In a gesture of peace, the White House said it was seeking to establish a direct dialogue with Venezuela and Obama wanted to emphasize Friday the advent of a new era in relations within the Western Hemisphere, ensuring the times of American interference on the continent was over.
Who knew something as simple as a hand shake could be so impacting for relations between the US and Cuban presidents? Barack Obama and Raul Castro shared this ten finger embrace just before the opening of the Panama summit on April 10th.
The two presidents were found on Saturday, April 11th on the sidelines of Panama Americas Summit, a historic meeting that will mark a milestone in the reconciliation between the two countries. According to the White House, the two leaders should have a conversation with the meetings of the 35 heads of state. It would be the first exchange between presidents of the two countries since 1956, five years before the rupture of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba.
Except for brief informal meetings, no real American-Cuban head-to-head at the presidential level has taken place since the Cuban revolution of 1959. Barack Obama and Raul Castro had already shaken hands yet, December 10th, 2013 during the funeral of Nelson Mandela in South Africa. After an initial exchange during which there was no substantial conversation, according to a senior US Messrs. Obama and Castro will met more formally Saturday, said Ben Rhodes, deputy presidential adviser for security issues.
On the docket of discussions they will certainly hvae the resumption of diplomatic relations, which are slow to materialize despite three rounds of high-level talks in Havana and Washington. The main obstacle to the reopening of embassies is the moment in Cuba’s presence on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, which cuts Cuba part of international aid.
The White House said that Obama was not yet at the stage to make a decision on this, but has not ruled out, however, an announcement in Panama. In turn, the Secretary General of the UN Ban Ki-Moon and Pope Francis called Havana and Washington to overcome differences and historic divisions in the way of a good neighbor in the region.
The time of interference American is over. The summit officially devoted to prosperity in equality that should end without a final declaration, the United States refused to see mentioned support to Venezuela in its dispute with Washington. For weeks, Obama has been the target of criticism from Latin American countries outraged by his recent decision to sign a decree calling Venezuela main economic partner of Cuba a threat to the internal security of the United States.