While relations between the US and Communist Cuba haven’t been normalized yet, it appears that the personal relationship between Obama and Cuba’s communist dictator Raul Castro is already budding:
THE HILL – President Obama met with Cuban President Raúl Castro on Tuesday, a move meant to symbolize improved ties between the two former Cold War adversaries.
The meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in New York was their second this year.
Obama and Castro appeared jovial as the shook hands in front of reporters. Castro laughed as he looked up at the taller Obama, who did not answer shouted questions from the media.
The meeting comes as the U.S. and Cuba are working through the thorny process of normalizing relations after five decades of deep hostilities.
The Obama administration announced last week it would further ease business and travel restrictions with Cuba, which could boost trade ties with the island nation. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker is traveling to Cuba next week to discuss new rules to conduct financial and business transactions.
But many obstacles stand in the way of fully normalized ties. Obama and Castro have called on Congress to lift the 54-year-old trade embargo on Cuba.
But Republicans and some Democrats want the Cuban embargo to remain in place, arguing that lifting it would reward a government responsible for rampant human-rights abuses against its own citizens.
The Obama administration has also raised concerns with the Cuban government about crackdowns on free speech and arrests and beatings of political opponents.
“I’m confident that our Congress will inevitably lift an embargo that should not be in place anymore,” Obama said Monday in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly. “Change won’t come overnight to Cuba, but I’m confident that openness, not coercion, will support the reforms and better the life the Cuban people deserve.”
Why don’t we just put our stamp of approval on Communism?! Because that’s basically what Obama is doing by legitimizing this Commie dictator in front of the world in the name of normalizing relations.