By NAN Contributor
News Americas, WASHINGTON, D.C., Mon. Mar. 21, 2015: President Barack Obama began his historic visit to the Communist Caribbean nation of Cuba Sunday, the first for a U.S. President in nearly 90 years.
Here are eight things the President will be doing in Cuba between his March 20th to March 22nd visit with his family.
1: Old Havana Walking Tour: On Sunday, March 20th, the President and his family visited Old Havana after Air Force One touched down. This included a visit to the Havana Cathedral and a meeting with Cardinal Ortega, the Latin Rite Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Havana and a Cardinal of the Catholic Church.
2: José Martí Memorial Wreath Laying: Today, Monday, March 21st, the President will begin the day with a wreath laying ceremony at the José Martí Memorial. José Martí, known as “the Apostle of Cuban Independence,” was an influential poet, journalist, and political theorist who became a symbol for the Cuban people’s bid for independence.
3: Discussion on Entrepreneurship and Opportunity: President Obama is set to hear the experiences of Cuban entrepreneurs, or cuentapropistas. The event will include American entrepreneurs who will share their own experiences with their Cuban counterparts and look for opportunities to build long-term relationships.
4: Bilateral Meetings: The President will also hold a bilateral meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro at the Revolutionary Palace and the two leaders are set to discuss the progress that has been made on normalizing relations, review areas where the President’s visit can be used to accelerate those efforts, and have a candid exchange about areas they differ.
5: State Dinner: President and First Lady will be hosted at a State Dinner at the Revolutionary Palace as guests of President Castro.
6: Meeting with Civil Society Members: Just as he will meet with the Cuban government, President Obama will on Tuesday, March 22nd meet with a group of Cuban civil society, including human rights activists. A critical focus of the President’s Cuba policy is continued support for universal values and human rights – including respect for the right to free speech and assembly.
7: Remarks to the Cuban People: President Obama will speak directly to the Cuban people with remarks at the Alicia Alonso Grand Theater, formerly known as the Gran Teatro de la Habana. His remarks in Havana will underscore that continued spirit of friendship, and lay out his vision for the future relationship between the two countries, and the extraordinary potential of the Cuban people. President Coolidge delivered remarks at the same theatre the last time a sitting president was in Cuba in 1928.
8: Major League Baseball Game: The President will attend a baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays, who are traveling to Cuba to represent Major League Baseball in an exhibition game against the Cuban National Team at Estadio Latinamericano, which first hosted Jackie Robinson’s Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.
