A half-century of animosity and mistrust is not going to be replaced by sweetness and light in the near future, and both sides acknowledge that there is years of rebuilding and reshaping ahead, but the outcomes are a win-win for both countries and the Caribbean region as a whole. Recent years have seen a quiet improvement in relations, with fewer provocations by either side and Americans are going to be able to smoke the much-sought-after Cuban cigars legally rather than otherwise. But it is more than the cheap ‘cigar’ headline. It is about trade, a mutual interest in combating the international drugs trade and promoting tourism — Americans want to see time-warped Cuba and its 1950s cars and taxis before they, too, disappear into the pages of history. For President Obama, there will be quiet satisfaction at a success abroad unlike that he has achieved at home, where America is as polarised as it ever was. Cuba has finally come in out of the cold.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 23rd, 2015.
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