NBC News: New Head of US Embassy in Cuba Faces Critical Road Ahead

The newly selected Chargé d’Affaires for the US Embassy in Cuba, Mr. Philip Goldberg, officially began work at his diplomatic post in Havana on Saturday. The change in representation at the US Embassy in Havana comes during a major transition in Cuban history as their government is set to take on new leadership in the coming months. Not only will the governmental authority change, but the United States has recently announced the development of an Internet Task Force, which the Cuban Government has strongly protested.

According to the State Department, the Cuba Internet Task Force will “examine technological challenges and opportunities for expanding Internet access in Cuba with the goal of helping the Cuban people enjoy the free and unregulated flow of information.”

In an article by Carmen Sesin at NBC News, PobleteTamargo’s Jason Poblete explains that this new Task Force is just a “continuation of a long existing policy of improving telecommunications, a process that started in 1992.”

He goes on to state that, “We don’t want Great Firewall of China tactics to block access in Cuba,” referring to China’s measures to regulate internet and block access to selected foreign websites.

The article by NBC News that looks at the challenges facing Mr. Goldberg can be read in full here.