Majority Of Americans Support Diplomatic Ties With Cuba

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - As President Barack Obama continues his historic trip to Cuba, the American people think he's moving in the right direction.

A CBS News/New York Times Poll released Monday morning found a majority of Americans support restoring U.S.-Cuba diplomatic ties - 58 percent of Americans support this, while just 25 percent oppose. Most Democrats and independents favor re-establishing diplomacy, while Republicans are divided.

When it came to the President's handling of relations with Cuba, 52 percent of Americans approved; a slight uptick from last summer.

Six in 10 Americans think restoring diplomacy with Cuba is mostly good for the U.S., but views are mixed on whether it will lead to more democracy in Cuba.

While diplomacy may have resumed, the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba remains in effect. Fifty five percent of Americans were in favor of ending it while 27 percent said it should remain in effect.

The public, however, doesn't share the President's goal of closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay: 52 percent want it to remain open while 38 percent want it closed.

As for Cubans coming to the U.S., a majority of Americans said the policy needs to be changed. Currently, Cuban citizens who arrive in the U.S. can stay and apply for legal permanent residence after a year. Just a quarter of Americans think this policy should stay in place, while most (69 percent) think Cuban immigrants should now be treated like other immigrants trying to enter the U.S.

Overall, Americans' views of Cuba have grown more positive recently. Fifty one percent now have a favorable impression of Cuba (similar to what a Gallup poll found in February). Prior to this year, Gallup polling consistently showed more negative than positive views of Cuba. Back in 1996, nearly nine in 10 Americans viewed the country unfavorably.

There were partisan differences: Most Democrats (56 percent) view Cuba favorably, compared to just over a third of Republicans (36 percent).

As favorable opinions of Cuba have risen so has interest in taking a trip there. Forty three percent of those surveyed now say they would be very or somewhat interested in visiting Cuba, up 10 points from the fall of 2014 when the President announced that U.S. and Cuba would resume diplomatic ties. Still, traveling to Cuba doesn't appeal to most Americans – 57 percent said they have little or no interest.

President Obama is the first for a sitting U.S. president to visit Cuba since Calvin Coolidge did so 88 years ago.