Why did the two Obama daughters follow their parents to Cuba?

Although they do not appear much in public, US President Obama's two daughters often accompany their parents on important foreign visits.

Obama's two daughters, Sasha (right) and Malia, during a visit to Cuba. Photo: Reuters

On the afternoon of March 20, US President Barack Obama made a historic trip to Cuba with his wife Michelle Obama, mother-in-law Marian Robinson, and two daughters, Sasha, 14, and Malia, 17.

According to the NYTimes, the White House is usually very cautious about letting Obama's daughters appear in public, in order to help them have as normal a life as possible. The two Obama daughters and their parents visiting abroad is quite rare, however, not unprecedented. There are usually two factors that affect this: when the trip is really special, or when they are on vacation from school.

Obama's visit to Cuba meets both of these criteria. The trip is significant because it marks the first time a US president has visited Cuba in 88 years. Obama will meet with Cuban President Raul Castro and deliver a speech that will be broadcast live around the world.

The Obamas will also have the opportunity to stroll through Old Havana, the center of Havana - an experience few Americans have had due to the decades-long embargo. They will also soak up the excitement at an exhibition baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban national team.

During his first year in office, Mr. Obama said he wanted to take his two daughters, then 7 and 10, to places around the world they rarely got the chance to visit. The trip to Cuba coincided with Sasha and Malia’s vacation, as their private school in Washington was having a week off for spring break.

According to Inquisitr, in case the trip does not fall on a holiday, the school can also allow Mr. Obama's daughter to take a leave of absence if the trip has educational value.The two girls accompanied their father to Africa in 2013, when they went to South Africa and visited Robben Island prison, where former South African president Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013) was imprisoned for 18 years. Mr. Obama said that the presence of his daughters on the trip was important to him. "I know this is an experience they will never forget," he said.

Like their father, Sasha and Malia Obama may also be enjoying the perks of the White House in the final year of Obama's term. Earlier this month, the two young women attended their first state dinner, in honor of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

When watching the image of Mr. Obama's family arriving in Havana on television, Odilia Collazo, an elderly Cuban, said: "He wanted to go to Cuba with all his heart."

"I think Mr. Obama wants to do something good before leaving the White House," he said.

According to VNE