Berkley Center

President Obama made history on December 17, 2014 when he announced that the United States and Cuba would be reopening diplomatic relations after they were suspended decades ago at the height of the Cold War. Now, it has been almost a year since that historical declaration, one in which we have seen many important steps be taken with respect to diplomacy between the two countries, and it remains a hot topic of conversation here in Cuba, although maybe not in exactly the way Americans would expect. Aside from the almost ubiquitous desire that exists in Cuba for the US embargo to be lifted and the fact that restoring diplomatic relations is an important step in making that happen, there also exists a veil of skepticism and suspicion over the hearts and minds of many of the Cuban people in regards to the motives and desires of the United States in pursuing the opening of relations.

Recently, in one of my University of Havana courses, a well-known Cuban blogger came and spoke to the class about the recent developments; the perspective that he shared was highly unexpected. He argued that President Obama’s decision to re-engage diplomatically with Cuba was more a calculated political power play than any sort of recognition of the harmfulness or injustice of the 50-plus-years-old policy. The speaker believed that all this talk about reconciliation and peace between the United States and Cuba is just manipulation in order to reestablish American dominance over Cuba’s politics and economy. In his opinion, President Obama is simply changing tactics in the US fight against the Castro regime because the embargo is not as effective as hoped; it is currently doing more to make the United States look bad in the eyes of the international community than weaken the Castro brothers and the revolution. Essentially, there was no doubt in his mind that President Obama’s desire to open relations is a cover for the newest strategy to end the Communist Party’s hold on power in Cuba. He issued a stern warning to the young Cuban university students in my class to be aware of the United States’ continued treachery and aggression.

Although the opinion of this Cuban blogger was more extreme than that of the average Cuban, his suspicions of America’s true motives for these changes are echoed in the minds of many throughout Cuba. In an in-depth political discussion with one of my Cuban professors, he expressed many similar concerns. Specifically, he expressed trepidations regarding President Obama’s true intentions behind his decision to re-engage with Cuba. He also believes that those intentions are less righteous than those publicly stated, and that the president has a hidden agenda, which includes bolstering American economic interests in Cuba in a way that will strip Cuba of its autonomy. In basic terms, he fears that these changes will usher in a new era of US imperialism in Cuba.

Furthermore, there is a general fear among young Cubans about the effect reopening diplomatic relations and lifting the embargo will have on the “wet foot, dry foot” immigration policy. Currently, the US immigration policy towards Cuba states that once any Cuban immigrant sets foot on American soil, they are permitted to remain in the United States, qualify for expedited legal permanent residency after a period of a year, and, later, qualify for US citizenship. Fundamentally, it makes the process of immigration and becoming a US citizen a lot easier for Cubans than those trying to emigrate from most other countries. However, this policy is a direct result of the bad blood between Cuba and the United States; it’s a way for the United States to aggravate the Cuban government by enticing Cuban citizens to leave their country. So, for those interested in leaving Cuba, a group of the population largely made up of young Cubans seeking financial success and stability, the improving relations between Cuba and the United States likely signifies an end to their special privileges at the US immigration window.

Before arriving in Cuba in August, I was under the impression that most Cubans were excited about the recent political developments between our two countries. However, those misguided assumptions have since been proven wrong, as time and time again, it has been expressed to me how distrustful many Cubans are of the US government’s intentions and how skeptical they are that they’ll be able to come out the other side with their state’s autonomy intact. In reality, there are just as many concerns as there are celebrations about improving US-Cuba relations. Consequently, the United States should be aware of the profound effects that its actions towards Cuba will have and that every move towards normalizing relations will be thoroughly scrutinized by a people who feel as though they have a lot to both gain and lose.