Opinion: As Trump eyes Cuba, my trips there a decade ago remind me how different things were

March 21, 2026

TL;DR

Cuba experienced a widespread power cut on March 16, 2026, amid a severe crisis attributed to the US energy blockade.
The US, under President Trump, has intensified pressure on Cuba, with Trump suggesting a 'friendly takeover'.
The author's trips to Cuba between 2012 and 2016 coincided with a period of potential normalization of relations.
Key moments included Pope Benedict XVI's visit, government-invited 'reforms' tours, and the restoration of diplomatic ties in 2015.
The US embassy reopened in Havana, and President Obama visited in March 2016, further signaling a thaw.
These changes brought increased optimism, relaxed travel restrictions for Americans, and limited trade, alongside cultural events like a Rolling Stones concert.
Despite cautious optimism, many Cubans remembered past reversals, and some Americans opposed normalizing ties with the communist government.
Signs of transformation included the docking of the first US cruise ship in 2016 and direct JetBlue flights.
The author's final trip was in November 2016 for Fidel Castro's funeral, after which the initial energy of change seemed to dissipate.
In recent years, US-Cuba relations have become more tense, with the US withdrawing embassy personnel and imposing new travel limits.

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