Jackie and I visited Cuba 12 years ago as part of a people to people trip to the annual Cuban Film Festival. We were joined on this trip by our friends Bob and Bobbie Sternfels.

We stayed in the Havana Nacional, Cuba’s most famous hotel. We found Havana to be a beautiful old city, spotlessly clean, with friendly people, weathered buildings and streets filled with cars from the 1950s.

Almost no new automobiles have been brought into the country since Fidel Castro took over on January 1, 1961. The countryside is marvelous and the beaches are among the most beautiful in the world.

What I remember most is a question one of our cab drivers asked me: “Why are you Americans so afraid of us? You are rich and powerful. We are poor and weak. We can’t be a threat to you.”

I had no answer then and I still don’t. Except for North Korea, the United States has not been threatened by any Communist country for decades. Our continued embargo of Cuba has been purely a case of politics; fear of offending the almost one million Cuban exiles in Miami. Those Florida electoral votes are critical in every Presidential election.

Our continuation of the embargo has simply given the Castro brothers an excuse to blame the U.S. for its problems.

We are delighted to see that President Obama has decided to begin the process of recognizing Cuba. Opening up relations with this small Caribbean country has the potential to provide new markets for our wheat and corn farmers, new areas for investment, many new opportunities in many different areas.

So, while it pains this lifelong Republican to say so, I must declare, “You did good, President Obama, you did good!”

And thanks to the Pope whose mediation helped make this happen.