By Jada Lister

President Barack Obama will be the first sitting president  in nearly a century to travel to Cuba when he makes his historic visit in March.

The last president to visit Cuba was Calvin Coolidge in 1928. The President’s trip comes after his decision to formally reopen ties with the island nation in late 2014. He will be visiting Havana March 21-22 before continuing on to Argentina. During his visit Obama will meet with Cuban President Raul Castro, as well as several Cuban  dissidents.

As of now the restoration of ties has been welcomed by Cuba. “U.S. President Barack Obama will be welcomed by the government of Cuba and the Cuban people with our traditional hospitality. It will be an opportunity for (the) President to appreciate the Cuban reality,” said  Josefina Videl, the director for U.S. affairs at the Cuban Foreign Ministry.

At the same time it has been made clear by Videl that how Cuba perceives human rights is vastly different than the vision of  Washington.

“We have different ideas (about rights), in the same way that different ideas exist about other topics like democracy, political models and international relations,” said Videl before pointing out the countries low crime rate and guaranteed healthcare and education.

However, not everyone is thrilled about Obama’s visit. Texas Senator Ted Cruz, whose father is from Cuba, shot down the visit.

“I think it’s a real mistake. I think the President ought to be pushing for a free Cuba,” said Cruz.”My family has seen firsthand the evil and the oppression in Cuba. We need a president who stands up to our enemies.”

Many other Republicans have also voiced concern that this visit may lend legitimacy to Castro’s Communist regime.

Since ties have been reopened, travel restrictions have been somewhat loosened. U.S. citizens are now allowed to travel for humanitarian work and cultural exchange, but tourism will not be allowed until Congress lifts sanctions that restrict trade with Cuba.

Many have also acknowledged that there are still numerous issues in Havana regarding human rights that the Obama Administration would like to see improvements in. The President plans to discuss concerns including arrests of dissidents, Internet access, and the development of the country’s private sector with Castro during his two-day trip.

The thought is that this trip will help end an era of Cold War policy that has divided the two countries for the past 50 years and create a natural step towards reconciliation, though only time will tell what this will look like.