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He told his family he was going to kill himself if he didn't get out of there soon.

There is a lot of American money to be made in Cuba and I think it's in our financial interest.

He's got a huge Castro-hating base in Florida...but the rest of the country, particularly in the business sectors, takes a look at Cuba and sees dollar signs, not ideology. There's got to be some cognitive dissonance working with him, if he's been made aware of this transaction!

Don't even think that there are that many left now... Seems many of the latest 1st gens, and a good deal of 2nd & 3rd gens, have apparently moved on.

because they have this idea that they can get back the fincas and other holdings that were nationalized when they grabbed their shit and ran.

As far as the Hispanic population of Fl goes, there are a ton of Puerto Ricans and Central Americans there. The Cubans no longer own the road on that score....but there are plenty of wealthy Cubans who donate to the GOP reliably.

with money, would be in their mid-70s now (I know some who live up here in Philly and have been friends with their 50-some year old kids since elementary school). That generation's numbers are rapidly dwindling and their progeny have slowly been moving away from the ideology having being almost thoroughly "Americanized". They still travel down to Florida regularly to meet up with some family and friends (because there are few Cubans here, far outnumbered by Puerto Ricans). Basically, you have a smaller and smaller core group left and the fact that the policy actions in the OP even got this far means that times have changed... And the GOP is also changing - many teabagger types being "anti-immigrant", lumping every Hispanic ethnic group into one big category - "Mexican".

And yup, not only Puerto Ricans and Central Americans there, but now apparently a lot more Haitians and Jamaicans have taken up residence there (where those latter groups have their own issues). Big business wants their tropical gambling mecca back and they will have their way. And with Russia apparently occupied with other... ahem... economic issues, seems this may have been timed to take advantage of a bizarre geopolitical opportunity that just presented itself.

Look for the picture of Jeb Bush in this thread, and then look at the caption to see to whom he was speaking. I'm quite sure those guys lined his campaign coffers quite nicely.

The Brazilians are buying up condos left and right as well, but they often don't live in them--they're investments.

I do agree that there's a bit of convergence here--this deal has been in the works for some time. It almost came to pass two years ago, but something gummed up the works. I think the stars aligned and Cuba agreed to hand over the intel asset along with Gross, AND it's Chanukah so what a gift to the Jewish community that has been advocating fiercely for the guy for years, now, AND it's a stick in a few eyes (VZ and RU, specifically). We'll have to see what transpires down the line!

Interesting story.

Two already went home, IIRC--one because his father died/humanitarian, and not sure about the other--maybe some other "sotto voce" deal, but they said that his sentence was a done deal.

I think it's going to be a new age for relations with Cuba. Could get interesting, indeed!

released -- don't recall the names right off-hand -- were greeted with a hero's welcome upon their return to Havana. Cuban government has issued postage stamps with the likeness of the senior figure (one of the 3 released as part of this exchange).

The embargo never worked. We have relations with every communist country around the world except Cuba and NK. Cuba at least will listen to reason

had been held for three years, but for whatever reason it didn't come to fruition.

I'm quite sure that some sort of chit-chatting has been going on at the lower levels in some fashion, it will be interesting to hear how this deal was brokered at the end of the day.

Kerry has something to pat himself on the back about, here, certainly.

Great Hanukkah gift for the Gross family, too...I guess he was ready to kill himself, his incarceration was wearing on him.

Obama will be speaking at noon, we'll know more then.

I wonder whether Obama will move to normalize relations and have it turn into a 2016 campaign issue.

It would be a potentially interesting political strategy.

It puts him in a tricky spot.


http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article4249229.html



Keynote speaker Jeb Bush chats with guests at the U.S. Cuba Democracy PAC 11th Annual Luncheon at the Biltmore Hotel. C.M. GUERRERO EL NUEVO HERALD

It will now look dinosaur esque to have been anti-Cuba.

They're going to be America's new best friend, the better to keep them from buddying up with Russia and China too.

if Obama moves toward normalization.

I don't think it will catch on nationwide; the "Cuban Lobby" has lots of money but their political clout is gradually being diluted.

I agree, it won't be a big deal nationwide, as you say.
The Tea Party coalition, which is running the Republican party now, is made up of rabid racists.
They hate Hispanics, they don't like immigrants of any color that isn't white, and they do not want to get along with Cuba, even though Fidel Castro is no longer in power.

I think America is sick of War Without End, Amen, be it Cold War, Hot War, or Piddling Lukewarm War.

I think we're ready for some peace, and maybe a little prosperity. We're certainly due for it.

and helping the people and island get out of poverty. The people in Cuba make only $19. a month in wages paid by the Cuban govt. Lets work with that government and get it to change. Now is the time because of the low price on OIL. Many nations are suffering because of low oil prices. The USA should take advantage of that.

They won't, most of them, qualify as MDs here, but they could get intermediate level work without any trouble at all. Don't be surprised if Spanish language skill will be useful at the medico!

Actually, cheap oil HELPS Cuba--they have to buy what Venezuela doesn't give them in barter (in exchange for those doctors) and they don't have much money.

I wonder how Fidel's health is doing these days...?

travelers from cuba will be allowed to import $400 worth of goods including $100 worth of alcohol and cigars

US credit cards will be valid in cuba

....this is going to be a HUGE accomplishment of the Obama Administration.

Basically, he's telling Congress to stuff it, "I'm going to do what's right FINALLY"!

respond.

You can see their heads spinning, i love it

Spy vs. Spy!

He was a Cuban national asset that has been imprisoned for twenty years. He's coming here to stay. Also, a bunch of Cuban political prisoners (who will stay in Cuba) are being released as part of this deal, too. We get Gross, and the Cubans get the last three of the Cuban Five.

Really hope administration goes after this.

This was one of the top progressive changes I felt Obama could make. Bravo!

Given that Cuba gave us back two "good" assets for three who were pretty much "done" anyway suggests that there's more for Cuba in store, more "carrot" in exchange for their helpfulness. How that "carrot" plays out, we'll find out soon enough--Obama will be speaking today on this topic, can't wait to hear the details.

U.S. International Aid Head Rajiv Shah To Step Down

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the nation's global development agency said Wednesday he will step down from his post in February, following an announcement by the U.S. government that it would start talks toward restoring diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Rajiv Shah, the administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development, gave no public reason for leaving the agency he's led since 2000. In a statement released Wednesday morning, he said he had "mixed emotions" but did not elaborate.

Shah's announcement also came hours before U.S. officials confirmed on Wednesday that USAID contractor Alan Gross was freed from a Cuban prison. He was arrested in December 2009 and later sentenced to 15 years after Cuban authorities said he tried to smuggle illegal technology into the country.

USAID, under Shah, drew intense criticism from some U.S. lawmakers and the Cuban government for its Cuba programs. An AP investigation this year revealed the agency — with the help of another Washington-based contractor — created a Twitter-like service, staged a health workshop to recruit activists and infiltrated the island's hip-hop community.

Lawsuits

In November 2012, Gross and his wife, Judith, sued Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI) and USAID for failing to adequately prepare, train and supervise him given the dangerous nature of the program's activities. Reportedly, they are seeking $60 million compensatory damages. In November 2013, it was announced that DAI and Gross and his wife had reached a secret settlement.[55][56]

Gross and his wife filed another lawsuit, reportedly seeking $10 million from Gross' insurer Federal Insurance Company for benefits they say the company has denied.[57][58]

if ya know what I mean.

If we're going to start the "Flies with honey" process, it's probably not a good idea to keep the guy with the big bottle of vinegar around!!!

This "humanitarian" gesture on part of the Cubans is quaint. This was 100% a spy swap pure & simple. Thank you for your service to the nation and congrats on your freedom. However, please remember that all book/movie materials must be pre-approved by the "company" beforehand.

Still anything that helps out the Cuban people and sticks Repukes in the eye at the same time is pure win for us. Let Rubio and the Jurassic moneybag Cuban elite go spin impotently. Your fincas and your friends at the United Fruit Company are gone forever.

It was absolutely a spy swap--the guy you aren't hearing about is the Cuban national that also got extracted with Gross, who had been a prisoner for two decades. We're pretty much owning that he was ours, and Raul is letting him go. After a while, whatever material he had was overtaken by time and events (the buggy whip factory is on Redondo Street, right next to the Army stables, type of thing).

Also, a bunch of political prisoners are being released (to stay in Cuba, though) as part of the deal. Our part of the bargain is the last three remaining members of the Cuban Five.

It's a fair swap. What the future holds, only time will tell.

This was a slick evolution on the part of all concerned. Obama, Raul, Pope, John Kerry--they did a good job of making this happen AND keeping their mouths shut about it.

the Cuban 5, enabling the FBI to catch them. I only wish the U.S. Government had agreed to extradite Luis Posada Carriles as part of the swap. Posada Carriles is a 'terrorist' badly in need of some justice.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Posada_Carriles

As we all know, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter, and that guy is free as a bird, living in Miami, acquitted of all charges.

By IDing the Cuban Five, this guy helped to accelerate the normalization process, albeit unwittingly. We wouldn't have had anything to trade without those three remaining guys that we were holding....so everything happens for a reason, I guess.

never 'acquitted'). Arrest warrants are outstanding against him in Cuba and Venezuela, neither of which currently has an extradition treaty with the U.S.

From my perspective, the Cuban Five were trying to prevent terrorists like Posada Carriles from striking agaiinst Cuba and not acting against the interests of the U.S. proper. But the agreement by the Cuban government to the swap means I shall set aside my opinion and let bygones be bygones (recognizing that the 290 lives aboard that Cubana Airlines flight shall probably never receive justice in any meaningful sense).

Those guys were trying to sneak onto military installations, they weren't all Hearts and Flowers spending all their time trying to keep tabs on Posada any more than our guys were simply "keeping an eye on things." Let's get real--the purpose of operatives is to operate. It's field intelligence work, and it gets messy sometimes. People who do that kind of thing know the risks if they are careerists.

Frankly, for USA to keep Cuba at arms' length for half a century tells me that maybe they've got something pretty unforgivable in their dossier, as well--though I doubt I'll live long enough to know what that is (I can suspect, of course, but not know).

58K Americans died in Vietnam, we got over that in short order, relatively, and nowadays we do a brisk business with them--so, you know, bygones can be made to be bygones if there's will behind the effort. For whatever reason it took longer for bygones to be bygones with Cuba, and one day we may learn why. I don't buy the "Oh, those rich Cubans have a good lobby" excuse. They have deep pockets, but so do a lot of people whose interests don't coincide with theirs--though they made a handy reason, didn't they?

you that field intelligence is messy and risky. I would suggest that attempts to penetrate military installations were done first and foremost with an eye to ascertaining whether there were any imminent threats against the Cuban homeland at the behest of the gusanos in Miami. But also agree with you that people who do the work know the risks. All Americans should ask themselves why the Cuban Five are regarded almost universally as national heroes in Cuba is all I'm saying.

I'm damned glad we had JFK znd RFK at the helm during the Cuban Missile Crisis and not Tricky Dick (and that Khrushchev didn't listen to his hardliners also). Even though I was knee-high to a grasshopper during the CMC, I've gotten to live and see a lot of very interesting history in the years since. Tricky Dick would have followed LeMay and the other psychopaths' advice and we'd all be radioactive cinders now.

slingshot in their iteration of this morality play writ large. There is a large cadre of people that regard Alan Gross as a hero as well, even though he was not a professional--he was more of a useful tool. Trujillo, OTOH, was a genuine double agent and he us provided serious intel--as did Cuban counterparts over here during the same timeframe. He'll get lots of props in certain quarters. See:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-spy-freed-by-cuba-was-longtime-asset/2014/12/17/a3b374c4-8612-11e4-a702-fa31ff4ae98e_story.html

It's the MAIL but there's lots of background on the individual in question:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2878762/American-spy-freed-Cuba-one-important-intelligence-agents-helped-unravel-Cuban-Five-case.html

Of course, Cuba's focus on us is more intense than our focus on them--at least thus far. Yes, they have relations with the rest of the world, but the rest of the world has problems of their own and isn't terribly interested in going to town by helping Cuba overmuch, given this uncertain economy, and it's a nation in our backyard. So, if we do normalize, we will likely do what nations in proximity to one another usually do--and that's trade. As a consequence life is likely to get much better for the average Cuban, and we'll have markets to access and goods to buy as well. One hand washes the other, both wash the face. This isn't going to happen straight away, though, so people shouldn't necessarily be planning their holidays just yet. There will probably be a lot more by way of meetings and discussions, but when we're across the table talking, we're doing better than we would if we were passing messages through third parties. It may take time but it'll get better, little by little.

Frankly, I have a feeling that the process will accelerate if Fidel shuffles off this mortal coil. I think he is an impediment of sorts, even in his emeritus role, and notwithstanding that his brother, in charge today, was no shrinking violet and got his hands quite dirty and wet in his "revolutionary" days. That's just a sense I get, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was an accurate one.

We refused to send a terrorist to be tried in the country of his victims because we were afraid he might be tortured.

in Guantanamo.

He was on our payroll. He'll never be extradited. Ever. Anywhere.

the hell asked you to do anything ever?






Oh wait, yes, a majority of the American population asked you to, twice.


I am proud to call Barack Hussein Obama my president

I second that emotion!!!