A professor of Latin American politics at Ripon College who visited Cuba two years ago as part of a higher education exchange program says he believes normalizing relations with Cuba is the right thing to do. President Barack Obama announced last week the U.S. was re-etablishing diplomatic relations with Cuba. Professor Marty Farrell says he believes its time to change the isolation policy of the last 50 plus years. Farrell says it remains to be seen what the practical implications will be. While the president can loosen restrictions on relations with Cuba, only Congress can lift the U.S. economic embargo on the county. But Farrell says the embargo is not as hard and fast as you may think. “We’re already selling I don’t know how many tons of chickens to Cuba every year. Food has been an exception as long as they paid cash,” Farrell said. “As an agricultural state, if you want to think of it in economic terms, I think Wisconsin will gain. We will probably be able to have some expanded exports, but to what extent is not clear.” In 2012 Farrell spent 12 days in Cuba as part of a program through the college and the Council for International Education Exchange, which supports faculty education seminars.
