The President's meeting with Fidel Castro seems to have accepted with cautious optimism. As my friend A. said, 'it's time' that we mend ties with Cubans. There go the headlines from the news articles,"turn the page' and 'historic meeting'. The highly anticipated US-Cuba talk ended and the photos are flooding in the media worldwide. The severe expressions of the President tell us there still will be uphill battles for mutual understanding, or (truly) democratic Cuba.
At the press conference, the President said there are significant difference between the nations. What did they talk about? Human rights issues in Cuba, or Guantanamo? The impoverished Cuba's economic development, or rather business opportunities? Press freedom or democracy?
The President only gave us hints in the press conference about the answer. Only the Congress can lift the economic sanctions, he said. The leaders reportedly talked about setting the US embassy in Cuba. Will Cuba be removed from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism?
Now it is more clear than ever whether the Congress or the Presidential candidates will respond to the voices on the ground how we move forward toward 21st century.