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Obama becomes the first President to set foot in Cuba for NINE DECADES: He makes history meeting with Castro 
LONG-TIME HAVANA ICON, HOTEL INGLATERRA, WILL JOIN THE LUXURY COLLECTION.
American hotel chain, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has signed three new hotel deals in Cuba, becoming the first US-based hospitality company to enter the market in nearly 60 years.
The announcement follows receipt of authorization from the US Treasury Department for Starwood to operate hotels in Cuba. Long-time Havana icon, Hotel Inglaterra, will join The Luxury Collection and Hotel Quinta Avenida will become a Four Points by Sheraton. Both hotels will undergo renovations before raising their new brand flags later in 2016. The company also announced that it has signed a Letter of Intent to convert the famed Hotel Santa Isabel into a member of The Luxury Collection.
“With Cuba’s rich history, natural beauty and strong culture, there is no question the entire US hospitality industry has watched Cuba with great interest, and we are thrilled to lead the charge and bring our sophisticated, high-end brands into the market at this inflection point,” said Thomas Mangas, Starwood’s Chief Executive Officer.
Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel Kenneth Siegel said the company is confident it is the right partner to help write the next chapter of relations between Cuba and American business.
“We moved quickly and enthusiastically to pursue opportunities following recent government actions. As we’ve seen throughout the world, our entry into new markets has a positive effect on local communities, preserving and protecting the culture and delicate ecosystems while improving employment opportunities, which were driving forces in our discussions,” he said.
Starwood has partnered with owner Gran Caribe to rebrand the renowned Hotel Inglaterra as a member of The Luxury Collection. A national landmark just steps from the Gran Teatro de La Habana in the heart of downtown Havana, the Inglaterra first opened its doors in 1875 and is home to the famed Gran Café el Louvre, which has hosted artists and travelers for over a century. Upon completion of the preservation and conversion projects later this year, the hotel will offer 83 rooms and reopen under The Luxury Collection banner.
Starwood has also signed an agreement with Grupo de Turismo Gaviota S.A., owner of Hotel Quinta Avenida in Havana’s Miramar district, to rebrand the hotel as Four Points by Sheraton Havana later this year. The hotel will cater to business travelers with approximately 186 rooms and state-of-the-art meeting facilities.
The company also has signed a letter of intent with Habaguanex, owner of the famed Hotel Santa Isabel, to convert the nineteenth century colonial-style palace to a member of The Luxury Collection, pending US Treasury Department approval. Situated on the Plaza de Armas and overlooking Havana Harbor, the Santa Isabel will offer Starwood guests a conveniently situated respite in the heart of Havana’s historic city center, with 27 rooms, including 11 suites.
On December 17, 2014, President Barack Obama announced plans to normalize diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba, and in August 2015, the US Embassy in Cuba was reestablished. That was followed last month by the two countries signing an agreement that provides US airlines the opportunity to operate up to 110 daily roundtrip flights, which would resume commercial airline service between the two countries for the first time in more than 50 years and promises to vastly increase the number of Americans traveling to Cuba.
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Obama's Supreme Court justice nominee Merrick Garland, 63, wells up over the 'greatest honor of his life' but Republicans line up to immediately block him from ever getting on the bench
President Obama held talks and a news confernce with Cuba's communist dictator, Raul Castro, this afternoon
President Barack Obama intended to showcase the progress Cuba has made since the countries renewed their relationship 18 months ago with his visit this week to the island nation.
Instead, he found himself on the receiving side of a lecture from Cuban dictator Raul Castro on human rights.
Castro argued that the United States has been hypocritical in its approach to Cuba, as it does not guarantee healthcare and higher education for all of its citizens nor does not provide women with 'equal pay’ as his country does and pensions.
And he refused to admit that his regime had imprisoned anyone for speaking out against the government, growing furious as he was questioned by a reporter from CNN about his administration’s record of abuses against its own people.
Obama said he and Castro had a ‘frank’ discussion about those issues, and he reiterated America’s belief that freedom of speech, assembly and religion are ‘universal’ human rights.
But he also took ownership of areas where America is 'falling short' - saying he does not 'disagree' - and thanked Castro for his observations 'because I think that we should not be immune or afraid of criticism or discussion, as well.'
President Barack Obama intended to showcase the progress Cuba has made since the countries renewed their relationship 18 months ago with his visit this week to the island nation. Instead, he found himself on the receiving side of a lecture from Cuban dictator Raul Castro on human rights. Castro also refused to admit that his regime had imprisoned anyone for speaking out against the government
AWKWARD: After the news conference ended, Castro tried to grab Obama's arm, but the United States president was taken aback
GRIN AND BEAR IT: Obama slapped on a smile as Castro grabbed his arm and put it up the air in a show of unity between the nations
EXCUSE ME: As Obama responded to a question from an American journalist ahead of Castro, the head of state held a side conversation with adviser, speaking over the fellow president. Obama finally turned to him and said, 'Excuse me'
Revolution: Obama honored Cuban independence figure Jose Marti this morning in a square with massive artwork of Che Guevara, the Marxist South American revolutionary who took part in the 1961 overthrow of the existing government which brought Fidel Castro to power
‘The relationship between our governments will not be transformed overnight,’ Obama declared in his opening remarks, pointing to disagreements on democracy and human rights. ‘But the United States recognizes the progress that Cuba has made a nation.’
As Obama responded to CNN reporter Jim Acosta's questions ahead of Castro, the head of state held a side conversation with adviser, speaking over the fellow president as Obama talked about what he sees as an ‘impediment’ to additional cooperation between the U.S. and Cuba - the foreign power's human rights violations.
‘Excuse me,’ Obama finally said, turning to his host, causing a bemused and befuddled corps present at the news conference to break out into laughter.
Castro explained that he was seeking clarification on the questions, and whether they were directed at him or Obama. Specifically, he said he was unsure whether the portion about political prisoners was for him, as well as a request to choose between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, the two leading candidates in the United States’ presidential race.
He slyly wriggled of the inquiry about American politics, telling Acosta, ‘Well, I cannot vote in the United States.’
Not before he lambasted the American journalist for what he perceived as an impertinent question about his administration’s jailing of its political opponents, however.
‘Give me a list, just give me a list. Give me a name or names,’ he said, according to an interpretation offered to reporters present. ‘If we have as list, they will be released before tonight ends.’
The authoritarian government's crackdowns on free speech are frequent and well-documented.
Amid the fanfare of Obama's arrival, as many as 50 protesters demonstrating against the government over its use of force and intimidation were arrested in Havana, including the leader of women's democracy group, Ladies in White.
The Cuban Observatory on Human Rights last month said the number of dissident arrests had went up - not down - since the U.S. and Cuba announced on Dec. 17, 2014 that they would resume high-level diplomatic relations.
In January alone, 1,474 people were 'arbitrarily' detained, the non-governmental organization told Bloomberg Politics.
'We are moving forward and not looking backwards,' Obama told Acosta as he took his turn at the microphone, and part of the purpose of his visit was to prove 'we don't view Cuba as a threat to the United States.'
Obama said his historic visit - the first from a U.S. president in nearly 90 years - marked a 'new chapter' the the countries' relations.
'But as is true with other countries,' he said. 'We will continue to stand up for basic principles that we believe in.'
The communist country has made ‘enormous achievements’ in healthcare and education, Obama acknowledged.
'President Castro, I think, has pointed out that in his view making sure that everybody getting a decent education or healthcare' is a part of basic security and human rights. 'I personally would not disagree with that, but it doesn't detract from some of these other concerns,' said Obama, an architect of a law in the United States expanding access to health insurance.
History: The moment Raul Castro and President Obama shook hands in Havana this morning, symbolizing a new start to relations
Smile: Raul Castro and President Obama meet at the Palace of the Revolution at the start of two hours of talks
Reception: Raul Castro escorted the president through the Palace of the Revolution, the symbolic seat of executive power
Cordial: The Cuban leader and the U.S. president spoke through translators. Castro and the president were holding two hours of talks
Moment of history: The Cuban military band played the Star Spangled Banner as both leaders stood to attention
Down to business: President Obama and the Cuban leader, president Raul Castro, at the beginning of formal talks
Diet of talks: The only dialog overheard between President Obama and the Cuban leader were about his visit. 'We had a great tour yesterday,' Obama told Castro. 'Enjoyed it. And we had a great dinner.'
Obama made history today as he met with Castro in Havana and continued to lay the building blocks for a partnership between their two nations today, meeting for several hours at the Palace of the Revolution in Havana.
The two leaders shook hands as they participated in formal welcome ceremony for Obama before engaging in more than two hours of talks.
'We had a great tour yesterday,' Obama told Castro as they spoke for the first time since the first family arrived in Havana. 'Enjoyed it.'
Obama added, 'And we had a great dinner.'
They spoke to press this afternoon before parting ways for several hours so Obama can participate in a discussion with Cuban and American entrepreneurs, including celebrity chef Jose Andres.
Castro and Obama will see each other again at a state dinner tonight that first lady Michelle Obama will also attend at the Palace of the Revolution, also the site of their morning greeting and subsequent bilateral meeting.
Monday morning Obama also paid his respects to Cuban hero Jose Marti, a major figure in the country's revolt against Spain in the 19th century. After he lay a wreath at Marti's memorial, a 358 foot tower, in Havana's Plaza de la Revolución, a pack of press chased him down as he entered the memorial's museum to sign his name to the guest book.
'Change is going to happen here,' Obama said last night as he began a new chapter in U.S. and Cuban relations with his visit to the island nation.
The two leaders shook hands as they participated in formal welcome ceremony of Obama before engaging in more than two hours of talks about their country's recently re-established diplomatic relationship.
Inspection: President Obama was greeted by an honor guard from the Cuban military before the start of formal talks
New beginning: The state visit is intended to map new relations between Washington and Havana but is controversial, with questions over what President Obama has actually secured from the Communist dictatorship
About turn: The two presidents - one elected, the other the brother of the leader of the Communist revolutionaries of 1961 - changed direction after the inspection of the honor guard
Change: Obama used an interview this morning to say that his visit was a sign that 'change is coming'
All smiles: Unelected Communist Raul Castro and Obama after the formal welcoming ceremony in the Palace of the Revolution
Public positions: Presidents Obama and Castro held a press conference in the Palace of the Revolution after their talks
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The Obama's tour of Old Havana was nearly a washout on Sunday evening as a deluge of rain came down minutes after they landed in Cuba for an historic three-day visit to the communist country.
The first family pressed on, despite the stormy skies, strolling through the Plaza des Armas as they huddled under umbrellas and made their way to the Museo de la Ciudad, the museum of Cuba's capital city, and on to Havana Cathedral.
President Obama's family - particularly his daughter Sasha - looked less than pleased as they perched underneath their blue and black umbrellas.
As the Obamas taxied towards their motorcade, the president wrote on Twitter: '¿Que bolá Cuba? (What's up Cuba?). Just touched down here, looking forward to meeting and hearing directly from the Cuban people.'
Cuban dictator Raul Castro did not greet them on the tarmac, leaving the country's foreign minister to conduct the greetings and handshakes instead. Castro has a meeting with the U.S. president this morning, but Obama will not come face-to-face with former leader, Fidel Castro.
As he arrived in the country, Obama admitted that Cuba had work to do to correct its poor human rights record, but said: 'Change is going to happen.'
President Barack Obama waved to hundreds of Cubans gathered in Old Havana as he was taken on a tour amid heavy rain
Obama's huge security detail surrounded the president and his family as they walked through Old Havana during the historic visit
Rain on their parade: The Obamas looked less than impressed by the rain as it came down hard on them while they toured Old Havana after landing in Cuba on Sunday evening
The president's spokesman on Friday said Obama will not shy away from using his 'bully pulpit' on the trip to address human rights violations in the communist country that the United States was estranged from for more than 50 years.
'For more than 50 years, we tried a strategy of saying, well, why don't we just try to ignore the Cubans and see if they change their mind on their own. Not surprisingly, that strategy didn't really work very well, so we're trying a new approach,' White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters on Friday.
Earnest said: 'The President of the United States is going to get on Air Force One, he's going to fly to Havana, Cuba, and he is going to sit down with the leader of Cuba and say, you need to do a better job of protecting the human rights of your people.
'He's going to give a speech to the Cuban population, to the Cuban people, one that will be carried on TV, according to the Cuban government, where the President will advocate for better respect for human rights.
And while he's in town the president will 'visit with people who have previously been victimized by the government, and encourage them to continue to fight for the kinds of universal human rights that we deeply cherish in this country'.
'That is effective advocacy for American values,' Earnest added. 'That is effective advocacy for the kinds of principles that we cherish in this country and in our government. And it is, by the way, an approach that is strongly supported by the vast majority of the Cuban people.'
The first day of the trip saw the entire first family, including Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, take a tour of Old Havana.
As part of their 'cultural outreach' they stopped by Havana Cathedral to see Cardinal Jaime Ortega. The Cuban cardinal played a crucial role in the thawing of relations between the United States and his home country.
The first family's visit to his church was to 'mark the important role of the Catholic Church in the lives of the Cuban people', the White House said this week on a planning call, 'and in the increasing relations' between the two countries.
On Monday morning, the president will honor Cuban revolutionary José Marti, a hero in the Cuban revolt against Spain, by laying a wreath at his memorial, a 358ft tower, in Havana's Plaza de la Revolución, before his meeting with Raul Castro.
The president will be 'very candid about areas of disagreement' at their meeting, Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said, 'including the human rights practices that have concerned us in Cuba and our support for universal values in Cuba'.
Both presidents are expected to deliver statements after the meeting and the White House indicated on Friday that Obama would likely take questions from the press, although a formal news conference has not been scheduled.
Obama will not meet with ex-Cuban dictator Fidel Castro while he is in town. The 1950s era Cuban revolutionary turned over power to his brother in 2006 temporarily for health reasons and made the transition permanent in 2008.
The 88-year-old has rarely been seen in public since handing over power, prompting rumors that he is in failing health. His last observed outing was in February.
'Neither we nor the Cubans have pursued such a meeting,' Rhodes said Wednesday.
Mrs Obama will meanwhile on Monday meet with female Cuban students, some of whom have studied in the U.S., as part of her Let Girls Learn initiative, the White House said.
The president and first lady will also participate in a State dinner hosted by the Cuban government at the Palace of the Revolution on Monday.
The following morning President Obama will give a speech, in which he will 'review the complicated history' between the countries, the White House says, 'but also to look forward to the future, and to lay out his vision for how the United States and Cuban can work together, to how the Cuban people can continue to pursue a better life.'
Afterward he will meet with political dissidents before attending an exhibition game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Cuban National Team.
'Americans and Cubans share a love of baseball, and this is yet another powerful reminder of the kinship between our peoples, as well as the progress we can achieve when we leverage those natural ties,' the White House's chief spokesman, Earnest, said Friday.
Obama tweeted 'What's up Cuba?' as he touched down, becoming the first sitting President in 90 years to visit Cuba
The weather is said to have taken a turn for the worse just moments before the President landed
Obama points to the crowd as he heads to his limousine in the rain. He prepared to meet with U.S. embassy staff and go on a tour of Old Havana after getting off the plane
Obama waves after his arrival on Jose Marti Airport in Havana before being driven into the city for a tour of its Old Town district
Cuban and American flags were flown from the president's car as it left the airport in the direction of Havana's Old Town, where he will be given a tour this evening
Responding to criticisms of Obama's trip on Friday, his spokesman said: 'I would acknowledge that there are places where we haven't seen nearly as much improvement as we would like, but there have been some places where we have started to see improvement in Cuba, and we certainly are going to go and press on those changes.'
And he said of Obama's meeting with the dissidents, 'I think the symbolism of the president sitting down with them in their home country and showing support for their cause will be a really powerful thing I think both in real terms but symbolically as well.'
Obama is the only U.S. president aside from Calvin Coolidge to visit Cuba while in office. He and Castro had a formal meeting last April at the Summit of the Americas Conference but that was in Panama.
The visit to Cuba by Obama follows an agreement between the countries more than a year ago to begin normalizing relations, and 'it signals a new beginning' between the two countries, acting U.S. Ambassador to Cuba Jeffrey DeLaurentis told reporters Wednesday.
The Cuban government says that cannot happen until a U.S. embargo banning trade and tourism is lifted on the country and the foreign government returns Guantanamo Bay. U.S. officials have steadfastly said it cannot have the land occupied by naval base and prison back.
A member of the Ladies in White Human Rights organization is arrested during a march in Havana. Dissidents called on the eve of the visit for US President Barack Obama to promote 'radical change,' notably a 'stop to repression and use of physical violence against all political and human rights activists'
Member of the Ladies in White Human Rights organization demonstrate ahead of the President's visit
Cuban children listen to a group of Afro-Cuban musicians performing in an alleyway in downtown Havana, before the arrival of President Barack Obama. In his historic visit to Cuba, Obama is relegating decades of American acrimony with the communist country further into the past and cementing a new relationship between the Cold War-era foes
Several hundred people protest against US President Barack Obama's visit to Cuba in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, Florida
Members of the Ladies in White Human Rights organization are arrested during the heated March
Accompanying Obama on the trip are Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and Small Business Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet.
A delegations of more than 30 lawmakers - mostly Democrats but some Republicans - will join them. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will be on the trip, a Democratic aide confirmed. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid will not.
House Republicans making the 90-mile trip south of the U.S. are Minnesota's Tom Emmer, South Carolina's Mark Sanford and Wisconsin's Reid Ribble.
Speaker Paul Ryan chided Obama this week for making the trip in spite of the Castro regime's egregious record of human rights abuses.
'To this day, it is a regime that provides safe harbor to terrorists and fugitives. Unfortunately, it is doubtful that the president will bring up the need for reform during his visit,' Ryan charged.
Rather, he will announce 'new commercial deals between U.S. companies and the Cuban regime—deals that will legitimize and strengthen the communist government,' the leading Republican congressman said.
Ryan reiterated Republican opposition to lifting the 1959 trade embargo on Cuba, and said 'despite the president's attempts to undermine' it with his executive actions, 'he is ultimately bound by it. It is the law of the land.'
Obama is the only U.S. president aside from Calvin Coolidge to visit Cuba while in office. Coolidge is seen here in January of 1928 making his way through Havana in a town car
Obama responds to girl who cried when she found out he wouldn't always be president {VIDEO}
U.S. President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland to replace conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia today.
Obama made the announcement just after 11am in the White House Rose Garden.
Garland's decency, modesty and integrity have 'earned him the respect and admiration of leaders from both sides of the aisle, Obama said today, and called him a 'thoughtful, air-minded judge who follows the law.
Garland is the chief judge of the appeals courts in Washington, D.C., the same panel that the high court's chief justice, John Roberts, sat on.
The 63-year-old said the appointment was the 'greatest honor of my life' and also the 'greatest gift' aside from his marriage and the birth of his daughters.
The chances of Garland making it past the Senate are slim to none, however, with Republicans making an election-year promise to block anyone the outgoing president selects.
Obama urged senators 'to play it straight' and give Garland the consideration he is afforded by the Constitution.
'I hope they are fair. That is all,' Obama said today. 'He deserves our thanks, he deserves a fair hearing.'
Scroll down for video
U.S. President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland to replace conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia today. Garland is seen here on his right. Vice President Joe Biden is on his left
The White House tweeted this morning that Obama was ready to announce his decision at 11am. There's a vacancy on the nine-member court due to the death of Scalia
US Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia conducts a naturalization ceremony for sixteen new US citizens in November 2013 at Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, pictured above. He died on February 13 this year
There's a vacancy on the nine-member court due to the death of Scalia.
Without Scalia, the nine-member Supreme Court is evenly split with four liberals and four conservative justices. An Obama appointment could tilt the court to the left for the first time in decades.
A source told CNN that the formal process of scrubbing candidates' records and backgrounds has been completed.
'The groundwork has been methodical and is done,' the source said yesterday.
Obama also told CNN this week that he was seeking a 'consensus candidate' for the high court.
In the running? Chief Judge Merrick Garland is pictured left and U.S. Deputy Solicitor General Sri Srinivasan, is pictured right. Both are thought to be front-runners
Sources confirmed to the The Associated Press that Obama had narrowed the list to three appeals court judges: Merrick Garland, the chief judge of the appeals courts in Washington, D.C.; Sri Srinivasan, a judge on that court; and Paul Watford of the appeals courts based in San Francisco.
All three were reportedly been interviewed by the president.
'I've made my decision: Today, I will announce the person I believe is eminently qualified to sit on the Supreme Court,' Obama wrote in an email this morning distributed by the White House.
As the announcement closed in, Garland was the apparent pick.
As the president introduced Garland today, he praised the 63-year-old judge's handling of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh's case.
And he noted that Garland's name has come in the past from both Republicans and Democrats as an appropriate choice.
Garland, who has earned praise from lawmakers of both parties, is the chief judge of the Washington appeals court, where he has served since being appointed by Democratic President Bill Clinton in 1997, winning confirmation in a 76-23 vote.
Prior to that, he served in the Justice Department during the Clinton administration.
He is Jewish and was born in Obama's home state of Illinois - the 'land of Lincoln,' Obama said today.
With Senate Republicans vowing to turn their backs on anyone he picks to fill the vacancy, Obama may be looking for a nominee who could convince the Republicans to change course.
Garland could fit that bill with moderate record, background as a prosecutor and a history of drawing Republican support.
Garland was under consideration in 2009 for Obama's first appointment but the president chose Sonia Sotomayor, attracted to her rise from a Bronx housing project to the elite corridors of Yale and the federal judiciary.
The Obama administration also regarded Garland as a future compromise choice if another vacancy opened in an election year with the Senate under Republican control, according to Obama advisers at the time and others weighing in on the current nomination.
That is the situation now confronting Obama.
Presidents tend to pick nominees younger than Garland, so they can serve for decades and extend a president's legacy.
But Obama may reason that the choice of an older nominee might also entice Senate Republicans into considering Obama's selection.
Obama already has named two justices to the Supreme Court: Sotomayor, who at 55 became the first Hispanic justice in 2009, and Elena Kagan, who was 50 when she became the fourth woman to ever serve on the court in 2010.
In the running? Chief Judge Merrick Garland is pictured left and U.S. Deputy Solicitor General Sri Srinivasan, is pictured right. Both are thought to be front-runners
Srinivasan, 49, and Garland, 63, serve together on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
That appeals court has served as a springboard to the Supreme Court for several justices including Scalia in recent decades.
Srinivasan was born in India and grew up in Kansas and would be the first Asian-American on the high court. He'd also be one of only two non-Christians or Jews. The other, David, Davis had no known religious affiliation.
Obama appointed him to the appeals court in 2013. The Senate confirmed him in a 97-0 vote.
He could appeal to the president's long-declared interest in bringing more diversity to the bench.
Srinivasan has served in the Justice Department under Democratic and Republican presidents and worked as a clerk to the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court, Sandra Day O'Connor, a Republican appointee.
Watford, who was also thought to be a front-runner for the post, would have been only the third black justice in U.S. history.
The U.S Supreme Court building is seen this morning in Washington, DC
President Barack Obama on Saturday responded to a video of a young girl bursting into tears when she found out Obama wouldn't be president for much longer.
In a Facebook comment on the video posted by the girl's grandmother, Caprina Harris, the president told the young girl, who shares a birthday with Obama, that once he left office, he wasn't going anywhere.
"Caprina, tell her to dry her tears, because I'm not going anywhere. Once I leave the White House, I'll still be a citizen just like her," Obama wrote. "And when she grows up, she can get involved right alongside me. In the meantime, I'll keep an eye out for her letter, and we'll always get to celebrate our birthdays together!"
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Here in the Virgin Islands:
I have recently traveled to Cuba, with ten other members of the St. Croix Hiking Association, on a ten day people to people visa. It is very expensive there, until there is a currency exchange adjustment for the dollar, I do not for see Americans rushing into Cuba, nor do I see a devastating impact on tourism for the other Caribbean destinations.
I sense the now improved relationship with Cuba is the US efforts to stay off CHINA's financial ingress in the Caribbean. Not like how Russia tried militarily, the Chinese are investing hundreds of millions indebt these nations. By improving relationship, creating economic growth, I see Cuba becoming the hub providing the goods and the services that have been mainly imported from CHINA.
We met with a young economist from the university, and he was asked, who was in line after the passing of Raul and Fidel, he said it was an older party hardline economist, whom he felt would keep restraints on the change that the young want to see. The Cuban old guard will not allow themselves to revert back.
I have been asked, how do I see our future, we here have to look at the Territory as if this is our personal home, and before you would invite a guest into your home, you would repair and clean house for your own safety and that of your guest.
Saying this for an example: fix our infrastructure ( roads, power, abandon buildings, parks and recreational facilities, etc. ) investing in local entrepreneurs ( B&B, restaurants, clubs, shops, transportation, etc. ) and train and educate our youth across the board of trades and services, not just to wait for the outside to do it for or before us. Circulate our revenues here, instead always paying the outside.
well she is the first to cry. lost more negros will be crying if a republican vote in office, 8 years was enough to make life better if you did not take advantage of whats out there, you can start crying, the republican party will repeal every policy and restore them like the previous administration, so good luck
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