Commentary: Cuba cautiously welcomes restoration of diplomatic ties with U.S., on alert for interference

Certain documents are destined to have great historical significance. A letter sent Wednesday by Cuban President Raul Castro to U.S. President Barack Obama is likely to be one of them.

"It pleases me to confirm to you that the Republic of Cuba has decided to reestablish diplomatic relations with the United States of America and open permanent diplomatic missions in our respective countries, on July 20, 2015." With this simple statement, Cuba and the United States have overturned 54 years of history.

The move had been widely anticipated after the two countries began a thaw in their relations in December 2014 and after the two leaders met in Panama in April on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas.

However, this news is more than welcome.

The goal of the U.S. embargo has not met with success: to punish the Castro regime and bring about its end. Instead, it has only contributed to worsen the plight of the Cuban people, depriving the island of limited goods that could have helped relieve its prolonged economic problems.

Given their recent turbulent history, it comes as no surprise that both countries will have their misgivings about restoring ties.

For its part, Cuba made this decision out of a desire to end one of the final vestiges of the Cold War and to begin a dialogue, but not to be harangued about democracy.

In a similar vein, Obama has made it clear he no longer intends to fight battles begun before he was born. Amid criticism from both Republicans and Democrats as to whether he is legitimizing the Castro government, Obama has stayed the course. He understands that, whether Congress likes it or not, a regime change in Cuba will not happen anytime soon.

However, Cuba will now need to be reassured about its grave concern that the United States will not seek to interfere in its domestic affairs.

Since negotiations began last December, it seems that Obama and Castro have reached an understanding on this matter. While he advocates that a U.S. embassy will help the Cuban people, Obama has been realistic about ongoing disagreements between the two countries.

Castro revisited the issue in his letter, stating that these new ties would be governed by "non-interference in the internal affairs of States; the promotion of friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principles of equal rights and self-determination of the peoples."

While Obama is securing a large part of his legacy with this detente, future presidents may not abide by it. Republican presidential candidates have been quick to slam the renewal of diplomatic relations, with Ted Cruz calling it "a mistake to give Castro everything he wants in exchange for nothing" and Jeb Bush saying that Obama was strengthening the Castro regime.

Given this widespread hostility in U.S. politics towards Cuba's regime, Cuba's worries about future American interference are well-founded.

Moreover, U.S. history in Latin America has numerous examples of attempts at regime change, the backing of favored political figures, and wholesale invasions such as the Bay of Pigs.

The re-opening of a U.S. embassy will certainly give rise to efforts to show Cubans the "American way" and will bring the island face-to-face with the reality of global capitalism.

However, the Cold War is over, a fact which Obama understands only too well. It would be tempting to depict him as a president acting out of a desire to secure his legacy. But his words back in Panama point to another reality. "We'll have our differences with Cuba on many issues ... There's nothing wrong with that."

Lifting the embargo as soon as possible will be a very strong indicator that Obama's words of peace will be turned into action.

As we await the news of who the first ambassadors will be, Obama and Castro have taken a realistic stance about what can be expected from each other.

This is, hopefully, but the first step in a long process that will see the United States lift its trade embargo, a new policy on how to handle migrants, and an increase in trade and tourism.

Successful cooperation in the next two years would be the most effective way to stave off Cuba's worst fear that future U.S. presidents may again resort to the ineffective policy of isolating Cuba for another fifty years. Endi