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| Obama addresses the Cuban nation in historic Havana visit | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| HAVANA — President Obama addressed the Cuban people directly for the first time Tuesday morning, delivering a speech televised live on state television. | |
| The address in Havana’s newly renovated Gran Teatro, before an audience of invited guests of the U.S. and Cuban governments, is the keystone event in Obama’s 2 1/2-day visit to the island. His top advisers said it represented his best chance to outline his vision of the future to ordinary citizens here, and to Cuban Americans at home. | |
| White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters Monday the speech was “important because it’s the one chance to step back and to speak to the Cuban people, and all of the Cuban people,” including “Cubans in the United States.” | White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters Monday the speech was “important because it’s the one chance to step back and to speak to the Cuban people, and all of the Cuban people,” including “Cubans in the United States.” |
| One of Obama’s overarching goals in fostering a diplomatic thaw with America’s longtime adversary, Rhodes said, was “reconciliation of the Cuban American community to Cubans here on the island.” | One of Obama’s overarching goals in fostering a diplomatic thaw with America’s longtime adversary, Rhodes said, was “reconciliation of the Cuban American community to Cubans here on the island.” |
| Still, even the speech’s setting spoke to the ongoing challenge the United States faces when it comes to engaging in a public dialogue in Cuba. American officials had originally hoped to do the address in an open-air location, which would have allowed more ordinary citizens to attend. | Still, even the speech’s setting spoke to the ongoing challenge the United States faces when it comes to engaging in a public dialogue in Cuba. American officials had originally hoped to do the address in an open-air location, which would have allowed more ordinary citizens to attend. |
| Cubans have been lining the streets throughout the visit, hoping for a glimpse of the U.S. president. Instead, the theater accommodates roughly 1,000 people, evenly divided by Havana and Washington. | Cubans have been lining the streets throughout the visit, hoping for a glimpse of the U.S. president. Instead, the theater accommodates roughly 1,000 people, evenly divided by Havana and Washington. |
| While the president seeks to highlight how his approach to Latin America has paid dividends, a series of blasts at Brussels’s airport and a metro station Tuesday served as a powerful reminder that terrorism overseas continues to threaten global stability. The apparently coordinated strikes have killed more than 30 people. | |
| [Terrorist strikes in Belgium kill more than 30 people] | |
| Obama was briefed in Havana on Tuesday morning about the attacks, and he is expected to make reference to Brussels in his speech here. He will then go ahead with his planned schedule, which includes a meeting with about a dozen of Cuba’s most prominent dissidents at the U.S. Embassy, followed by attendance at a Major League Baseball exhibition game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban national team. | |
| The baseball game is another effort on the part of Obama to connect with Cubans by emphasizing their shared cultural values. | The baseball game is another effort on the part of Obama to connect with Cubans by emphasizing their shared cultural values. |
| Speaking to reporters Monday during a news conference with Cuban President Raúl Castro, Obama said his Cuba policy “ultimately” comes down to the idea that “I have faith in people. I think if you meet Cubans here and Cubans meet Americans and they’re meeting and talking and interacting and doing business together and going to school together and learning from each other, then they’ll recognize people are people.” | |
| While the baseball game is primarily aimed at fostering goodwill between the two countries, there is also an economic element to it, since MLB and Cuban government officials are in the midst of negotiating how to allow Cuban players to play in the major leagues without defecting to the United States. | |
| But the president’s decision to meet with political dissidents highlights the more uncomfortable element of this trip: The administration is encouraging new investment and closer ties with Cuba at a time when its government continues to detain and harass its critics. | But the president’s decision to meet with political dissidents highlights the more uncomfortable element of this trip: The administration is encouraging new investment and closer ties with Cuba at a time when its government continues to detain and harass its critics. |
| [Castro, Obama spar over human rights at rare public press conference] | [Castro, Obama spar over human rights at rare public press conference] |
| Obama “wants to hear directly from participants about what their experiences are . . . what their life is like and what they seek for the future,” Rhodes said later about the invited dissidents. The group, depending on who attends, is divided between those who support normalization and some who do not. José Daniel Ferrer, head of UNPACU, Cuba’s largest opposition organization, believes that normalization creates more opening for their activities. Berta Soler, who leads the Ladies in White, has described it as a gift to the Cuban government with nothing in return. | |
| Asked whether U.S. officials had anticipated that the government here would drag peaceful protesters from the Ladies in White organization off the streets Sunday, on the very day of Obama’s arrival, Rhodes answered, “Unfortunately, yes, because the sad truth is that this has been a pattern for a long time now.” The women, and some of their supporters, were detained for about eight hours and then released, a repeated pattern during their regular Sunday morning marches. | Asked whether U.S. officials had anticipated that the government here would drag peaceful protesters from the Ladies in White organization off the streets Sunday, on the very day of Obama’s arrival, Rhodes answered, “Unfortunately, yes, because the sad truth is that this has been a pattern for a long time now.” The women, and some of their supporters, were detained for about eight hours and then released, a repeated pattern during their regular Sunday morning marches. |
| “We certainly would like to see that cycle broken,” he added, noting the two governments now have an ongoing dialogue on the issue. | “We certainly would like to see that cycle broken,” he added, noting the two governments now have an ongoing dialogue on the issue. |
| In a sharp exchange with reporters Monday, Castro denied that the country has any long-term political prisoners, challenging reporters to “give me a name.” | In a sharp exchange with reporters Monday, Castro denied that the country has any long-term political prisoners, challenging reporters to “give me a name.” |
| “There’s rarely an engagement in which we’re not raising either lists or individual cases” of prisoners, Rhodes said later. “This will certainly be the case going forward,” he added, noting that Cuba “rejects the notion that those persons are political prisoners,” and considers them common criminals who violated Cuban law. | “There’s rarely an engagement in which we’re not raising either lists or individual cases” of prisoners, Rhodes said later. “This will certainly be the case going forward,” he added, noting that Cuba “rejects the notion that those persons are political prisoners,” and considers them common criminals who violated Cuban law. |
| According to human rights activists, Cuba is holding several dozen long-term prisoners. | According to human rights activists, Cuba is holding several dozen long-term prisoners. |
| Carlos Gutierrez, who served as commerce secretary under George W. Bush, told reporters that most Cubans are focused on obtaining the kind of economic freedoms Americans enjoy. | Carlos Gutierrez, who served as commerce secretary under George W. Bush, told reporters that most Cubans are focused on obtaining the kind of economic freedoms Americans enjoy. |
| “The right to make a living is one of our most precious rights in the United States,” said Gutierrez, who heads a Cuba business outreach program within the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which brought a large group of American business leaders here to accompany Obama and meet with Cuban private sector entrepreneurs. “And that’s what’s happening in Cuba.” | “The right to make a living is one of our most precious rights in the United States,” said Gutierrez, who heads a Cuba business outreach program within the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which brought a large group of American business leaders here to accompany Obama and meet with Cuban private sector entrepreneurs. “And that’s what’s happening in Cuba.” |
| Obama, who arrived here late Sunday, began his first full day in Cuba Monday with a wreath-laying at a statue of 18th century Cuban independence hero Jose Marti. After a lengthy private meeting with Castro and the press conference, he spoke at a business forum and was hosted by Castro at a state dinner. | Obama, who arrived here late Sunday, began his first full day in Cuba Monday with a wreath-laying at a statue of 18th century Cuban independence hero Jose Marti. After a lengthy private meeting with Castro and the press conference, he spoke at a business forum and was hosted by Castro at a state dinner. |