As the United States works to better relations with Cuba, President Barack Obama announced the opening of embassies in each other’s capitals.

Licensed Traveler, Larry Sides, says this is a step in the right direction. “The President today lived up to the promise he made in December to start opening doors to Cuba,” said Sides.

Sides is in favor of relations improving with Cuba, but not everyone felt the same.

“Political police came to me at the airport and said ok, goodbye. Don’t come back,” says Rafael Garcia, a Cuban-American.

Garcia left Cuba in 1998 as a political refugee, took most of his family with him and has never been back. He does not feel this new development will be beneficial for Americans or Cubans. “They’ve been doing this business for more than half of their life. It’s been 60 years already. Do you think they will change?”

Garcia, who is referring to Fidel and Raul Castro, says he finds it hard to believe their views on power will ever change.”It’s an island just for them. It’s a 12 million people island that they control.”

Garcia is pleased to hear that it could be easier for Cuban-Americans to visit their families in Cuba.

Sides has traveled to Cuba many times over the last 15 years. He’s flown to Havana twice just within this year. “The opportunities for people from the United States to travel have greatly improved. They still have not improved to the point where a U.S. Citizen can call United Airlines, book a ticket to Havana, get on a plane and travel there without a license.”

Sides says there’s still more work to be done, but that work will take an act of Congress.