Celebration and criticism for U.S. policy shift on Cuba – Part 1

HARI SREENIVASAN:

The president's policy shift on Cuba was celebrated and criticized today from Havana to Miami to Washington. Cubans and Americans alike digested the implications of ending a deep freeze that has lasted for decades.

Hope filled the streets of Havana this morning, as Cubans welcomed renewed diplomatic ties with the United States.

MAN (through interpreter):

With these new relations, Cuba is hoping for prosperity. The country's economy is going to grow. Relations are going to improve. Following 56 years of revolution, this is the best that could happen for our people.

MAN (through interpreter):

Cuba and the United States have never been enemies. There were just some political issues which were already out of place, and these steps are long overdue.

HARI SREENIVASAN:

The U.S. policy shift will ease economic and travel restrictions on Cuba. It grew out of more than a year of secret negotiations facilitated in part by the Vatican, where Pope Francis offered his congratulations.

POPE FRANCIS, Leader of Catholic Church (through interpreter): Today, we are all happy, because we have seen how two nations who were separated for many years yesterday took a step closer to each other.

HARI SREENIVASAN:

But in Miami today, Republican Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart charged President Obama got nothing from Cuba on improving human rights.

REP. MARIO DIAZ-BALART, (R) Florida: There are little demands, if any, for freedom, for elections, for accountability, for the freeing of the rest of the political prisoners that President Obama has not deemed it important enough to require their liberation. And yet he says he is doing it for the good of the Cuban people?

HARI SREENIVASAN:

Despite such criticism, White House officials dismissed any possibility of Congress trying to block the president's actions. But the House and Senate would have to act to repeal the longstanding trade embargo on Cuba.

JOSH EARNEST, White House Press Secretary:

The president has done all that he can do using his executive authority. And the remainder — the remaining restrictions can only be removed through congressional action. And we certainly would encourage Congress to act in a bipartisan fashion to do that.

HARI SREENIVASAN:

In the meantime, presidential aides said they don't rule out having Cuban President Raul Castro visit the U.S.

We will explore the possible diplomatic, political and economic fallout from the Cuba policy shift after the news summary.