“It is shameful that on the grounds of our embassy in Havana, the Cuban regime can dictate to the United States government who may or may not attend this ceremony”, Bob Menendez, a Cuban-American senator from New Jersey, said in a statement.
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Cubans in line outside the U.S. Embassy in Havana Thursday. However, despite regular calls from Cuba, the U.S. has not yet ended its decades long blockade on the country, nor closed its Guantanamo Bay torture prison on Cuban territory.
Kerry will be the highest-ranking US official to visit Cuba since Castro’s 1959 revolution and the first secretary of state to visit the island in more than 70 years.
It seemed that virtually all of Cuba was glued to a television or listening to a live radio broadcast on a cellphone.
Previously, Blanco has spoken about the LGBT community in Cuba: “the LGBT community was something that I actually had very misunderstood for most of my trips”.
Some changes, people said, are needed on the island-hopefully a good change for the Cuban people.
The raising of the flag will be followed by the Star-Spangled Banner performed by the United States Army Brass Quintet.
“Kerry spoke about democracy, freedom, WiFi, and he’s right”, Lopez said.
“The policies of the past have not led to a democratic transition here in Cuba”.
Both countries have indicated they have much unfinished business to discuss now that they are talking to each other again. “Cuba’s future is for Cuba to shape”.
He was among a group of Cubans who cheered as the flag-raising symbolically re-opened the embassy.
“I’m gonna love seeing that flag go back up”, said former marine Jim Tracy, 78, on a US State Department video.
Kerry was slated to meet later with a number of Cuban dissidents who were not invited to the morning flag-raising in deference to the Cuban government, which views them as U.S.-sponsored mercenaries.
Full normalisation is unlikely until Cuba addresses long-standing claims by Cubans and US businesses that lost billions of dollars in property and assets when the communists came to power. Some people are anxious Cuba will lose its nostalgic charm with an expected spike in tourism and investment if the trade embargo is completely lifted.
The United States opened its embassy with Cuba on Friday after more than 50 years of no diplomatic relations with the Caribbean island nation.
Eight months later, Havana has repeatedly demanded a complete lifting of the embargo.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican candidate for president and the son of Cuban immigrants, slammed President Obama for his diplomatic dealings with Cuba and Iran.
“I’m optimistic but cautious”, said Rolando Mendez, a state worker walking outside the embassy.
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You have to like that bit about how the U.S. refused to let any dissidents participate in the ceremonies out of deference to the commies.
