Aug 27, 2020
“A victory for diplomacy,” five years on
Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis on The 90 Miles Podcast
5 years ago, on July 20, 2015, the United States and Cuba — two nations separated by only 90 miles of water — recommenced diplomatic relations after a 55-year hiatus.
Since then, the U.S. government has reversed course, and returned to an approach more reminiscent of the 1970s than the 21st century, says ISD’s distinguished resident fellow in Latin American Studies, Ambassador (ret.) Jeffrey DeLaurentis, in the latest episode of the 90 Miles Podcast.
90 Miles is a podcast by Cubans, Americans, and Cuban-Americans showcasing Cuban culture, business, and society. The podcast seeks to go beyond the politics surrounding U.S.-Cuban relations and to present a truly three-dimensional view.
Ambassador DeLaurentis shared his thoughts on the years of negotiations that led to the restart in diplomatic relations between the two countries, drawing on his experience as head of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana at the time.
He called the re-opening of the U.S. Embassy “a victory for diplomacy, sanity, and American interests and values,” and went on analyze the Trump administration’s reversal of many of the Obama administration’s efforts.
Listen to the full episode:
