CCTV: Farnsworth on U.S.-Cuba Relations

On December 17, President Barack Obama announced that the United States would reestablish diplomatic relations with Cuba, the biggest shift between the two countries in more than five decades. In an interview with CCTV, COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth said the move was potentially a game changer, but noted that comprehensive change would require congressional action. "The president has taken all the steps that could be expected of the executive to be able to take under U.S. law," Farnsworth said, "but there's another aspect to the relationship between the United States and Cuba, which is codified in U.S. law, namely the embargo." Still, Farnsworth explained what changes are likely to result from the historic policy change and analyzed the bigger picture of U.S.-Cuba relations in light of the countries' increased engagement.