--- title: Read a Transcript of Obama's Press Conference in Havana description: Here is a transcript of the full event. canonical: https://time.com/4266772/barack-obama-raul-castro-press-conference-transcript/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-03-21T20:30:08.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:49:48.108Z article:section: Politics og:title: Read a Transcript of Obama's Press Conference in Havana og:description: Here is a transcript of the full event. og:url: https://time.com/4266772/barack-obama-raul-castro-press-conference-transcript/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4c75ac228798bacd/69888bdf0b72e3befd6e89e4/516833986.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: President Obama Meets With Cuban President Raul Castro In Havana og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Read a Transcript of Obama's Press Conference in Havana twitter:description: Here is a transcript of the full event. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4c75ac228798bacd/69888bdf0b72e3befd6e89e4/516833986.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Read a Transcript of Obama's Press Conference in Havana > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=d66cc31b-c950-466c-9b1c-61bb1736285d&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-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 [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Mar 21, 2016 8:30 PM UTC by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Mar 21, 2016 8:30 PM UTC President Obama [met with Cuban President Raúl Castro](http://time.com/4266394/obama-cuba-castro-meeting/) in Havana, Cuba, Monday, where the two held a joint press conference. Here is a transcript of the full event. --- > “” --- ## 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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