Obama: Raul Castro Understands ‘Change Is Going to Happen’ in Cuba

Exclusive: Obama Begins Historic Visit in Cuba: 'Change Is Going to Happen' (ABC News)

President Obama told ABC News anchor David Muir in an exclusive interview Sunday in Havana, Cuba, that "change is going to happen" in the island nation.

"The time is right. Obviously our intention has always been to get a ball rolling, knowing that change wasn't going to happen overnight. ... We felt that coming now would maximize our ability to prompt more change. ... And it gives us, I think, the opportunity before I leave office to continue to stay on track in moving things forward," Obama said as he began his two-and-a-half-day visit to the Cuban capital. "Change is going to happen [in Cuba] and I think that [President] Raul Castro understands that."

The trip marks the first time in nearly 90 years a sitting U.S. president has visited Cuba. Obama announced the trip via Twitter in February.