President Obama Agrees To Ease Cuban Sanctions

A landmark deal was reached Wednesday that will open a new chapter in American/Cuban relations. President Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro talked for over an hour by phone on a new diplomatic stance. The talks between the US and Cuba began in June of 2013 and were facilitated by Canada and the Vatican. This will end the US embargo of Cuba that began after the Cuban Revolution.

Cuba has agreed to release American prisoner Alan Gross, who been imprisoned in Cuba since 2009. They also agreed to release an unidentified American intelligence source in exchange for three Cuban intelligence agents who were convicted of espionage in 2001. This leads the way for President Obama to greatly loosen travel and economic restrictions on the country. Both nations will also re-open their embassies, with further discussions on normalizing diplomatic relations expected to begin in the near future.

Read the full article at CNN.com