Sasha And Malia Obama Join Their Father On Historic Trip To Cuba

When it comes to who had the best spring break this year, Sasha and Malia Obama will definitely win. The two sisters, ages 14 and 17, joined their parents on President Barack Obama’s historic trip to Cuba. According to the AP, Obama’s trip is part of his and Cuban President Raùl Castro’s efforts to restore relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

Rarely do Sasha and Malia join their father on his presidential trips, but it seems President Obama knew this would be an experience they just couldn’t miss. Plus, according to the New York Times, the trip also coincides with Sasha and Malia’s school, Sidwell Friends’, vacation this year, making the timing of the trip absolutely perfect.

Going along with their father, Sasha and Malia have the opportunity to see the first presidential trip to Cuba in almost 90 years, and be there up close when their father delivers a speech at the Grand Theater of Havana, that will be televised around the world. The speech will lay out President Obama’s plans for “greater freedoms and more economic opportunity in Cuba,” according to the AP.

According the New York Times, Sasha and Malia will also get to travel around Old Havana, visiting the Havana Cathedral, and enjoy taking in an exhibition baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban national team. The baseball game is another historic event, as the Rays become the first major league baseball team to play in Cuba since 1999. Therefore, Sasha and Malia aren’t the only Americans getting the chance to experience a trip most American’s haven’t had the chance to take in decades.

Back in 1961, the U.S. cut all diplomatic relations with Cuba when Fidel Castro’s revolution sparked fears of communism spreading to the West. Since then, politics between the two countries has continued the long estrangement, even after the Cold War ended.

Now, it seems that estrangement is finally coming to an end. The last time a U.S. president visited Cuba was back in 1928 when Calvin Coolidge made the trip on a battleship. With that in mind, President Obama’s trip to Cuba is not only historic, but astonishing. Both Cubans and Americans are excited over what President Obama’s visit could mean for the future of Cuba and America’s relations.

@POTUS arrives in #Havana. Cubans run to airport fence to wave at 'La Bestia.' Reporting from #Cuba 4 @ThisIsFusion pic.twitter.com/SFpnLoVWfv

— Tastuanes (@nicadispatch) March 20, 2016

However, there are others who question if President Obama’s visit to Cuba is actually good for the people of Cuba. One person in particular is presidential hopeful Senator Ted Cruz, who penned an article for Politico titled “In Cuba, Obama Will Legitimize the Corrupt and Ignore the Oppressed,” which is now going viral.

Despite backlash, President Obama has high hopes for his Cuba visit. Besides meeting with President Castro, according to the AP, President Obama will also be attending an event with U.S. and Cuban entrepreneurs and visiting Cuban people, learning about and experiencing their culture.

After their historic visit to Cuba, Sasha and Malia, along with their parents, will visit Argentina, concluding their perfect spring break trip.

[Photo by Cubadebate/Ismael Francisco via AP]