Washington, Feb 18 (EFE; additional context by The Costa Rica Star).– U.S. President Barack Obama announced Thursday that he planned to visit Cuba in March, making him the first sitting U.S. head of state to visit the island in 88 years. EFE

On Thursday morning, the White House Press Office confirmed President Obama’s intention to make the historic visit. The visit to Cuba will be part of an official trip to Latin America, which will include a visit to Argentina.

According to a news brief broadcast by U.S. television network NBC, the visit is scheduled to take place on March 21st, but the White House will wait until tomorrow Friday to make the official announcement. President Obama posted a social media update on Twitter that explained his visit to Cuba will be for the purpose of advancing progress and efforts that can improve the lives of the Cuban people.

As previously reported by The Costa Rica Star, President Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro have already shared a historic handshake at the United Nations. The two nations have been working towards reestablishment of diplomatic ties for more than a year, and this visit could be a major step in this regard.

It has been almost nine decades since President Calvin Coolidge visits the Caribbean island nation of Cuba. Back then, the capital city Havana used to host international meetings of heads of state from across the Americas. The Cold War and the beginning of the Fidel Castro era would sever diplomacy between these two countries, which are separated by less than 100 nautical miles.

Political analysts in Costa Rica will be paying close attention to this visit; after all, thousands of Cuban migrants remain stranded and sheltered in Guanacaste awaiting airlifts to Mexico so they can enter the U.S. on foot to request asylum.

There is a concern in Costa Rica that would-be Cuban migrants fear that the strange wet-foot/dry-foot asylum policy is coming to an end; such fear may prompt more migrants to enter Costa Rica in an attempt to reach the U.S.

Although Costa Rica no longer grants humanitarian transit visas to Cuban migrants, security officials are concerned about migrant smuggling in the country.