Bloggers Opening U.S.-Cuban Relations, Possibility of Talks

In a follow-up to a post we did earlier this week about KS-04 Congressman Todd Tiahrt accusing KS-01 Congressman Jerry Moran of being “endorsed” by the Communist Party USA for supporting a measure that would open foreign travel to Cuba, we have this post on the potential impact that bloggers can make in opening otherwise chilled international relations and diplomacy.

MSNBC is reporting a story about a Cuban blogger and critic of the Cuban government, Yoani Sanchez, who, back in August of this year, sent seven questions both in printed form and electronically to the White House. President Obama has answered the questions and, today, the answers to those questions have been published on Yoani’s blog, Generation Y.

Yoani has, also, published and sent seven questions to Cuban dictator Raul Castro, the younger brother to Fidel Castro, who assumed the post as the country’s dictator in February 2009. The questions to both President Obama and Raul Castro can be seen here.

While the answers from President Obama indicated that Cuba would need to clean up it’s act before the U.S. government would commit to official talks with the Cuban government, with President Obama saying that he’s disinterested in “talking for the purpose of talking,” this story shows the impact that bloggers, both home and abroad, are having on shaping policy and influencing government.