For more than fifty years, much of U.S. policy toward Latin America was shaped by the United States’ standoff with Cuba – including U.S. policies toward Puerto Rico. Yet in 2013, U.S. President Barack Obama authorized secret talks between the United States and Cuba, leading to historic agreements to restore diplomatic, trade and travel ties.
Ben Rhodes, former deputy national security advisor to President Obama, served as lead negotiator with the Castro regime, conducting secret talks hosted by the Canadians and the Vatican. His counterpart on the ground in Havana was Ambassador Jeff DeLaurentis, who represented the United States as Charge d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy.
Join Rhodes and DeLaurentis for a conversation moderated by Ambassador Mari Carmen Aponte, the first Puerto Rican woman to hold the title of Ambassador, about U.S.-Cuban relations, President Obama’s legacy in the Americas, and where we go from here.