Panama City (CNN)This was the handshake that shook the Western Hemisphere.
President
Obama briefly met his Cuban counterpart, Raul Castro, on Friday night
at a dinner for the dozens of Latin American leaders convening in Panama
City for the Summit of the Americas.
Obama briefly met his Cuban counterpart, Raul Castro, on Friday night
at a dinner for the dozens of Latin American leaders convening in Panama
City for the Summit of the Americas.
This was historic. The two nations have barely been on speaking terms — officially — for more than 50 years.
The
meeting was so important that Bernadette Meehan, National Security
Council spokesperson, issued a statement: “At the Summit of the Americas
this evening, President Obama and President Castro greeted each other
and shook hands.”
meeting was so important that Bernadette Meehan, National Security
Council spokesperson, issued a statement: “At the Summit of the Americas
this evening, President Obama and President Castro greeted each other
and shook hands.”
President Obama greets and shakes hands with Cuban leader Raul Castro at the Summit of the Americas in Panama City, Panama.
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Cuba
and the United States had endured a half-century of enmity, the tension
worsened by the two nations being only 90 miles apart. Key events of
those years include some of the most traumatic in modern U.S. history,
such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs and the Mariel
boatlift of 1980.
and the United States had endured a half-century of enmity, the tension
worsened by the two nations being only 90 miles apart. Key events of
those years include some of the most traumatic in modern U.S. history,
such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs and the Mariel
boatlift of 1980.
But the two leaders have been building up to the historic face-to-face.
Obama
spoke by phone Wednesday with the Cuban leader before heading to
Panama. They met Friday at the dinner and are expected to spend a lot
more time together on Saturday when the summit begins in earnest.
spoke by phone Wednesday with the Cuban leader before heading to
Panama. They met Friday at the dinner and are expected to spend a lot
more time together on Saturday when the summit begins in earnest.
Obama
arrived in Panama late Thursday for the conference, which in years past
was tinged with animosity at Cuba’s exclusion. Moments after Marine
One, Obama’s helicopter, touched down in Panama City, Castro’s plane
landed on the same tarmac. Panamanian television carried both arrivals
live.
arrived in Panama late Thursday for the conference, which in years past
was tinged with animosity at Cuba’s exclusion. Moments after Marine
One, Obama’s helicopter, touched down in Panama City, Castro’s plane
landed on the same tarmac. Panamanian television carried both arrivals
live.
During
their phone call Wednesday, Obama and Castro discussed the ongoing
process of normalizing relations between the United States and Cuba,
according to Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes. He said it
“made sense” for the two leaders to communicate before their anticipated
interactions Friday and Saturday.
their phone call Wednesday, Obama and Castro discussed the ongoing
process of normalizing relations between the United States and Cuba,
according to Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes. He said it
“made sense” for the two leaders to communicate before their anticipated
interactions Friday and Saturday.
Those
run-ins will represent the highest-level talks between the United
States and Cuba since a meeting between then-Vice President Richard
Nixon and then-Prime Minister Fidel Castro in 1959.
run-ins will represent the highest-level talks between the United
States and Cuba since a meeting between then-Vice President Richard
Nixon and then-Prime Minister Fidel Castro in 1959.
“We’re
in new territory here,” Rhodes said on Friday. “The reason we’re here
is that the President strongly believes that an approach that was
focused totally on isolation, focused totally on seeking to cut off the
Cuban people from the United States of America had failed.”
in new territory here,” Rhodes said on Friday. “The reason we’re here
is that the President strongly believes that an approach that was
focused totally on isolation, focused totally on seeking to cut off the
Cuban people from the United States of America had failed.”
Obama
was expecting a warm welcome from the dozens of countries represented
at the conference, after announcing in December he was seeking to engage
Havana in talks over reopening embassies and removing barriers to
commerce and travel.
was expecting a warm welcome from the dozens of countries represented
at the conference, after announcing in December he was seeking to engage
Havana in talks over reopening embassies and removing barriers to
commerce and travel.
In
Panama, Obama is expected to announce he’s removing Cuba from the
United States’ list of countries that sponsor terrorism, a major advance
in building diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Panama, Obama is expected to announce he’s removing Cuba from the
United States’ list of countries that sponsor terrorism, a major advance
in building diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The
State Department delivered its report on the designation to the White
House on Wednesday; Obama said on Thursday a panel of experts was
reviewing it before he makes a final determination. The White House
isn’t ruling out a final decision before Obama leaves Panama late
Saturday night.
State Department delivered its report on the designation to the White
House on Wednesday; Obama said on Thursday a panel of experts was
reviewing it before he makes a final determination. The White House
isn’t ruling out a final decision before Obama leaves Panama late
Saturday night.
In remarks during a
brief stopover in Jamaica on Thursday, Obama strongly hinted he was
ready to remove Cuba from the list, which also includes Iran, Sudan and
Syria.
brief stopover in Jamaica on Thursday, Obama strongly hinted he was
ready to remove Cuba from the list, which also includes Iran, Sudan and
Syria.
“Throughout
this process, our emphasis has been on the facts,” Obama said. “So we
want to make sure that given that this is a powerful tool to isolate
those countries that genuinely do support terrorism, that when we make
those designations we’ve got strong evidence that, in fact, that’s the
case.”
this process, our emphasis has been on the facts,” Obama said. “So we
want to make sure that given that this is a powerful tool to isolate
those countries that genuinely do support terrorism, that when we make
those designations we’ve got strong evidence that, in fact, that’s the
case.”
“As circumstances change, then that list will change as well,” he said.
While
some inside Cuba have expressed dissatisfaction at the pace of the
diplomatic thaw, U.S. officials say they’re pleased at the progress
toward re-establishing diplomatic ties, which the White House argues has
helped improve relations with other countries in the region.
some inside Cuba have expressed dissatisfaction at the pace of the
diplomatic thaw, U.S. officials say they’re pleased at the progress
toward re-establishing diplomatic ties, which the White House argues has
helped improve relations with other countries in the region.
Obama said in Jamaica he “never foresaw that immediately overnight everything would transform itself.”
The
overtures to Cuba have not been universally popular in the United
States; some lawmakers were irate that Obama was seeking to engage what
they regard as a corrupt government.
overtures to Cuba have not been universally popular in the United
States; some lawmakers were irate that Obama was seeking to engage what
they regard as a corrupt government.
Even
as Obama landed in Panama the long-standing tensions between pro- and
anti-Castro activists was on full display. Dissidents opposed to
Castro’s regime were violently accosted earlier this week by supporters
of the Cuban government.
as Obama landed in Panama the long-standing tensions between pro- and
anti-Castro activists was on full display. Dissidents opposed to
Castro’s regime were violently accosted earlier this week by supporters
of the Cuban government.
Rhodes said
the White House had “expressed serious concerns” about the violence and
would continue to speak in support of human rights reforms on the
island.
the White House had “expressed serious concerns” about the violence and
would continue to speak in support of human rights reforms on the
island.
source: cnn.com
