The title of a recently released CNN article is "Obam,a: 'We can move US-Cuban relations in a new direction". The president is in Trinidad & Tobago for The Summit of the Americas. The key question, as always, is: what, if anything, was achieved during their meeting on the sidelines of this summit? And are US-Cuban relations REALLY/TRULY warming up? Or are Obama and Castro simply putting on a show for the media as relations with our southern neighbors remain strained? Let's find out.

The president started off by saying he is looking forward to "a new beginning" in US-Cuban relations. Are the president's words materializing?

Obama continued: "Every one of our nations has a right to follow its own path. But we all have a responsibility to see that the people of the Americas HAVE THE RIGHT TO PURSUE THEIR OWN DREAMS IN DEMOCRATIC SOCIETIES". The president is being too idealistic here. Communist countries such as Cuba, Iran, North Korea and China will not suddenly tranform themselves into American-like democracies overnight, especially with American leaders, MOST OF WHOM ARE NOSTALGIC FOR BUSH OR SUPPORTED MCCAIN IN THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, branding Iran, Cuba and North Korea as part of "the axis of evil".

"Toward that end the United States seeks a new beginning with Cuba". Here's a key question: are the Cubans willing to go along?

"I am prepared to have my administration engage (in dialogue) with the Cuban government on a wide range of issues - from human rights, free speech and democratic reform to drugs, migration and economic issues". Human rights, free speech and democratic reform will undoubtedly be more challenging for Obama to convince Cuba about because Cuba is a Communist country and by definition, human rights, free speech and democratic reform are not high priorities in Communist countries, especially DEMOCRATIC reform and there are many more instances of human rights abuses in Communist societies than in democratic ones.

"Let me be clear. I am not interested in talking for the sake of talking. But I do believe (that) we can move US-Cuban relations in a new direction". "in a new direction" could be for better or for worse.

According to Cuban President Raul Castro, "We are prepared, WHEREVER THEY WANT, TO DISCUSS EVERYTHING - human rights, press freedom political prisoners..." Let's see if the Cuban president keeps his word. Like most politicians, he probably won't...And Cuba is a Communist country.

"They would have us MAKE THE FALSE CHOICE BETWEEN A RIGID, STATE-RUN ECONOMY AND UNBRIDLED AND UNREGULATED CAPITALISM , between blame for right-wing PARAMILITARIES or left-wing INSURGENTS, between sticking to INFLEXIBLE POLICIES with regard to Cuba or denying the full human rights that are owed to the Cuban people". The debate about which is better (socialism, Communism or capitalism) will be debated for as long as we are in this economic turmoil, but it's safe to say that even the American brand of capitalism is now no longer "unbridled" and "unregulated" because these traditional characteristics are what triggered the financial crisis and subprime meltdown so we can't go down that same path again. Also the comparison between "right-wing paramilitaries" and "left-wing extremists" makes it sound like we are back in the German Weimar Republic before Hitler toppled it.

Finally, according to Chavez's press office, "President Chavez EXPRESSED HIS HOPE that relations between the two countries WOULD CHANGE. EIGHT YEARS AGO, WITH THIS SAME HAND, I GREETED BUSH. I want to be your friend". "would change" could be positive or negative. Also the fact that Bush was greeted just as warmly ("Eight years ago, with the same hand, I greeted Bush") is surprising and intriguing, because under Bush, there was a trade embargo against Cuba in place, which meant that Cuban Americans in Florida could not visit their families in Cuba freely.

The bottom line is: as far as Cuba is concerned, Obama is doing well as 71% of Americans in a survey said that they agree with how the president is handling Cuba. Bush, on the other hand, never got close to those numbers beyond the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Bush finished with a popularity rating of 26.5. Obama probably (and hopefully) won't test these lows, but he must work hard and not get complacent.