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UP FRONTWednesday 23 March 2016
President Barack Obama waves to members of the audience after speaking at El Gran Teatro de Havana, Tuesday, March 22, 2016, in Havana, Cuba.
Associated Press
Cold War ate at one of the city’s most showing “extraordinary their country’s relationship ity to earn a living without
popular privately owned courage.” The group in- with the United States. But relying on a centrally con-
Continued from front restaurants and joined a cluded journalist Miriam they’ve learned of it almost trolled economy.
big crowd for Tuesday’s Celaya, attorney Laritza Di- entirely through state-run The president appeared
While deep differences baseball game. versent and activists Manu- media who have focused to deliberately use neutral
The fans roared el Cuesta and Jose Daniel on two primary themes — terms to describe the Cu-
persist, officials from both as Obama and his family Ferrer. the embargo’s continued ban state: “a one-party sys-
entered the stadium, which The White House said the responsibility for Cuban tem” and “a socialist eco-
countries are in regular underwent an extensive up- meeting was a prerequi- economic problems and nomic model” that “has
grade for the game. Castro site for Obama in coming the importance of Cuba emphasized the role and
contact, major U.S. compa- joined the Obama family to Cuba. Yet the gathering changing at its own pace, rights of the state.”
and sat alongside the pres- did little to appease those not one imposed by Wash- Obama’s last day in Cuba
nies are lining up to invest ident behind home plate who say he hasn’t gotten ington. was shadowed by the
— one of several moments enough human rights con- Obama’s speech was the horrific attacks in Brussels,
in Cuba, and travel restric- from the U.S. president’s cessions from the Castro first opportunity for Cubans where scores of people
trip that would have been government to justify the to hear his vision of warm- were killed in explosions at
tions that largely blocked barely imaginable just American economic in- ing U.S.-Cuban relations as the airport and a metro sta-
months ago. vestment expected to pour closely linked to Cuba’s in- tion. The president opened
Americans from visiting Obama also met Tuesday into the island. ternal evolution. his remarks by vowing to do
with about a dozen dis- Cubans have been riveted It’s a vision of free speech, “whatever is necessary” to
have been loosened. sidents, praising them for by 15 months of changes in free assembly and the abil- support Belgium.q
After arriving Sun-
day, Obama plunged into
a whirlwind schedule that
blended official talks with
Castro and opportunities to
soak in Cuba’s culture.
He toured historic sites in
Old Havana in a rainstorm,
