American aid worker <a gi-track='captionPersonalityLinkClicked' href=/galleries/search?phrase=Alan+Gross&family=editorial&specificpeople=6994459 ng-click='$event.stopPropagation()'>Alan Gross</a>, a former Cuban prisoner released on humanitarian grounds, pauses while speaking at a news conference in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014. President Barack Obama said the U.S. will end more than half a century of isolation of Cuba, initiating talks to resume diplomatic relations, opening a U.S. embassy in Havana and loosening trade and travel restrictions on the nation. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images