Send Michelle Obama to Cuba!

PrintEmailSave to Favorites

My pal Tracey Eaton, who lived in Havana from 2000 to early 2005 when he ran the Dallas Morning News bureau, has come up with a great idea—send Michelle Obama to Cuba!

He even came up with this marvelous video.

Here's his rationale:

"Polls show most Americans want normal relations with Cuba. But dramatic steps are needed to break through 50 years of Cold-War hostility. President Barack Obama has made it easier for Cuban-Americans to travel to the island and help their families, but more must be done if the two countries are to renew diplomatic ties. Personal contact is needed. Changing a few regulations isn't enough. Reading a stack of briefing papers isn't enough. Someone from the White House needs to go to Cuba. And Michelle Obama would be an ideal emissary. The First Lady’s visit would be historic and bold. It would capture the world’s attention. It would be another step in restoring America’s image abroad. Please sign this petition if you believe that Michelle Obama ought to visit Cuba."

Tracey isn't joking. He's even started a petition.

He's also come up with a few ideas for the First Lady to fill her time, assuming she's not going to want to spend her time dancing salsa or sipping mojitos at Ernest Hemingway shrines. After all, says Tracey: "The Cuban government shouldn't set her entire agenda and neither should the State Department or the anti-Castro forces in South Florida. If she goes, she should get more than a dog-and-pony show highlighting everything that the Cuban government would like her to see."

Tracey's perfect itinerary has echoes of President Jimmy Carter's famous visit to Havana in 2002, with plenty of meetings with dissidents, such as Martha Beatriz Roque and Yoani Sánchez, as well as ordinary citizens who sympathize with the Castro regime.

Heck! Great idea, Tracey. I'm going to sign his petition now...

For further information about travel in Cuba, buy Moon Cuba

For further information on Havana, buy Moon Spotlight Havana.

Disclosure: I occasionally accept free or discounted travel when it coincides with my editorial goals. However, my opinion is never for sale. The opinions you see in Cuba & Costa Rica Journal are my unbiased reflection of the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Copyright © Christopher P. Baker