- Title: Cubans brace for change in policy after Trump elected U.S. president
- Date: 9th November 2016
- Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (NOVEMBER 09, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DAWN AT HOTEL NACIONAL DE CUBA FISHERMEN IN HAVANA MALECON SEAFRONT PEOPLE CROSSING STREET CUBAN FLAG VEHICLES IN STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CUBAN RESIDENT, MAYRA ROSELLO, SAYING: "For Cuba, I think this is not the best (news), because we had already strengthened relations a little bit. There had been some improvement with the current power, with Obama (President Barack Obama). Many Cubans are uncertain about this new election of the president of the United States, since he has raised many negative things that affect the people of Cuba too." MAN READING NEWSPAPER NEWS ABOUT REPUBLICAN DONALD TRUMP'S ELECTION ON FRONT COVER OF OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER "JUVENTUD REBELDE" MAN READING NEWSPAPER GENERAL OF MAN READING NEWSPAPER IN BUS STOP (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CUBAN, ISRAEL PACHECO, SAYING: "The fact that Donald Trump has won. I think so. I don't know what to tell you. For me it's absurd that person has won. These elections in general for me have been absurd because the two candidates, I don't think they were serious candidates or that these were serious elections, I do not know." CARS PASSING IN FRONT OF HAVANA LIBRE HOTEL SIGN FOR THE HAVANA LIBRE HOTEL FLAGS AT HOTEL ENTRANCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN, RAFFIE, SAYING: "I think it is a sad day for America, it's a sad day for the world, it's a shame that someone like Donald Trump could work his way into power. I think it speaks to the sexism that exists in our country and I think that the entire world is going to ultimately pay the price in the long term." PEOPLE WALKING ALONG AVENUE VARIOUS OF CUBANS USING WIFI IN STREET / CARS PASSING BY (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CUBAN, ALEJANDRO DE ARMAS, SAYING: "We should expect a change. Positive or negative, there will be change. But we have to wait, time will tell what to expect of the new administration and its foreign policy towards Cuba." MAN SELLING NEWSPAPERS NEWS ABOUT TRUMP'S ELECTION IN OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER GRANMA MAN BUYING NEWSPAPER PEOPLE HAILING TAXIS
- Embargoed: 24th November 2016 16:21
- Keywords: Cuba United States Donald Trump election Havana reaction
- Location: HAVANA, CUBA
- City: HAVANA, CUBA
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA00157Q61QF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Cubans reacted negatively on Wednesday (November 9) to news Republican Donald Trump, who has threatened to unravel the U.S.-Cuban detente, had won the presidency of the United States.
Trump won the White House with a series of shocking wins in battleground states such as Florida and Ohio on Tuesday (November 8), rattling world markets that had counted on Democrat Hillary Clinton defeating the political outsider.
In 2014, Cuba and the United States announced a detente between the former Cold War allies.
Cuban Resident, Mayra Rosello was concerned that Trump would undo the progress in Cuban-U.S. relations that have been developing in recent years.
"For Cuba, I think this is not the best (news), because we had already strengthened relations a little bit. There had been some improvement with the current power, with Obama (President Barack Obama). Many Cubans are uncertain about this new election of the president of the United States, since he has raised many negative things that affect the people of Cuba too," Rosello said.
With investors worried a Trump victory could cause economic and global uncertainty, investors fled risky assets such as stocks. In overnight trading, S&P 500 index futures fell 5 percent to hit their so-called limit down levels, indicating they would not be permitted to trade any lower until day-side trading resumed on Wednesday morning.
Cuban, Israel Pacheco, could not believe the outcome of the election.
"The fact that Donald Trump has won. I think so. I don't know what to tell you. For me it's absurd that person has won. These elections in general for me have been absurd because the two candidates, I don't think they were serious candidates or that these were serious elections, I do not know," Pacheco said.
Trump, who has no previous political or military experience, said after defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton that he would seek common ground, not conflict, with the United States' allies.
Cuba also announced a week of pre-scheduled nationwide military exercises to prepare for "enemy actions" on Wednesday.
Cuba did not directly link the exercises to the victory of Trump, who has threatened to reverse outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama's moves to open relations with the island.
American, Raffie, spoke negatively about Trump.
"I think it is a sad day for America, it's a sad day for the world, it's a shame that someone like Donald Trump could work his way into power. I think it speaks to the sexism that exists in our country and I think that the entire world is going to ultimately pay the price in the long term," he said.
Cuban, Alejandro de Armas, said he expected there would be changes.
"We should expect a change. Positive or negative, there will be change. But we have to wait, time will tell what to expect of the new administration and its foreign policy towards Cuba," de Armas said.
The announcement about the military exercises was made in red letters on the front page of the country's main newspaper, the Communist Party's Granma. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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