On Thursday, March 17th, President Obama and his family went to Cuba on a historic trip. This was the first visit to Cuba by an American President since Coolidge in the 1920s.

The harsh contrast between Obama and the unelected Cuban president Raul Castro was evident when their speeches began. Obama spoke of the value of free trade and democracy, while Castro spoke vaguely of his country’s progress and dodged questions about political prisoners.

A striking photo of Air Force One flying over Cuba’s streets spread rapidly through the internet as a visual depiction of Cuba’s lack of progress. Obama has consistently expressed his interest in normalizing the United States’ relations with Cuba, and this trip was supposed to be a step in that direction.

In 2014, Obama stated that he would go to Cuba only under the condition that “I, with confidence, can say that we’re seeing some progress in the liberty and freedom, … If we’re going backwards, then there’s not much reason for me to be there. I’m not interested in just validating the status quo.” He was accompanied by many prominent American business people looking for profitable opportunities and believes that trade will slowly begin to open up in the coming years.

At Hingham High School, members of clubs including Amnesty International and the Global Citizenship Program understand that a free market in any country may benefit its entire population. However, Raul Castro is supporting an autonomous government with many human rights violations, and Castro could use US trade profits to strengthen his dictatorship.

Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, both Cuban­-Americans, are some of the biggest critics of Obama’s plan to normalize relations. It is difficult to tell whether opening up trade will help Cuba become a more developed country, but it will most likely help Cuban citizens who struggle to find work in a country struggling under a harsh embargo.