Obama Needs to See "Significant Changes" Before Normalizing Relations with Cuba

President Obama has rolled back some of the strictest policies regarding Cuba, including easing travel restrictions and allowing for more remittances. Though, in an interview with Univision this week the president made clear that he will not normalize relations with the nation until Cuba makes "significant changes."

"I would welcome real change from the Cuban government," Obama told WLTV Univision 23 this week. "For us to have the kind of normal relations we have with other countries, we've got to see significant changes from the Cuban government and we just have not seen that yet."

Though Raul Castro insists Cuba is not on a road towards capitalism, he has made several changes after taking over power from his brother Fidel.

Those reforms have not been enough for Obama.

"The bottom line is political prisoners are still there who should have been released a long time ago who never should have been arrested in the first place; political dissent is still not tolerated. The economic system there is still far too constrained," said Obama.

"If you think about it, Castro came into power before I was born -- he's still there and he basically has the same system when the rest of the world has recognized that the system doesn't work."

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