In 2013, Beyoncé and Jay Z randomly (and controversially) popped up in Cuba to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. Just 18 months later, President Obama has announced a normalization of U.S.-Cuban relations.
Coincidence? A certain segment of Twitter thinks not.
It took Beyoncé less than two years to open up Cuba. Impressive.
— Anil Dash (@anildash) December 17, 2014Hmm, now that little vaca Beyonce and JayZ took to Cuba makes sense.
— Renee (@rightwingertoo) December 17, 2014Who will write the first thinkpiece that it was in fact Beyonce & Jay-Z that paved the way for the normalization of Cuba-U.S. relations?
— Gerard Di Trolio (@GerardDiTrolio) December 17, 2014When the full Cuba breakthrough story gets told, wouldn't it be great if Jay-Z & Beyoncé's trip was a secret mission? pic.twitter.com/pMuYkfyMHz
— Michael Li (@mcpli) December 17, 2014Obama sent Hov and Beyonce to Cuba that one time in order to create this treaty. Gotta get them on the next dollar we put out
— Sanchez (@ChezthePrez) December 17, 2014The Cuba news is another example of the raw power of Beyoncé and Jay Z.
It's their world, we just live in it. pic.twitter.com/Pd0O455f7v
— Paul Shanks (@paulshanks) December 17, 2014Consider: Beyoncé and Jay Z's trip was in April 2013 -- 20 months ago.
Back-channel negotiations between U.S. and Cuba began "about 18 months ago," according to the New York Times.
Beyoncé and Jay Z traveled on a special people-to-people travel visa granted by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The visit caused Sen. Marco Rubio to blast the couple.
"We are allowing people to travel to Cuba as tourists. They're delivering hard currency to a tyrannical regime who then turns around and uses that to oppress its people," he told CNN at the time.
The uproar cased the Treasury Department's Office of Inspector General to investigate the trip, and it released a nine-page report in August declaring the trip legal.
Beyoncé and Jay Z are notably chummy with President Obama and the first lady.
Is this all coincidence? Did Beyoncé's star power alone begin to thaw relations?
Probably not, but to a certain type of American, everything revolves around Queen Bey.
I'm excited for a time when the American popular frame of reference for Cuba extends beyond Beyonce's vacation photos and Godfather II.
— The Coquette (@coketweet) December 17, 2014Follow Miami New Times on Facebook and Twitter @MiamiNewTimes.
