Eyeing New Future With US, Cubans Await Visit by Obama

Eyeing a new future with the U.S., Cubans are preparing their famed capital for a long-awaited visit by President Barack Obama, who will make history when Air Force One touches down in Havana.

A man wearing a shirt and head scarf with a Stars and Stripes motif flashes a thumbs up at a weekly rumba dance gathering in Havana, Cuba, on March 19, 2016. President Barack Obama will travel to the communist island March 20. During his three-day trip, the first to the country by a sitting president in nearly 90 years he will meet with President Raul Castro at the Palace of the Revolution and attend a baseball exhibition game. AP Photo/Desmond Boylan

HAVANA—Eyeing a new future with the U.S., Cubans are preparing their famed capital for a long-awaited visit by President Barack Obama, who will make history when Air Force One touches down in Havana.

Obama’s visit to the tiny island nation beginning Sunday will serve as a powerful symbol of the relationship that the U.S. and Cuba are now forging. For Obama, the 2½-day trip offers one of the last, best chances to advance the diplomatic opening with President Raul Castro before Obama leaves office early next year.

The Castro government announced a virtual shutdown of Havana during Obama's stay.