activity up on the monument, where -- he comes with a lot of pull. the cuban tv here in havana is set up, ready to go and what they do is they'll prorovide those live pictures not just for folks here in havana but for the rest of the world watching. >> we're not quite surehat cuban government officials will join the president when he lays the wreath and we're not quite sure if michee obama is going to be with the president, but we do know based on his schedule that we have right here that the wreath laying ceremony should take place about 10:25. after that he will then go to the palace of revolution, which is right next door. in fact, just over my shoulder here where he will then have a welcoming ceremony with president raul castro and then right after that they will have a bilateral meeting and shortly after that they will have what's called a restricted bilateral meeting and then they will meet with the press where it's only a select number of correspondence who will be able to ask questions. >> i think it's importance to

this memorial of jose marti who to many cubans is the founder of their corporate, often referred to as the washington of cuba for many reasons. he was a humanitarian, a poet, and very often quoted around cuba and also around theorld by many cuban americans. once again we are waiting for the president to arrive here. he should arrive just about 20 minutes after theh hour for the wreath laying ceremony. we're not quite sure if we will see his motorcade on television as we did yesterday as he left the airport. we want to show you when he arrived just after 4:00 yesterday at jose marti international airport, air force one touching down. the president was early. we were quite surprised to see him land so early. he w due to be here at about 4:50, but he arrived just shortly after 4:00. >> with him came the rain which did not stop it seemed like for hours yesterday. >> it was a lot of rain, but the president had his umbrella there for michelle obama and then the girls too.

mother-in-law of the u.s., also got off the plane yesterday, air force one, and then it was onto the beast where the president was given flowers, laurie and calvin with michelle obama and he was met by bruno rodriguez. >> we understand -- the big question is why raul raul castro was not there. a lot of folks wondering why he wasn't there. >> we know that there are people who have very mixed emotions about what's happening here and the president being on cuban soil, the first american president to come to cuba in some 88 years, nearly nine decades. calvin coolidge coming here in 1928 with the first lady at that time, that was grace coolidge, but many mixed emotions back at home about this. we know there are protests taking place in little havana, and that is the epicenter of cuban politics there.

obviously because people are concerned about whether the policy of engagement will actually work. >> listen. the cuban community back in miami is not monolithic anymore. it is seems there's a wide array of thoughtss to what's happening on the island. we see that every day when we're out here reporting. >> the president is very popular here on the island, but back there in little havana as you can see some of the pictures that you are looking at live of some of the protesters thehe. they are none to happy with the president being here. episode gauging castro, many think that the government is too repressive here and we saw some of that yesterday when the protesters were out there protesting in front of santa rita church in miramar. we've seen something like this every sunday ladies in white, led

they get on the streets and then the commotion happens. we saw that yesterday. te saw pro castro demonstrators there as well talking about what huma rights they think should be afforded. they agree -- or they argue, i should say that they -- these folks do have human rights and they have the ability to protest. quite a search out there last night. hatzel, we know that berta southerly was out there yesterday and you had a chance to talk with her morning. >> yes. we spoke with her. she had been released hours after she was detained that's typical what happens. they're arrested, released, arrested again for performing or acting in these sort of demonstrations. >> the argument has been that the president's trip has led to this campaign of intimidation thatas taken place not only before the president's arrival, but we also w that yesterday too.

antonio 8 8500 arrests in 2015, according to the human rights. >> calvin and hatzel, i want to -- we have orlando gutierrez here, your good friend and he tracked the distance on the island. orlando, you had some information about some of these arrests last night. >> h long were they held? >> they were held until late hours of the night. we know tom activists didn't get home until 11:00 p.m.it's also important to point out. we're see 50 or so arrests in havana. there's been hundreds of arrests in cuba. over 200 arrests just last week and we've been getting phone calls and messages throughout cuba about activists being warned being threatened to stay in their hoes, homes being surrounded by military thugs, being beingarrested. it's been a clamp countdown on descent to try and avoidny sort of expression of disconten or demanding freedom while president obama is in cuba. >> describe to us what it's like

detained. berta soler, we understand when she was released late last night.when she was? what were the conditions like. >> she was held in a jail cell in a station -- those are the under core political police who take aw the police station. they do not trust the real policeso they take over and keep them restrained in the station. >> i want to point out. what's going on in the video, i spoke with her and with people who were arrested. they wereubjected to brutality. they were beaten, they were placed in maial arts holds to bring severe pain. they were aacked by police and military. that was a scene of extreme violence in havana. >> they were not just subdued and taken into custody. they were man handled, beaten, pushed, shoved, as they were taken into custody. >> i got a call late last night. he told me they stuck thumbs into his ear.

they beat his wife. >> we have victor oquendo we want to check in with as well. he is our third person live in cuba. >> victor, have you seeeen any of the arrests? >> from my point here, laurie, i have not, but as you said, thoho stories are always so tough to listen to. that's why it's a aays so important for us as journalists here covering this story over the past few years at this point to always speak with the political activists on the island to make sure that tse stories are being shared as well. here in old havana the preside received a very warm welcome from the cuban people and they were very excited to see him despite the rain that came down for hours on end. that being said, i spoke with a few people who w we actually disappointed with the well welcome he received at the airport.

met plenty of people at the airport not nearly as significant as president obama. they were excited to see@ him touring havana. >> this is the president going through with the first first family walking through the cobble stone streets. now old havana has finally dried out. the second stop i i old havana, the cathedral, and that's where the huge crowds were waiting for him and they were chanting his name. as calvin mentioned a few minutes ago, he is very popular on the island and at the cathedral, he met with the cardinal and as we mentioned over and over again he played a pivotal role in the relations between unitit states and cuba. those were actually very impressive out here. laurie and janine, i will send it back to you guys. we will keep watching from old havana as well and bring you the latest as it happens. >> victor, one question for you as you're standing there, have

any crowds assembling, anything looking for a glimpse of president obamaven though he's expected at least for the first part of the morning to stay in the plaza? have you seen anything out there? >> i can tell you there is definitely a buzz. people all around the streets. this is a very popular part of town. there are eager to know what his schedule will be like today. schedule. i'm very close to the grand theater he where he will be speaking on tuesday. they're well aware of that. his remarks should be carried live on cuban television which is remarkable in and of itself. again, that's tuesday morning.all the activity today will be happening just ways from where i am here in old havana where where there is absolutely a buzz about the president's visit. >> we'll check in with you in a bit. >> speaking of that, we want to take you back to hatzel vela and calvin hughes. you were saying the irony of the plaza derevolocion.

but no real significant construction has taken place in cuba for almost 60 years. so a lot of these monuments you're seeing were previously built. >> i remember in the construction during my visits there were the soviet style barracks, apartment houseses out towards the beaches. a lot of construction was that. of course the early days of the revolution, castro, fidel castro, his plan was to keep cubans in the country side. he did not want them to come to havana. >> that's correct. the whole idea is they were doing a revolution based on the cuban country side. those were built mostly for retired military and personnel. they were just putting people into rooms. >> and they are deeply ugly. >> it's iron in this case because some of the buildings were built by political prisoners that were condemned to hard labor. >> i want to just get you on

i respect your work so much over the years. the criticism that we all have heard in parts of the cuban-american community. again, it's not monolithic, but from older cuban americans and from perhaps you is that this visit by the president legitimate the cuban government. >> i don't think he would go unless there was progress on human rates. there's been no progress. it's basical a trade mission. there's not a single member of amnesty international, of the human rights commission, of the aflcio for god's sake participating in this deligation. it's all about business and the human rights aspect is just a reference point. >> he will talk about it on tuesday, he says. we have to hear it and -- but taking place in the oh pregnancy of political prisoners in this type of violence, i think it gives the thugs in cuba. >> we want to get to calvin and

they have so much perspective where that is. right in plaza.. >> you know, the president said that he would only come here if he saw some sort of progress in terms of human rights and the dib either of cuban people being lifted a a little bit more or even at all, he would see some sort of progress and if that happened, he would come here. there are some that are saying that he may have crossed his own line, he may hav come here way too quickly simply because he wants to leave a leg's that's one criticism and the other one is by coming here there are a lot of people here, a lot of cubans here whom we have spoken with who think that his visit will in fact lead to change on the island. >> a lot of cubans you talk to say this is the right stuff, because they feel that through changing economy they may change -- their lives may change

it's all about your pockets and the money you make and how you can bring food to the table, and ththr argument is that the system hasn't changed for 50 years, that maybe by changing the economy that their lives will change. >> it's going to take a while but we've also heard the cuban government say, cuba is not open to change. so we know what the cubans' position is, not to mention the editorial that was written by the cuban government as well in granma newspaper basically saying you can come here, but don't stick your nose into our affairs. >> we've heard that mess injunctive ever since the first diplomats came to havana back in 2015. the message has been the same. they're opposed to any change politically and clear clear about that. they've also added in the issue guantanamo bay. >> let's take a look what is taking place right now. this is not on state run television as of yet. we're watching the channel there. i don't know if you can go ahead

that is the motorcade that is now arriving. we understand that this might in fact be the motorcade for president barack obama arriving here. there are a stream of cars that are going into the entrance. okay. we understand that is not. it w wld be a little early for the president to be here, but we knowowe was early yesterday. 30 minutes early, in fact. but we know there are a number of people who are on the steps in front of the memorial where the president is going to lay a wreath in front of the jose marti memorial in frontf the plaza de delarevolucion.

developing this country. >> which lasted four years. he died early on in the war in a minor skirmish with the spanish the castro regime claims to be the years of matter. we reject that, because matter was a man of liberal freedoms. very influenced by jennifer. he lived most of his life between spain and the united states, not in cuba. >> he was expelled twice, i believe, from cuba for his political activities. lived in guatemala, mexico, lived in new york, in fact. >> he loved new york. >> at one time he said that he considered himself a new yorr. >> he wrote in english there as well as in spanish. >> yeah. >> he wrote english, french and spanish he was a very accomplished writer. >> and we saw madura. a significant place to be doing that.

let's take a quick break while we

motorcade arrived at welcome back to our special coverage of the president's historic visit to cuba here. here in south florida reaction is mixed ask you can see a handful of people here outside of versailles in little havana. they are clearly not happy with the president's visit to cuba.a. many have told us this feels like a slap in the face. >> but a relatively small group so far. yesterday and today in little havana. from there we take you to old havana in cuba, and that'ss where our own victor oquenen is standing by live for us. victor, all of the activity is gogog to move to that area tomorrow, correct, when it really becomes about the people? >> absolutely, laurie. this is exactlyhere the president will be first thing tomorrow morning. where he'll,be giving a speech here. as i mentioned earlier, t`e grand theater just behind me, before he goes to the tampa bay rays

national team just before he flies to argentina which is his next stop. but as he's mentioned over and again, it this trip is about getting to know the cuban people. so his first night in havana after the planned scheduled meetings where he was scheduled to go to the embassy and meett with staffs and decided to go to a hotel instead and meet them there. after his visit to old havana he decided to have dinner with the first first family at a small little -- it's one of the family run restaurants, sometimes right inside their homes where they are able to earn a living that way by just cooking out of there and setting up kind of their own little restaurant and that is one very good way to get to know the cuban people just by simply eating with them, interacting with them and it is interesting right in. they welcome you, and it is a very good way to kind of i am

>> this is a vid of the huge greeting he received at the cathedral. crowds of people cheering for him and the first lady. as they walked in. the first lady's mother was also there as well. that is where the met the cardinal. you see president obama, he paused, he shook hands on hisay in, he had to carry an umbrella, once again, because rain was so hard yesterday. he waved to the crowd several times, shook hands, and then entered to meet with jaime ortega as he wednesdayed such an important player in the talks between united states and cuba. old havana has finally dried out after hours of rain yesterday. laurie and janine, i'm going to send it back to you. victor, we know -- we have michael putney here and orlando gutierrez, both know that area so well behind victor right there. >> it's called the pase, and it's a grand large street, the capital of the cuban capital is down the street. it's almost a useless building

there, but it's a very grand building. orlando, i think we should do also point out that the president has said all laurie and calvin the purpose of this visit is to help improve the lives of ordinary cuban people and the means to do that is through commerce, through tradede through travel, and there's a question of course that many, including you probably have about whether that willll lead to lit california opennene -- political openness. >> i think you are ignoring the reality y the cuban economy. the cuban economy is controlled by the cuban armed forces. the cuban armed forces are controlled by the castro family. the man in charge of organizing the economic structure for the armed forces is castro's son-in-law. furthermore, the most profit panel of those enterprises are controlled by the intelligence sector within the military. it's simply strengthening the core of the regime. >> my question is as we look at the live pictures from havana. you go to a restaurant that's being housed in somebody's home,

tristan so you pay with the -- you pay with a cuc. >> there's two things. number one, those work for these huge military owned enterprises. most of the salary is kept by the government and they're paid a pittance out of that. what the regime has done is brought legalized -- a small part of that, regulated it a a taxed because it's so profitable. so the family who is making,g, the family who owns that is making a very small amount of what they're putting into it. they're barely surviving. we must keep in mine.there's been no opening of the cuban economy. there's been a slight deregulation and a lot of taxation. >> when he spoke to carlos rodriguez, a miami businessmen, he pointed out, he says, that since 2,011,400,000 cubans have received licenses to be a private business person.

almost nonexistent. i mean they're fixing cigarette lighters or shoe repair, but nevertheless, these are people he says that are now self support asking don't have to rely on the cuban government for $24 a month in salary. >> the footnote to that is that since the 17 of december 2014 far more regulations, far more have been decreed by the regime against that sector. so it's a very small sector. we're talking about jobs like taking life out of here o or manicurist, heavily taxed and overseen by the regime. >> orlando speak to the video here. we were just watching a steam roller rolling over maybe posters, is that their symbolism for being rolled over? you see it right there. >> i'm not part of that protest, but yesterday in little havana, over 1,000 people came together

the crowd there was mostly young cuban americans who were there to express their opinions for those in cuba who are fighting for human rights. >> we have a strong consensus of wanting change and democracy in cuba. for most of us it's appalling to see this visit takinglace in the context of such oh pregnancy. we want an opening. we want a transition. it's not happening at all. >> i also would like to jump in and simply say that the group who is doing this protest we're looking at in little havana is a group that's been around a long storm. they are called the [ speaking foreign language ] and they are sincere, they are fiercely anti castro, but if you think back to other events in this community that have riled the community community where thousands of people have turned out, what we are seeing, here is the president of the united states in havana i can't and we see a dozen or so of

versailles cafe and i'm not diminishing what theyy are doing, god bless them, but this is not some kind of a major protest. the one that you and the resistance of the cubanan assembly put on on sunday you had many, many more people. >> there's a deep under current of indignation in our community. this is a monday morning, it's a woday. there's a deep indignation and you're going to see more expression of it. >> we shouldn't assume tt all young cuban americans are in favor of this. many that came to your rally really fear that this is not the right time. >> they ant progress. but they want progress with human rights. they want an opening by respecting different points of view and having some top tolerance towards those. what we saw yesterday inavana, that kind of violence against women -- >> i think what we saw with the ladies in white yesterday and

violence and you described how others were punched and kicked and abused, i think this puts the president in a very d difficult position. here he is, hours before he gets there, there's a crackdown on the most visible human rights proceed democracy group on the island. now i think he is compelled to say something about it in public, and i thinknke must. >> i'm very disappointed he hasn't yet. one of those persons as you americaned was berta soler. as you saw, she was drabbed, she was beaten. she stands for our right to freedom and i was hoping by now president obama would have intervened. >> asse said, hatzel live for us in the plaza de la revolucion. we were talking about berta soler. hatzelelyou had the opportunity to speak to her. she may have been invited to

she may not be able to m me it to see president obama in fear of getting arrested, even trying to get to him, is that right, hatzel .>> typically what happens is they're blocked at their homes and they're not allowedo even leave their homes and so a lot of them fear that if that -- if that comes through, if that happens, they may not be able to leave their homes. i can report right now that we ju saw the presidential motorcade pull into into the jose marti memorial. quite a motorcade. we saw the beast and now the president should be making his way up to the memorial. >> and we cannot emphakize enough the number of security, the number of police personnel who have blocked off this plaza which is typically a tourist attraction for so many people and for so many cars that typically line up he. some of the older model cars that tend to phase nature, t classic cars that tend to phase nature so many tourists that come to cuba. >> there is no one around.

the in the corner. you see some spectators. i would say about two dozen. but no one around to see this happen really. >> we know there are at least three cameras that are up there or at least two cameras that are up there. one that is being provided by the cuba -- cuba state run television. we hope to be able to take this picture here. >> there he is. >> right now we understand the president is on television right now live across the island. this is on could you bevision. the president arrrred here and let's listen in for a moment if we can. because the president is going to be laying a wreath at the jose marti memorial. >> usually what you get here on cuban television is you get a they're narraratoto giving you a step by step description of the process. >> t ts is all protocol. when i was here last time for the

when the pope meet with the patriarch, the same thing happened. he walked around, after lying a wreath at the memorial, he went inside the monument, because inside the monument you will see there is a whole sort of museum that explains to you the life and times of jose marti and his meaning to this country. you can see there the president being told probably what he expects to do as he walks up to the monument. >> we saw a picture there of the beast. the presidential transportation here, the limousinene here on the island that seems to phase nature so many people. we're not quite sure who he's walking with. any idea, orlando gutierrez, who the president may be walking with as he makes his way to the memorial. >> i do not know, calvin. we will find out. clearly a high rankly government official in cuba and the lady

president's right, we need to find out who she is as well. as you say we could not have a narrative right now from cuban tv. the president is not going to speak, by the way. he's simply going to lay a wreath here and that's what we're watching.

solemn ceremony at the plaza de la revolucion in havana. the president laying the wreath there with the help of cuban military and laurie and janine, orlando, i never thought i would hear the star spangled banner played in that plaza played by a cuban military band. thisiss the port of che guevara. >> what a portrait of contrasts in so many ways. the u.s. national anthem, the cuban national anthem and then you see the president of the united states hand over his heart with che guevara port traits in the background. i mean, orlando, what does that say to you?

when you're watching this? >> i think it's a n negatation of -- he was -- people who soda >> he believed in dictator ship, and we had the president of the freest country on earth of the world's most powerl democracy laying home age to another fighter, while that image which is an insult to human rights. i want to point out that the man accompanying president obama is a cuban vice president. there are several vice presidents in cuba. [ speaking foreign language ], he's a former leader of the official regime control labor union, former minister of labor he was known for -- when he was in charge of the -- of the labor union and later the ministry of labor of increasing repregnancy against workers who did nothing but as regime and how the regime dictates. this is the fist time we've seen secretary of state john

cuba. he will certainly be part of these talks. today is the only full day in cuba of the president's visit. yestday it was about family, sharing his family, meeting the families at the embassy, having dinner out on the streets. but today as we look live there at the plaza de la revolucion and& the statue of jose marti. statue is about politics and they had is about these two long time hostile countries coming together to try to have bilateral meetings and restricted bub laterals we'll see what comes out of it. >> we understand the president is signing the guest book at the memorial for the gaggle of press around him. press from all over the world. these are credentialed press members. how often do you get to descend on raw. >> if i could jump in there, there are some excellent cuban-american journalists in

this visit, like merriam march committees. there are other journalists who were not allowed to go and report on this trip. >> calvin and hatzel are there for us and this was quite a moment to see. >>o doubt, laurie. i think michael sort of s smed it up. it's interesting that -- and for some i'm sure unthinkable that the american national anthem would be played by the cuban national band here and the cuban military right after the esident there stepping in front solemnly and slowly walking in front of the wreath, in front of the jose marti memorial. >> we also heard on cuban tv the they're narrarator talking about the floral arrangement, it being made of white and res whose, the banner being made of red, white and blue. a significancncof the two countries coming together.

fact that reporters sort of swarmed president there. that of course would never happen in the u.s. >> it seemed a bit disorganized. >> we know the president is heading from here over to the palace. the revolution palace over there and there he will have his official welcoming ceremony at 11:00. he will then take the official photo of course. we'll have that for you as soon as it happens and as soon as it is released to the press here in havana. calvin and hatzel, thank you so much. we know you are right there in place for us at plaza de la revolucion. we have victoria oquendo live in old havana and we have our crews here in little havana. it is lime team coverage on this morning.

break and we'll be right welcome back to our coverage of the historic visit of president obama to cuba. the first u.s. sitting president decades. you're looking live at this

statue there at plaza de la revolucion. it has been quite a morning already. it is a morning of full on meetings. full on politics today as these two former foes come together in their new relations. we just saw a few momen ago, let's take you to that video, as the president laid a wreath at the memorial there. the wreath apparently full of red and white roses with a red, white and blue banner signifying the two countries coming. victor oquendo is live in old havana. victor, set the scene for us there. well, janine and laurie, before we do all of that, i just wanted to mention that we were very curious to see who it was that the president would be accompanied by as he laid the wreath at the jose marti memorial. let' not forget that a few days ago the venezuela president was there doing the exact same thing and he was actually accompanied by somebody who is a little higher ranking, the first vice president of ca. so that speaks to something that

told me this morning that they thought that the reception that president obama received at the airport from the cuban deligation was rather cold is how they described it. so they're saying that they're a little bit disappoinind in the weome that he has received so far. that said the cuban people have been very excited to see the president. no doubt, though, that scene onic moment, another one of these moments that we never thought we would see somethi like this, the president laying a wreath at the jose marti memorial in the middle of the plaza de la revolucion. so many of these first moments you can talk about, even when when we landed at the airport and we saw a cargo plane sitting at jose marti airport. thatat something i never expected to see. then you have president obama landing at the airport as well. this trip will be full of moments like that that for a second and as you listen to the american national anthem as well, that's another moment that took me back for a second. i had to stop and actually process that, because that's not

>> and victor, orlando was just looking at the video from maduro's visit, and what did you notice the difference there. >> first off all, he was supposedly the country's third man in power, he's the first vice president. president obama was accompanied by a glorified bureaucrat. he's a lower level vice president. former labor union boss. i think president obama has been downgraded once again by the cuban regime. >> the cuban government very likely. again, very stating it's -- stating its ground if you will. standing its ground. always putting out there they are only going to change so much. is that how you feel it? >> i think part of what's going on here is politics nothing about symbolism and about optics and they're sending a message by sending out a relatively low ranking official of their government to accompany the president and the fact that means some people are upset that -- yesterday that raul castro did

the president. the foreigner minister was there and that's not chopped liver but his not like raul castro and the official newspaper of the communist party fearedly the meeting at the jose marti national memorial and the mention of president obama's visit was to the lower left corner of the paper again down grading the visit. >> people get this information from granma, from cuban state run television. not very many people have computers or internet but you were telling us a lot of people do have televisions and they're watching to this on television. >> or listening by radio. >> the president is going to walk from what we're looking at which is the mr. castro itself and the jose marti memorial a by the way, that is a huge bell tower. it has an elevator. i have been to the top of that. it's a magnificent view of havana and the bay and you can see quite the long distance.

left there is the plaza de la revolucion which i a big bureaucratic government building and that is where raul castro has his office and that is where president obama is going to meet with him. they're going to take an official photograph, have their official greeting, official welcome and en it is later that they're ing to have a press conference. well, that's really not until this afternoon, but they're going to have a private session, and wouldn't y love to be there to hear what they say to each other? >> and the question is, will they be taking questions from reporters? i doubt it. but we'll see. and that is the big question. today they will have that press conference just before 2:00 and then the president takes a little break. orlando, that's just a nice little beer joint, right. >> exactly. >> that will be a nice break after all the meetings. as we look live we've got our latest video in with the president and his entourage of cuban diplomats.

there he is, signing the guest book. >> we're getting video very delayed from cuban national television. theyre being very selective what they're giving us, and this of course -- this probably happened a good 20 minutes ago. it's saying live, so we will assume this is from cuban national television. there you see our left handed president signing in. what a moment as his words will live on forever at the jose marti memorial. the president of the united states. >> again, the bug on the left-hand side of your screen says it's live. we believe this is a taped delay, maybe about 15, 20 minutes ago that he was inside signing that guest book and i'm trying to get

>> liberty, freedom and -- >> we shall find out shortly what the president is writing there at the jose marti presidential corral. a very significant. again, jose marti considered the washington >> each of these moments is so significant. this is happening live we're told from cuban national television. each moment so very significant since it has been longer than most people's lifetime. nearly 90 years since a u.s. president has ever s spped foot on cuban soil. each handshake each p pson who reaches, the president says he is trying to bring hope, trying to establish these ties to further

>> again, president obamas with the believed c can vice president. >> he's the familiar minister of lalar and before that he was head of the regime controlled. cbc. he's a bureaucratic communist party. again, no enforcing party dictates against -- >> later this afternoon the president will lead a whole entrepreneururip afternoon. that may be where some of the -- orlandoohe trade mission idea will come in. a lot of meeting with businesses talking about entrepreneurship and possibilities and then tonight it's the state dinner. >> there are about, i believe, adozen united states ceo it is, businessmen who are there this trip and then in addition to them ere are some very successful cuban-american businessmsm from miami. mike fernandez, carlos gutierrez, former commerce second under george w. bush among others,

to take part in this seminar this afternoon on on -- >> and the thinking of course from some is that the opening of commerce may lead to the owning of ideas, although there are some who don't agree with that. but -- >> and, orlando, there already has been tremendous -- a tremendous number of businesses alreadad going in. the question is are they ready for it. >> this is a trade mission. it's nothing to do with human rights. there's not a single rights activist or advocate. >> i need to insist. there is no semblance of an open economy in cuba. they will be doing business with either retired mitary personnel, military controlled enterprises or intelligence second t te controlled enterprises. we're basically funneling money into this regimime which has a bankrupt economy and it will be a bogus economy because it't' based on what tourism they can attract. it's not an opening toward people, it's an opening towards the tourists coming intoo cuba. >> not to argue a point of view, but i know that the obamama

some benefit to the castro government, but the principal benefit is going to the cuban lives. if we have to do a little bit business they say with the castro government, the beneficiary are the cuban peoeoe. >> when the assembly in china and successfully transferred private into the remaining in power is not a model we want for cuba. we want a real democratic and not to have a state capitalist -- >> we should do point out that when -- at analogy is made to china and vietnam, china of course is the largest trading partner of the united states, that's an entirely separate case, cuba is within this sphere of the united state and we've had a strong relationship between our o countries for centuries, and the president is saying it's time

there's going to be disagreement just as you were saying. >> thereill be disagreement, there will also be practical ncerns which we've heard from the infrastructure in cuba is so old. how can it withstand mlre tourists, big hotels? the plumbing. >> the cruise ships coming in all at one time. it is a huge question whether the cuban infrastructure, the cuban economy and the cuban people are ready for so many change. >> these visual are just amazing, just watching the president traveling like that. you wouldn't see that in the united states. the president would just greet people walking across a road. doesn't seem like secret service is anywhere near them and the way the cwds of press swarmed him and senator john kerry for those pictures, it is a different country and a different way of doing things. >> he is walking -- excuse me, jane. he is walking up the stairs here on the red carpet into the plaza de la revolucion which is the principal government building

going t meet with raul castro. >> this is really unprecedented. this is not only the government building, but this is really the seat of the communist party in cuba, and so here's premature walking inside this building with this entourage, including one of the viceresidents and the question is what will these discussis feel like with castro. >> were you ever allowed into this building? >> i was. i was there once on a trip in the 1980s with jesse jackson and he went in to meet with fidel castro and we waited six hours for them to come out and have a news conference and so we did see this building. it's really -- there are parts of it, as we see right here with the military standing at attention, that are quite grand when you think about the poverty that is an edimic in cuba. you see the people here, that is to say the leaders of the

>> i want to say that building in the period before the revolution, that building was the complex that held the cuban supreme court and the cuban ministry of justice. it wasn't the presidential palace. >> say that again. >> that used to be the justice complex in the precastro republic. >> where is that now? >> here's -- e euse me. here is the moment we've been waiting for. re is raul castro obviously shaking hands with the president. a very longhand shake. all smiles from both leaders. >> president obama knows some spanglish, but he is not flaunt. and i don't believe that raul stro really speaks good

fidel castro used to speak pretty good english. he lived in new york. there was bruno rodriguez shaking hands as well. the two gentlemen posing for pictures. >> excuse me. these@are translators who are there making the conversation understandable. >> and who decides on who the trslators are? >> i think each government, the president has his translator and the cuban government has its translator. >> from what we understand from this meeting that is coming up, it is the two men and two translators in a ramon or is there a larger audience with other d dignitaries involved. >> it -- so for an hour and a half it sounds like you see senator john kerry, secretary of state john kerry and fidel,

the diplomats would be in onhe bilateral meetings and then after an hour and a half it turns to a restricted bilateral meeting and just by the sound of it appears the audience will get smaller and maybe it will really come downn to these two leaders and their very close negotiators at the he happened. >> they had a meeting like that in panama where it was just the two of them and one translator working both english and spanish and that's where the rubber meets the road. that's where the serious conversation take place. not that it won't be serious when other diplomats in the ramon, but where the candor should take place is when the two leaders are face to face. >>nd according to this, there will still be -- that was kind of the official welcome, but at -- very soon now after taking a few pictures, we will get a few pictures of the group that is meeting#and then they will go behind closed doors and just

press conference from the u.s. president and the cuban president on what they discussed today. >> orlando, as you look at these pictures and you watch these two presidents meeting forhe first time on cuban soil, i know you were shaking your head. >> i confess as a cuban-american this is very difficult to rachel. raul castro executed 72 men in one day in eastern cuba. raul castro personally ordered the downing of a rescue plane where four of my friends were killed. raul castro is responsible for crimes against humanity which are duly documented. and to see the president of my country shaking the hand of this killer is very hard to watch. >> we get other calls, we got so many calls from the newsroom yesterday as cuban americans -- it makes them happy everyone wants change. everyone wants change for the