President Barack Obama wraps up his visit to Cuba marking history, however, it’s been criticized by Cuban-Americans living across the United States including Lubbock.
    
“First make Cuba a Democratic country then forgive the past,” said Luis Grave de Peralta, a former political prisoner in Cuba.

Grave de Peralta is a physics professor at Texas Tech.He grew up close to the scenic shores of Holguin, Cuba. And experienced the Cuban revolution and the rise of the Castros.

“The Castro brothers have been kidnapping the Cuban people for 50 years,” said Grave de Peralta.

In the 1990’s the now American citizen renounced his affiliation with Cuba’s communist party. Due to his actions he was sentenced to 13 years in prison. After serving four years he was released and exiled to the U.S.

The Cuban professor said he disagrees with the President’s visit with communist leader Raul Castro.

“President Obama is trying to help the Castro brothers, but the next president will use this not to help the Castro brothers, but to really try and get democracy in Cuba,” he said. “The communist system we don’t want to ever come back.”

Obama’s trip included addressing agriculture to human rights issues, as well as the half-century old U.S. trade embargo.

“Even if we lifted the embargo tomorrow, Cubans would not realize potential without continued change here in cuba,” said the President during a speech in Havana.

More than 50 people were arrested during a protest by the group known as The Ladies in White.

“The government of Cuba is sending a clear message- we want to get money from United States, we will not make any change, we will remain in power and maintain the same system in Cuba,” said Grave de Peralta.

With travel opportunities opening up for Americans to visit the Caribbean country, Grave de Peralta said his homeland is only interested in funding their own pockets and not moving toward a free country.

“The people who created these problems are the Castro brothers, let biology take care of them,” he suggested. “We need to be patient.”

After a historic trip to Cuba, President Obama traveled to Argentina, where he’s meeting with the Argentinean president, U.S. embassy and others dignitaries as well as attending a cultural event.