President Obama's Responsesto Yoani Sanchez'sQuestions

Thank you for this opportunity to exchangeviews with you and your readersin
Cubaand aroundthe world and congratulationson receivingthe Maria Moore
CabotPrize awardfrom the ColumbiaUniversity GraduateSchoolofJournalism
for coverageofLatin America that furthersinter-Americanunderstanding.You
.
richly deservedthe award. 1was disappointedyou were deniedthe ability to
travel to receivethe award in persono

Your blog providesthe world a uniquewidow into the realities of daily life in
Cuba. It is telling that the Internethasprovidedyou and other courageousCuban
bloggerswith an outlet to expressyourself so freely, and 1 applaudyour collective
efforts to empowerfellow Cubansto expressthemselvesthrough the useof
technology. The govemmentandpeopleof the United Statesjoin all of you in
looking forward to the day all Cubanscan freely expressthemselvesin public
without fear and without reprisals.

QUESTION #1: FOR YEARS, CUBA HAS BEEN A U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
ISSUEAS WELL AS A DOMESTIC
, ONE, IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE OF
THE LARGE CUBAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY. FROM YOUR
PERSPECTIVE,IN WHICH OF THE TWO CATEGORIES SHOULD THE
CUBAN ISSUE FIT?

AII foreignpolicy issuesinvolvedomesticcomponents,

especiallyissues ,
concemingneighborslike Cuba from which fue United Stateshas a large
immigrant populationand with which we havea long history of relations. Our
commitmentto protect and supportfree speech,humanrights, and democratic
govemanceat home and aroundthe world also cuts acrossthe foreign
policy/domesticpolicy divide. AIso, many ofthe challengessharedby our two
countries,including migration, drugtrafficking, and economicissues,involve
traditional domesticand foreign policy concems. Thus,U.S. relationswith Cuba
arerightly seenin both a foreign and domesticpolicy contexto

QUESTION 2: SHOULD YOUR ADMINISTRATION BE WILLING TO PUT

AN END TO TRIS DISPUTE, WOULD IT RECOGNIZE THE LEGITIMACY
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OF THE RAUL CASTRO GOVERNMENT ÁS THE ONL y V ALID

INTERLOCUTOR IN THE EVENTUAL T ALKS?

As 1havesaid before,1 am preparedto havemy administrationengagewith the

Cubangovernmenton a rangeof issuesof mutual interestaswe havealreadydone
in the migration and direct mail talks. It is algomy intent to facilitate greater
contactwith fue Cubanpeople,especiallyamongdivided Cubanfamilies, which 1
havedoneby removing U.S. restrictionson family visits andremittances.

We seekto engagewith Cubansoutsideof the governmentaswe do eIsewhere

aroundthe worId, asthe government,of course,is not the onIy voice that matters
in Cuba. We take every opportunityto interactwith the fuII rangeof Cuban
societyand Iook forward to the day when fue governmentreflectsthe freeIy
expressedwiII of the CubanpeopIe.

QUESTION 3: HAS THE U.S. GOVERNMENT RENOUNCED THE USE OF

MILITARY FORCE AS THE WAY TO END THE DISPUTE?

The United Stateshasno intention of using military force in Cuba. The United
Statessupportsincreasedrespectfor humanrights and for political and economic
freedomsin Cuba,and hopesthat !he Cubangovernmentwill respondto the desire
of the Cubanpeopleto enjoy the benefitsof democracyand be able to freely
determine Cuba's future. Only the Cubanpeoplecan bring aboutpositive change
in Cubaand it is our hopethat they will soonbe ableto exercisetheir full potential,

QUESTION 4: RAUL CASTRO HAS SAID PUBLICL y THA T HE IS OPEN

TO DISCUSSANY TOPIC WITH THE U.S. PROVIDED THERE IS MUTUAL
RESPECTAND A LEVEL PLA YING FIELD. IS RAUL ASKING TOO
MUCH?

For years,I have saidthat it is time to purguedirect diplomacy,without

preconditions,with friends and foes illike. I am not interested,however,in talking
for the sakeof talking. In the caseof Cuba,suchdiplomacy shouldcreate
opportunitiesto advancethe interestsof the United Statesand the causeof freedom
for the Cubanpeople.
We havealreadyinitiated a dialogueon afeasof mutual concem- gafe,legal, and
orderly migration, and reestablishingdirect mail service. Theseare small steps,
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but an importantpart of a processto move U.~.-Cuban relations in a new and more

positive, direction. Achieving a more normal relationship,however,will require
actionby the Cubangovernment.

QUESTION 5: IN A HYPOTHETICAL U.S.-CUBA DIALOGUE, WOULD

YOU ENTERTAIN PARTICIPA TION FROM THE CUBAN EXILE
COMMUNITY, THE CUBA-BASED OPPOSITIONGROUPSAND NASCENT
CUBAN CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS?

When consideringany policy decision,it is critical to listen to asmany diverse

voicesaspossible. When it comesto Cuba,we do exactly that. The U.S.
governmentregularly talks with groupsand individuals inside and outsideof Cuba
that have an interestin our relations. Many do not alwaysagreewith the Cuban
government;many do not alwaysagreewith the United Statesgovernment;and
many do not agreewith eachother. What we shouldall be able to agreeon
moving forward is the needto listen to the concernsof Cubanswho live on the
island. This is why everythingyou are doing to project your voice is so important
- not just for the advancementof the freedomof expressionitself, but algofor
peopleoutsideof Cubato gain a betterunderstandingof the life, struggles,joys,
and dreamsof Cubanson fue island.
.
QUESTION 6: YOU STRONGLy SUPPORTTHE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW
COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES. BUT,
CUBANS CONTINUE TO HA VE LIMITED ACCESSTO THE INTERNET.
HOW MUCH OF THIS IS DUE TO THE U.S. EMBARGO AND HOW MUCH
OF IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITYOF THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT? .

My administrationhastaken important stepsto promotethe free flow of

informationto and from the Cubanpeopleparticularly through new technologies.
We havemadepossiblegreatertelecommunicationslinks to advanceinteraction
betweenCubancitizens and fue outsideworld. This will increasethe means
throughwhich Cubanson the island can communicatewith eachother andwith
personsoutsideof Cuba,for example,by expandingopportunitiesfor fiber optic
and satellitetransmissionsto and from Cuba. This will not happenovemight. Nor
will it haveits full effect without positive actionsby the Cubangovernment. 1
understandthe Cubangovernmenthasannounceda plan to provide Cubansgreater
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accessto the Internet at post offices. I am following this developmentwith interest

and urge the governmentto allow its peopleto enjoy unrestrictedaccessto fue
internetandto information. In addition,we welcomesuggestionsregardingafeas
in which we can further supportthe free flow of information within, from, andto
Cuba.

QUESTION 7: WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO TRAVEL TO OUR

COUNTRY?

1would neverrule out a courseof actionthat could advancethe interestsof the

United Statesand advancethe causeof freedomfor the Cubanpeople. At the same
time, diplomatic tools shouldbe usedonly after careful preparationandaspart of a
clear strategy. 1 look forward to visit a Cubain which all citizens enjoy the same
rights and opportunitiesas other citizensin the hemisphere.