Today, as the American flag was raised in Havana for the first time in 54 years, Secretary of State John Kerry presided the ceremony for the reopening the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, starting a new era of diplomatic relations, in which, as the American dignitary stated, both countries “are no longer enemies, but neighbors.”
Kerry celebrated the milestone, but called for political change in the Caribbean state, highlighting the right of Cubans to choose their own leaders, and the need for the government to comply with international agreements and U.N. obligations, especially in areas related to Human Rights.
“We remain convinced the people of Cuba would be best served by a genuine democracy”, he said, but recognized that “Cuba’s future is for Cubans to shape”.
Three U.S. Marines (retired Master Gunnery Sgt. Jim Tracy and then-Lance Cpl. Larry C. Morris and then-Cpl. F.W. Mike Eas) who lowered the flag in 1961 after the diplomatic ties between the nations were cut, presented the new flag at the ceremony.
The Next Step
Once the diplomatic relations are re-established, the plan is to expand the economic ties between Cuba and the U.S. Meassures expected include direct flights and mail service.
Both countries will also have to resolve decades-old claims: property confiscated from many Americans after the revolution on one side, and damages caused by the embargo, on the other.