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Kerry presides over raising of flag at US embassy in Cuba

“It remains an unyielding dictatorship, a tragic example of the folly of communism, and an affront to the conscience of the free nations of the Western Hemisphere”, said Jeb Bush, a Republican presidential candidate. And men and women receive equal pay for the same job.

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“For an old guy like me that’s been around the world two or three times, this is the icing on the cake”, Tracy said, describing the moment he would witness the flag going up again.

A worker tests the audio equipment in the patio of U.S. Embassy in…

“Knowing that we are an embassy now is definitely something very big”, said Julio Llopiz who works at the public affairs office.

Fidel Castro is retired and turned 89 years old on Thursday. “It’s up to the Cuban people to determine what their country will look like”.

He also repeated his criticism of the US decision to stop swapping dollars for gold in 1971, a stand shared with some conservative economists.

We lost an opportunity to free Cubans. In May, U.S. dropped Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was in attendance for the historic flag-raising event in the Cuban capital.

“We have a situation where there is a normalization of diplomatic relations but we don’t have a normalized relationship”. It was the first time the star-spangled banner would fly there since January 3, 1961.

Interests Section, newly emblazoned with the letters “Embassy of the United States of America”.

Cuba has long defended its style of government in the face of U.S. hostility and pressure to change since the 1959 revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power. The solemn ceremony held in Havana signaled the restoration of diplomatic relations between the USA and Cuba.

More than double the number of guests attending the embassy event are expected at the afternoon flag-raising on the sprawling grounds of the chief of mission’s mansion in Cubanacan.

“They see we don’t have horns and a tail”, one official said.

He switched from English to Spanish several times during his address. “The United States has had ten new presidents”.

The state television network informs viewers that Kerry “is a Roman Catholic, likes bicycling, surfing and windsurfing” and is a fan of the Beatles and Rolling Stones.

The US and Cuba officially restored their diplomatic ties last month with reopening of the Cuban Embassy in Washington.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry watches as the Stars and Stripes…

“While the United States has re-hung its “open for business” sign in Havana, the Cuban dictatorship is continuing its business as usual”, Boehner said on Friday.

In prepared remarks from New York, he says the opening has ensured the socialist Cuban “regime will receive worldwide legitimacy and a substantial economic boost to benefit its repression”.

But Obama will not do an end run around Congress and gut the embargo, they said, something Republican lawmakers opposed to the new policy have accused him of.

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U.S. diplomats in Havana on July 20 marked the occasion in private ceremonies exchanging American flags and hugs with each other and some of the embassy’s 300 Cuban employees.

Raising US flag Kerry calls for democracy in Cuba