People who have reason to hope their native land will become less repressive do not risk their lives in small boats on the Atlantic Ocean, in the hope of better lives in the United States. One wonders if that occurred to President Barack Obama as he was planning his trip to Cuba this week.

Recently, a cruise ship about 130 miles off the Florida coast rescued 18 severely dehydrated people from a 30-foot boat. They were Cubans who had fled their country in an attempt to come here. Nine people died on the trip.

Not long before that, the Coast Guard picked up 42 Cubans in two small boats in the Florida Straits. They were returned to Cuba.

Obama has said one of the primary reasons he is trying to “normalize” U.S. relations with Cuba is so that country’s regime will ease repression against its own people. But it appears that since Obama announced that move last year, there has been little if any decrease in attempts by Cubans to escape their island prison.

Does Obama have a “Plan B” if Cubans are not granted more freedom?

One may be needed because the Castro regime shows no signs of changing.