MEXICO CITY, June 15 -- Progress in U.S.-Cuba ties is likely to suffer a setback under U.S. President Donald Trump, according to Mario Torrico, a research professor at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (Flacso) in Mexico City.
According to media reports, Trump is set to announce in Miami on Friday a rollback to the thaw between Washington and Havana, a promise he made during his election campaign last year.
"It appears the new U.S. president will arrive with a different Cuba policy that is opposed to that of his predecessor Barack Obama, as we have seen in (the areas of) environment and immigration," Torrico told Xinhua in an interview.
While Trump made his position against restoring ties with Cuba clear during the campaign period, saying the island's government must first meet human rights standards set by Washington, his presidency has so far centered mostly on issues of national interest.
"He has focused more on domestic policy and other aspects, such as how to impose restrictions on Middle East travel -- for which he has had to confront his country's judicial branch -- environmental policy and ties with NATO," said Torrico.
"Cuba is an important political topic at the regional level, but it carries little economic weight compared to other issues of interest to Trump," added Torrico, who also coordinates the master's program in public policy at Flacso.
Trump is set to announce the new policy towards Cuba from Miami, Florida, home to the large community of Cuban exiles who fled their country after the 1959 revolution.
Choosing Miami signals that he plans to take a harder stance on Cuba, though how far he will roll back the reforms pursued by Obama remains to be seen.
Under Obama, the two countries restored diplomatic ties and direct communications, including air connections and postal service. Obama also relaxed restrictions on travel to Cuba, though the five-decade trade embargo remains in place.
When asked how much of a setback the new policy could represent, "not much," says Torrico, adding that because little real progress was made in bilateral ties, especially since Cuba's main demand -- that the embargo be lifted -- was largely ignored.
Improvements in ties, in fact, "have been very slow and even disappointing, so to speak," said Torrico.
Restoring ties led to spectacular photo opportunities, such as the reopening of the respective embassies in Havana and Washington, but to few concrete advances.
"At the very least, we were expecting to see the start of investment in Cuba, as well as greater political opening of the Cuban government and the diversification of the island's economy," said Torrico.
However, the biggest change has been in the flow of U.S. tourists to the island, so in terms of meeting expectations, the restoration of ties fell short, added Torrico.
Ties under Trump are bound to slide back, he noted.
"They will not be able to negotiate anything, because while one side -- the U.S. -- is interested in seeing progress in greater political opening towards democratization, the other side -- Cuba -- wants non-intervention and the reduction of economic restrictions ... to lift the embargo," said Torrico, adding "I think neither side is willing to accept these conditions."
"Rather, I think that for the sake of their domestic policies and interests, both sides are going to do nothing and roll back what has been done," said Torrico.
雅思写作话题思路:国家之间的友谊
雅思写作思路指导:各地食品的流通
雅思写作辅导:段落间的连贯手段
思路狭隘是影响雅思写作得分的主因
雅思写作思路指导:动物的生存权利
雅思写作话题思路:国际交流新语言
雅思图表作文写作思路:从变量入手
提高雅思写作水平的方法指导
雅思写作经典范文:图表作文(闲暇时光)
雅思写作的经典作文结构
雅思写作必备经典句型集锦
雅思写作论据集锦
雅思写作考前冲刺的四个步骤
雅思写作8分范文:图表写作(澳洲贫困人口比例)
雅思写作8分范文:图表写作范文
雅思写作词汇辨析:颜色
雅思写作:图表作文比较段与结论段指导
雅思写作话题提纲:学习能力
雅思写作经典范文:图表范文(消费额度差异)
雅思写作话题思路:如何减少犯罪
雅思写作语法精讲:倒装
G类雅思小作文范文:感谢信
雅思写作教育类话题必备表达
雅思写作话题思路:帮助穷国
雅思写作话题提纲:科技的利弊
雅思写作十大高分句型整理
雅思写作素材:电脑游戏对老年人有利
浅析雅思高分作文的写作思路
雅思写作话题思路:新措施防治犯罪
雅思写作8分范文:图表作文范文(2)
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |