Pueblo journalist overjoyed by latest breakthrough in fractured U.S.-Cuba relationship

“You could have knocked me over with a feather,” Pueblo’s Pablo Mora said Wednesday afternoon. “I can’t believe Obama did that.”

The president’s history-making announcement that the United States and Cuba will start to mend their fractured relationship after more than 50 years tugs at this veteran journalist’s heart strings.

“Normalization of relations between one of our closest neighbors in the Caribbean is long overdue,” Mora said.

Mora’s father was born in Cuba, and he only wishes his dad could be here to see this momentous day.

“He always talked about going back, but he wanted to go back to Cuba, but a free Cuba,” Mora said. “That’s what my father wanted, a free Cuba.”

Mora cherishes the few artifacts he has at home symbolizing his Cuban heritage.

He calls this start of diplomacy between his two nations a wonderful Christmas present.

“I’m not sure how it’s going to play out, but it looks so good and we’ve waited so long for it,” Mora said with a beaming smile. “We offer so much to them in what the community needs, in what the world needs, a peaceful world. This is a long step towards global peace, I believe.”

On this dawn of a new era, Mora can’t wait to get his hands on a passport and visit his father’s homeland for the first time.