No "Thank You" Note For President Obama; Motus Tardus

No “Thank You” Note For President Obama

President Obama is resigned to accepting that the government of the Republic of Cuba will not be sending along any “thank you” notes in response to regulatory changes implemented in 2015, thus far in 2016, and those planned through 20 January 2017.

The goal of the Obama Administration during the remaining months in office is to make every regulatory change possible so that a successor will have a challenging regulatory landscape to reassemble.  And, hopefully, the government of the Republic of Cuba will have fewer options to avoid integration of the initiatives into its commercial and economic policies.

The Republic of Cuba has remained as it does, in large measure, due to the government seeking, when in need, a country or group of countries to come along and provide the resources required so its citizens can resist concessions to the United States.  For fifty-seven years, this strategy has not failed them. 

Motus Tardus

There have been limited internal pressures for reform; and any pressures that do exist have been surmountable by the government of the Republic of Cuba.  The most visible example of comfortability with the motus tardus is the generational profile of the two leaders of the country: President Raul Castro, at 84, who is also First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Republic of Cuba, and Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, 85, Second Secretary of the Communist Party of the Republic of Cuba and Second Vice President.  

Less than two years from the retirement of President Castro, his official successor to lead the Communist Party of the Republic of Cuba is a gentleman who is older than the outgoing president and First Secretary.  The First Vice President, Miguel Diaz-Canel, at 56, is the generally-believed heir apparent to President Castro, but not necessarily expected to become First Secretary.

The message to the population and to the United States is singular- change will be only as rapid as a lack of foreign exchange and outside support mandates.