Obama In Cuba: President Addresses Island, Promises New Chapter In History

On his final day of a historic visit, President Obama addressed the Cuban people promising hope and a new chapter in the history of the Island. "I have come here to bury the last remnant of the Cold War in the Americas," Obama said in his speech, as Cuban President Raúl Castro looked on from an upper balcony."I have come here to extend the hand of friendship to the Cuban people." He added,"our grandchildren will look back on period of isolation as an aberration, one chapter in a longer story of family and of friendship."

Obama thanked the government and the people of Cuba for the kindness they shown to his family during the trip, providing a sense of his vision of the relations he see in the future for both countries.“Cultivo una rosa blanca. In his most famous poem, Jose Marti made this offering of friendship and peace to both his friend and his enemy. Today, as the President of the United States of America, I offer the Cuban people el saludo de paz."

The leader of the free world also urged the communist government to speed up economic reforms and improve its human rights, before he can convince Congress to lift the 54-year-old embargo."As President of the United States, I’ve called on our Congress to lift the embargo. It is an outdated burden on the Cuban people. It's a burden on the Americans who want to work and do business or invest here in Cuba. It's time to lift the embargo. But even if we lifted the embargo tomorrow, Cubans would not realize their potential without continued change here in Cuba. It should be easier to open a business here in Cuba. A worker should be able to get a job directly with companies who invest here in Cuba. Two currencies shouldn’t separate the type of salaries that Cubans can earn," he concluded, "It is time now for us to leave the past behind."