Cuba's Baseball Players Could Soon Play Legally in US Big Leagues
President Barack Obama's visit to Cuba presents hope for some local athletes as U.S.-Cuba ties warm up after the five-decade-long trade embargo in the Caribbean country was lifted.
During the past few days prior to Obama's scheduled tour to the country, his administration and Raúl Castro's regime had been privately talking to the Major League Baseball regarding possible opportunities they could give the local baseball players.
During the talks, the three strategized how the Cuban athletes would be able to "legally" go to the United States to play in the big leagues.
"This is extremely important to the future of Cuban baseball, to the relationship between our two countries," Cuban baseball commissioner Heriberto Suárez said in a statement.
Obama Will Be Watching Baseball in Cuba
Obama's visit to Cuba as the first sitting U.S. President to do so is not the only upcoming historic event.
For the second time since the Cold War, the national team will play ball on Cuban soil with the Tampa Bay Rays on March 22.
Since it was scheduled just in time for his visit, Obama is planning to watch it with the country's dignitaries and commoners.
In fact, he seems excited to attend the event and even tweeted:
U.S.-Cuba Warming Relations
For the past few months, Cuba has seen a skyrocketing of tourists since the 54-year trade embargo in the country was lifted.
While the country did have so much to learn when it came to hospitality and accommodating guests, there is no question that the change is very much welcome, especially to Cuba's dwindling economy.
Despite this, the relationship between the United States and Cuba is still walking a tight rope as some reports believe that a single misstep during Obama's visit might trigger an instant setback on the long-awaited official end of the embargo.
"This trip can either be the vindication or the refutation of Obama's approach in Cuba. If the Cubans lecture him on human rights or crackdown on dissidents while he is there, it's going to be quite ugly," Columbia University international affairs professor Christopher Sabatini explained.
Sabatini thinks that if this happens, the U.S. president would "look like a dupe," not to mention the massive indictment it can present to his foreign policy.
However, deputy national security adviser Benjamin J. Rhodes assured that while the task is new to everybody, they are prepared to win over the Cubans' hearts.