i want to bring back robert valencia on final comments of what we've seen today and what lies ahead. robert, i think what this always comes down to is the president saying that he hopes to make life a little better for cubans. how much evidence have we seen in the last 18 months since it was announced in december o of 2014 that has actually improved the life of average cubans? with. >> well, we've heard previously that business are a booming in havana. there has been an approach. especially from some u.s. officials. i mean, you saw for example governor andrew cuomo, the governor of new york visiting havana as well, and promote what new york, the state of new york has to offer to the island. now we're seeing airlines, u.s. airlines such as united and southwest trying to open new routes to havana from havana to new york, washington, and miami. so there have been absolutely an approach to both cuba and the united states. you have seen improvement, obviously things are not going to happen overnight. i mean, we're talking about 50 years of complete estrangement. things are begin to go thaw

. >> robert valencia, stand by, we'll come back to you, but i want to bring to you david who has reported extensively from cuba. he comes with us now. >> we're seeing a media scrum around president obama. it looks like he might be saying a few words. he's supposed to walk from this location to the presidential palace. how far is that, and talk about what we've just seen. >> we're seeing president obama walking through the plaza. this is an wh area where three popes have spoken. and there was the peace without borders concert. it's an area of historic significance, and this is where fidel castro would give his hours-long speeches. you can see icons of the revolution. to see a sitting president of the united states walking through the plaza. this is the statue of a george washington figure of the revolution. this area is iconic cuba and saying that the united states and cuba are open for business. this is a historic moment. >> is there irony in that symbolism? >> i'm sure that president obama's opponent senator cruz, marco rubio and donald trump will look at this as a moment that president

earlier we asked robert valencia, who writes about latin relations, if the two nations could find common ground. >> now that the united states has taken a friendlier approach, i think president obama has taken this wonderful opportunity, this golden opportunity to wield some influence in the area. not that argentina's influence has dwindled because of oil prices. he went to cuba, and now he's in argentina, a country that has distanced itself from venezuela. this is very important. this is such a strategic trip that obama is doing in argentina. >> valencia said that president obama's trip to cuba played well with other countries across latin america. >>> some developments in the race for president. yesterday bush is endorsing ted cruz. he said he has shown the ability to appeal to voters. and said that ted cruz is the best way to overcome the divisiveness and vulgarity that trump has brought to the race. bush dropped out of the race last month. cruz was the win center utah. trump came in last there. for the democrats, hillary clinton won arizona, bernie sanders defeated her in idaho and u

. >>> robert valencia writes about relations with latin america for global voices and he joins us from washington this morning. robert, thanks for being with us. it has been less than 24 hours before air force one lands in havana, i never thought i'd say that. based on what happened so far, what you are your expectations for obama's visit? is this going to be miss nixon goes to china moment? >> good morning and thank you for having me. it's incredible to say that the president of the united states is landing in cuba after 90 years of diplomatic estrangement basically. from the human rights point of view, as you know, one of the many events that will be taking place while president obama is issue cuba, there's oh going to be a baseball game between the cuban national team and tampa bay rays and many fear that that's going to steal obamaed thunder, because as you've seen, the ladies in white, one of the most prominent groups, the dissident group in cuba have been arrested while president obama was in the motorcade, so that's going to be problematic for president obama, if he doesn't stay