Christopher Woody, Business Insider
Photo Credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

After a first term where trips to Latin America were dominated by criticism of the US's Cuba policy, the Obama administration decided to pursue better ties with its long-isolated Caribbean neighbor after winning a second term.

In June 2013, White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes and Ricardo Zuniga, the top White House staff member on Latin America and a Cuba expert, met with Cuban officials — including Raul Castro's son — for the first time.