A New Era in U.S. and Cuba Relations

Dr. Paul Vasquez, lecturer and undergraduate coordinator, shared his thoughts on the historic efforts to normalize relations between the United States and Cuba. Pegasus, the official magazine of UCF, turned to him for his to speak in relation to this topic in the article, “Horizon Cuba.” Dr. Vasquez, who is of Cuban ancestry and teaches American Foreign Policy, stated, “totally open trade and tourism won’t be possible in the immediate future because of laws passed on our side.” This was one of the many challenges faced by the U.S. as it tries to overcome with the difficulties in moving forward to a new normal.

This article then talks about the technical details that stagger into play on whether or not this should be something to consider. Dr. Vasquez argues that that the normalization process could very well be politically contentious and have a greater role in Washington, D.C.  Furthermore, while the Obama administration’s decision to create more opportunities with this process is seen by critics as rewarding that island’s Communist government, Vasquez concluded that expanded control efforts will make life difficult for the Castro regime due to heightened positive expectations from the typical Cuban citizen.