The world yesterday awoke to the news that the US and Cuba are set to reconcile after over 50 years of estrangement, suspicion and a futile embargo that has done nothing but punish the Cuban people.

US President Barrack Obama said that the US wanted to normalise ties with Cuba. Raul Castro, President of Cuba said that without compromising its principles, his nation also wanted to seek ties with the US.

The US President cannot remove the embargo on Cuba without the Senate’s go-ahead, but this already seems to be a foregone conclusion.

Cuba is still a socialist country. Some would say that it is one of the last bastions of Communism, but times have changed.

This is not the same country that nearly precipitated a third world war – a nuclear war – when John F. Kennedy and Nikita Kruschev went head to head in 1962 in what could probably be described as the biggest game of chicken ever played.

But one must not forget that Cuba, under Fidel, had requested the missiles to be placed in Cuba because a year earlier, the US had sponsored a botched attempt to land counter revolutionaries in the Bay of Pigs. At the time, the US had placed missiles in Italy and Turkey in a direct threat to the USSR, so it was no wonder that the USSR jumped at the chance.

Once the missile crisis settled down, the US continued with its policy of isolation and embargoes. Not that it really mattered, Cuba has one of the best medical systems in the world and the beautifully cannibalised cars from the 50s and 60s from the US itself are still on the road and doing well.

But in recent years, food has become a problem. The US said that trade will be one of the first areas to be opened up, and travel for family visits and business will be allowed. Travel for tourism purposes will not be allowed yet, but it is only a matter of time.

The truth is that the US’ policy towards Cuba has put it at odds with the rest of the world. Time and time again, the United Nations has called votes on the issue, only for the US to back away each time under previous administrations.

But it seems that the penny has finally sunk in. The US’ relationship with other South and Meso American countries has suffered as a direct result of its policy towards Cuba.

And besides, Cuba is not a threat. Cuba is a small nation just 90 miles off the US coast that was still paying the price for Fidel Castro’s gutsy decision to call the US’ bluff by parking a nuclear threat on its doorstep. Thankfully, things have changed and it might be time for this small country to finally flourish and fulfil its potential. It also frees the US to take a harder approach against Israel for its occupation of Palestinian lands.