On Friday, the American flag flew above the U.S. Embassy in Cuba for the first time in 54 years.
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NBC News notes that Kerry visit is also historic as “he is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the communist island since World War II”.
What Fidel says should be taken seriously; the United States should indeed be held responsible for some of the negative effects of the embargo, because it could not punish the then USSR directly, so sought to punish the Cuban government and predictably the people.
On Wednesday, she was joined by U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart who said, “He might as well be raising the white flag of surrender because that is what this shameful day is really about”. The US Army Brass Quintet will be performing it. Before the flag-raising ceremony it is reported poem will be recited by Richard Blanco, entitled “Matters of the Sea”. Three young Marines raised the flag after receiving it from the three military men Larry Morris, Mike East and Jim Tracey who had lowered it in 1961. Secretary of State John Kerry celebrated the day but also made an extraordinary, nationally broadcast call for democratic change on the island.
The thawing in the Cold War conflict, begun in December by Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro, has been criticized in Washington by the US leader’s conservative opponents.
On the other end of the spectrum, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has been fighting for the U.S.to lift its trade embargo against Cuba.
Kerry will attend a reception at the chief of mission’s residence later Friday where he is expected to meet with Cuban activists.
Rich Negrin, Philadelphia’s Managing Director, says, “I think it’s the beginning of not just normalizing relations and opening an embassy but hopefully dialogue that will continue to show reforms around democracy”.
“There is no way Congress will lift the embargo if we are not making progress on issues of conscience”, he said.
In the past, he conceded, United States policies had not led to democracy.
Leahy was in Cuba on Friday as the United States flag was raised at the new embassy.
While some Cubans wondered about their own government, others doubted the United States was ready to change and said it had little credibility on human rights issues.
“My friends, a Global Positioning System is not needed to realize that the path of mutual isolation and alienation that the US and Cuba have followed is incorrect and that now is the time to move forward in a more promising direction”, said the top US diplomat.
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A few hundred Cubans and tourists braved the intense August heat and tight security around the embassy to watch the U.S. flag go up while a U.S. Army band played the national anthem. Although now formally embassies, the former interests sections in Washington and Havana still await the appointment of ambassadors.
