundreds of refugees have arrived on the greek islands despite a new deal between turkey and the European Union aimed at reducing the flow. Two Syrian Refugees died over the weekend attempting the crossing while two little girls were found drowned. Under the accord, all people now arriving on the islands face a return to turkey. For every syrian refugee sent back to turkey from greece, the eu has vowed to resettle one syrian from the turkish refugee camps. In bral, demonstrato took to the streets nationwide friday to defend the government of president Dilma Rousseff against what they say are undemocratic attempts by the rightwing opposition to oust her from power. Last week, a judge suspended rousseffs appointment of former president Luiz Inacio Lula da silva to a cabinet post. Rousseff says lula will help strengthen her government but , critics see his appointment as a bid to protect him from what lula says are politically motivated charges of money laundering. The judge who blocked lulas appointed had recently posted phos of himself on social media marching in an antigovernment protest. Brazil faces a dire financial crisis and a Corruption Scandal that spans political sides. In mexico, Community ActivistNestora Salgado has been freed after two and a half years of what a United Nations panel deemed an illegal detention. Salgado, a dual u. S. Mexican citizen, organized a Community Selfdefense group in her hometown in guerrero state, where the line between drug cartels and local officials is often blurred. Salgado walked free friday after a judge determined the kidnapping and other charges lodged against her by local officials were baseless. Speaking at a news conference, she described her imprisonment. I felt that i was buried alive in a drawer. I was so out of touch for 20 months, in isolation for crime i did not commit. They did not let me coexist with other prisoners. I only saw them when i would to court. They treated me the most brutal way they could. It is difficult to struggle against the government when theyre out to get you, but even worse they did this when all i wanted was to defend my community. Amy here in new york, the father of one of the 43 students ssing in mexico for 18 months ran the Half Marathon sunday in honor of his son. The students disappeared from guerrero Nestora Salgados home , state after an attack by local , police. Surrounded by supporters in times square, tizapa called for the United States to suspend billions in u. S. Aid for the drug war. Halt toe asking for a the initiative, that is the message that i want to give to people in the United States. To pressure the government so they stop helping the Mexican Government because with these weapons, theyre practically killing us. Amy and in western massachusetts, a builder has placed a 10by15foot replica of author and naturalist Henry David Thoreaus cabin in the path of a proposed gas pipeline. Residents oppose the pipeline planned by energy firm kinder morgan, saying it threatens the local environment. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. President obama has arrived in cuba for a historic threeday visit becoming the first sitting , u. S. President to visit the island in 88 years. On sunday, obama and his family toured old havana after meeting with u. S. Embassy staff and their families. It has been nearly 90 years since a u. S. President stepped foot in cuba. It is wonderful to be here. Back in 1928, president coolidge came on a battleship. It took him three days to get here. It only took me three hours. [laughter] for the first time ever, air force one has landed in cuba. And this is our very first stop. This is a historian visit and opportunity to engage directly with the cuban people and a forge new agreements and commercial deals to build new ties between our two peoples, and for me to lay out my vision for a future that is brighter than our past. Amy president obama is scheduled to meet cuban president raul castro this morning at the palace of the revolution in havana. A state dinner for the obamas will be held tonight. On obama will give a speech to tuesday, the cuban people. During his visit, he is also scheduled to meet with cuban dissidents. Just hours before obama landed, cuban authorities broke up a march by the ladies in white, reportedly detaining dozens of members of the group. While diplomatic ties have been restored between the two countries, many issues remain unsolved. The 54yearold u. S. Trade embargo on cuba remains in place. The United States has also refused to give up control of its navy base and military prison at Guantanamo Bay in cuba. Last year, president raul castro said cuba will not be able to normalize relations with the United States until washington returns guantanamo to the cuban people. Obama is visiting cuba along with nearly 40 u. S. Lawmakers and the ceos and executives from almost a Dozen Companies including xerox, paypal, marriott, airbnb, and Starwood Hotels resorts. We go now to havana where we are joined by two guests. Carlos Alzugaray Treto is a former cuban diplomat who served as ambassador to belgium and luxembourg, and head of the Cuban Mission to the European Union. He is a former professor at havana university. And we are joined by Peter Kornbluh. He directs the cuba documentation project at the National Security archive in washington, d. C. He is coauthor of the book, back channel to cuba the Hidden History of negotiations between washington and havana. Lets start with the ambassador. Can you describe the scene yesterday in havana when the obama family arrived . President obama, the first u. S. Sitting president to go to cuba in 88 years. Unfortunately, it was raining so it was kind of march by climate conditions, but i think in general, one has to be described is the general attitude of the population is an attitude of sympathy to president obama. But at the same time, of expectation about what is going to happen with the embargo. I think it was best said by the 75 euro lady wrote to president obama saying, i like you, i like you being reelected, but you have to do something about the black page of u. S. Embargo against cuba. Obamasght before the landed, the group ladies in white held a protest. It was broken up by authorities, reports are that a number of people were arrested. Can you explain who this group is . Well, basically, this is a group that is being receiving money from the United States. In the cuban according to cuba and interpretation of that law, these people are not exactly representing cuban society, but more representing the old policy of the United States, which has been designated to create a regime change in cuba. Castdent obama himself aside this policy when he mentioned at the beginning of this process the United States was not interested in destabilizing cuba. At the fact of the matter is, cuban authorities consider these elements are doing exactly that, destabilizing the cuban system and they are paid agents of u. S. It wasnt a very amy Peter Kornbluh, if you could weigh in . It wasnt the best opening gesture on the part of the cuban authorities yesterday to intercept the ladies in white. My thinking is they just let them proceed to their destination, they would have gotten there and then turned around and gone home, as they do often on sundays. Issueou know, that is in im sure well come up in private conversations between president obama and president castro. Im sure the cubans have advice for the United States of america on human rights issues as well, perhaps even as bold as saying, you know what is going on down there at Guantanamo Bay. The point is, the two sides are talking and they will talk about this and they will talk about many, many other things. The arrival of president obama under a huge rainstorm really cannot dampen the fact that this is a historic trip, a major step forward. I say historic game changer in not only the future of u. S. Cuban relations, but the future of u. S. Relations with the world and particularly the latin american region. I hope that what obama is doing is leading a model for future president s of diplomacy and civil connection with the cuban government, with the cuban people that will live on in the annals of u. S. For politics. On the other hand, you have to understand cuban authorities, what they have in mind. On the one hand, they want to give the president the best , welcome,eception which is the sense of the cuban people. But at the same time, theyre concerned about the security situation surrounding the visit. They do not want the visit to be marred by any kind of situation. I would agree with peter, the best thing for the cuban government would have been to let the demonstration go on. Sometimes you have to balance on the one hand, secure to concerns and on the other hand, the issue that is related to the image of the country. Amy Peter Kornbluh, the significance [indiscernible] amy i dont know if you can hear me with the winds of change slamming your microphone. But the significance of the ceos of the various corporations from marriott to starwood to paypal. Talk about what president obama is doing with the corporate delegation there. Agenda for this afternoon is to kind of hold an entrepreneurial summit with cuban, kind of small the Business Leaders, and with u. S. Business leaders. We ran into jose andres, the famous spanish chef who is in washington, d. C. He is a wonderful set of restaurants across the u. S. He is here promoting the idea of good food and good restaurants and the future of the culinary business in cuba, which has a great future along with the many other businesses here. Of course, the starwood ceo starwood just signed an agreement, making it the first Major Corporation since 1959 to have an agreement in cuba to manage and invest in several hotels in the coming years here. So that is what obama wants i think president obama feels opening the doors of commerce in cuba and the United States is going to help a transition, and economic transition that raul castro himself has initiated to move cuba into a mixed economy from a strict socialist economy to a mixed economy. Of course, for that to happen, you have to have a private sector. That is what those Business Leaders and business thinkers are doing here in cuba with the president of the United States today. Amy might it also be might it also be with republicans wanting to turn back whatever obama does this year investmentorporate and stake in cuba, it will be harder for the republicans to reverse the opening with cuba, leader . Peter . Amy. Ure absolutely right, im negligent for not mentioning that from the outset. President obama has this super interesting strategy, ringing Business Leaders down here and wants them to get connected down here, be invested down here both psychologically and monetarily. Then he wants them to go back to the u. S. And unleash their lobbyists on the Mitch Mcconnells of the world, the push the leadership to vote to lift the embargo. No doubt in my mind that if there was a vote, we would get the embargo lifted. The embargo is really a skeletal framework now as with obama punching holes in it with his executive orders. Thatere not going to get vote and to the leadership changes. But by that time, think obamas hope is u. S. Businesses will be entrenched here, will have interest here, and will be pushing their own legislators would lobbyists to lift the mr go entirely. Amy on sunday, republican president ial candidate ted cruz criticized president obama for history to cuba. He tweeted i have a word for the people of cuba who will witness the gaudy spectacle in havana america has not forgotten you. Cruz then linked to an article he wrote for politico headlined, in cuba, obama will legitimize the corrupt and ignore the oppressed whats american about that . In the article, cruz writes in cuba the castros have been the implacable enemies of the United State