--- title: Barack Obama: Cuba Visit Offers Historic Opportunities description: For the president, a chance to talk directly with Cubans. canonical: https://time.com/4265383/barack-obama-cuba-visit/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-03-20T03:19:37.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T15:56:46.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: President Obama Makes Historic Trip to Cuba og:description: A chance to talk directly to Cubans. og:url: https://time.com/4265383/barack-obama-cuba-visit/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt442078b80b0f5160/69888bb73c163938f645c804/president-obama-cuba-havana.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle approach Cuba's foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez (L) as they arrive at Havana's international airport for a three-day trip, in Havana March 20, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Barria og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: President Obama Makes Historic Trip to Cuba twitter:description: A chance to talk directly to Cubans. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt442078b80b0f5160/69888bb73c163938f645c804/president-obama-cuba-havana.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Obama Arrives in Cuba > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=fb6d9706-d404-48e1-8ba1-f6bc283ceed6&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Inside Obama's Historic Trip to Cuba [Watch (HLS stream): Inside Obama's Historic Trip to Cuba](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/AXTKJkWy.m3u8) (3:07)  _Published 2016-03-21_ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Updated: Dec 13, 2023 3:56 PM UTCPublished: Mar 20, 2016 3:19 AM UTC by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Updated: Dec 13, 2023 3:56 PM UTCPublished: Mar 20, 2016 3:19 AM UTC President Obama’s historic trip to Cuba comes with all the trappings of an official visit. There’s the meeting with a country’s leader (President Raúl Castro), a friendly chat with a high-ranking religious official (Cardinal Jaime Ortega), a photo op at a historic location (historic Havana) and even a state dinner. But for the White House, the really important work of the trip, which began as Air Force One landed in Havana on Sunday, will take place in between, in those moments when Obama has a chance to interact with everyday Cubans. This is a country where the media is [strictly controlled](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19578348) by the government. So when Obama meets with a select group of Cuban entrepreneurs, talks with human rights activists and gives a broad address to the Cuban people, he’ll have a rare opportunity to send his message directly to the country’s citizens. > [](https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/711649199243177984) “We see this speech as a unique moment obviously in the history between our countries,” Senior Advisor Ben Rhodes said ahead of the trip. “This is the first visit of a U.S. President in nearly 90 years, certainly the first speech given by a President on Cuban soil in nearly 90 years and an opportunity for the President to engage the Cuban people with his vision for the future.” The Cuba trip is also aimed at an audience back home. The rapprochement has only just begun, but many Republicans hope to delay or even reverse it, and there is little support in Congress for ending the Cuban embargo, which dates back to the 1960s. **Read More:** [_7 Things to Know Before You Visit Cuba_](http://time.com/4245768/cuba-vacation-advice/) House Speaker Paul Ryan said last week that the embargo remains the law despite Obama’s executive actions on Cuba. (Current GOP front-runner Donald Trump, who is supportive of re-establishing relations, nonetheless [said at the last debate](http://time.com/4255181/republican-debate-transcript-twelfth-cnn-miami/) that he would close the embassy until a better deal could be made.) “Part of the reason for going on the trip and for going on the trip earlier in the year is to utilize it to accelerate the process of normalization, to speak directly to the Cuban people about what the President’s vision for normalization is, and to continue to create openings for greater engagement between the American and Cuban people,” Rhodes said. **Read More:** [_Watch Rubio Clash With Trump on Cuba at the GOP Debate_](http://time.com/4255131/gop-debate-rubio-trump-cuba/) The First Family has a full schedule in Cuba, which kicks off a weeklong trip to Latin America. After landing on Sunday afternoon, they’ll tour Old Havana and meet with Cardinal Ortega, a Catholic leader who worked with Pope Francis on the effort to bring the two countries to the negotiating table. On Monday, the president will attend a bilateral meeting with President Raúl Castro to discuss the normalization process and strife in Colombia. Later that evening, the Obamas will attend a state dinner. Before leaving the country, Obama will watch a baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban national team. ## Transcript [ BLANK_AUDIO ] It's been nearly 90 years since a US president stepped foot in Cuba. It is wonderful to be here. Back in 1928, President Coolidge came on a battleship. It took him three days to get here. It only took me three hours. [ LAUGH ] For the first time ever, Air Force One has landed in Cuba and this is Our very first stop. So, this is a historic visit, and it is a historic opportunity to engage directly with Cuban people. In the fortune agreements and commercial deals, to build new ties between our two people's and for me to lay out our vision for the future that is brighter than our past. 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